Tag Archives: des moines restaurants

October 18, 2012 · 1:51 pm

Iowa destination dining: The Northside Cafe in Winterset

: Outside the revamped Northside Cafe in Winterset, Iowa

Once upon a time there was an old beloved cafe in the central Iowa town of Winterset called the Northside. A charming place with high ceilings, a stamped tin ceiling, a long wooden counter with swivel seats, booths with softened vinyl, old photos, and an old-fashioned sign above the counter that flipped every few seconds to advertise another local business (“Lenny’s auto: instant financing”). The food was nothing to write home about but I took out-of-towners there to soak up the scene. (Did I mention the Northside was the setting for a scene starring a love-struck Clint Eastwood in the film “Bridges of Madison County?”).

There was also, about 10 years ago in Des Moines a beloved cafe called Chat Noir,which served creative fare inspired by New Orleans, France and other Euro spots in a funky old house in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood. After a strong run, it closed and we still miss it. But now it is back…sort of. The new owners of the Northside are the former owners of Chat Noir. During a Saturday lunch at the Northside earlier this month, we recognized familiar faces ( one of the twin sisters who are the cafe’s co-owners) and several favorite dishes (the muffuletta, the crab and shrimp bisque) but many new things. And the vibe is familiar – welcoming and hip but not too. Plus a new small town coziness. It’s like a mash up of theNorthside and Chat. We loved it and we will be back. When you go try the pulled pork sandwich (not goopy with sauce but instead dry smoked pork), the bisque, sweet potato fries, cold-pressed ice coffee, fresh apple pie. Yum.

Address: 61 East Jefferson Street, Winterset, IA 50273

Phone: (515) 462-1523

Trying some new Des Moines restaurants – Host, Tartine, Zombie Burger

Sitting inside Host, a new restaurant in downtown Des Moines near the public library, is a bit like being inside a Meredith magazine shoot – as the friend I was eating with, a former Meredith employee, remarked. Clean, open, space, cute mismatched white shabby chic wooden chairs at metal tables, pretty little mural of birds and the phrase “Excuse me while I kiss the sky” (a lyric to the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze, that’s been misheard by many a listener as “excuse me while I kiss this guy”). It’s a nice addition to the downtown dining scene, albeit a bit pricey (even if it offers locally-sourced fresh ingredients) – $10 for sandwich and a side. I had the excellent KPLT Rye Panini with (Iowa producer) La Quercia’s Tamworth prosciutto, leeks, tomatoes & Gruyere on excellent hearty wheat bread toast. My friend had a very tasty curried-chicken salad made with big chunks of real chicken, yellow raisins and nuts served on a brioche which she was pleased to find wasn’t sweet.

I finally tried Zombie Burger, eating on the carry-out side of the outdoor patio and I thought the place was fun and the food okay. I had the Zombie Burger – just a basic cheeseburger with the American cheese (not my fav) and zombie sauce (spruced-up Russian Dressing from what I could tell.) My husband had a double patty burger with blue cheese and carmelized onion. Even better. It’s basically a fast food burger in a less fast-food setting. (For a great burger – and one that’s prepared to my specifications, i.e. rare – I’ll still go to Star Bar on Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines.) I had heard some rumblings about the bad fries at Zombie Burger. Not true – in my view. The fries were great – too great, actually.

I also tried Tartine in Clive again – was impressed again but still wish it was in a different location, with less of a suburban strip-mall vibe, and was open past 8 p.m. for dinner (so I could try the burgers and frites, which look really good). I had a very rich spinach and bacon quiche (which I could eat only half of) and my friend had what looked like a light fluffy “Garden omelet” with arugula, portobello mushrooms and chevre. Both entrees came with a choice of side for $8. A small selection of elegant baked goods for dessert looked delicious.

Gourmet hot dogs – from Chicago to Des Moines

About a year ago, I found myself in a long line of people stretching down the block from a small brick building that is home to Chicago’s renowned (apparently) hot dog haven…Hot Doug’s (aka “the Encased Meats Emporium and Sausage Superstore.”) After waiting about 20 minutes on a chilly afternoon and hearing that the wait might be over an hour longer, we left and went to a very good Cuban restaurant nearby.

I’m hoping the wait won’t be as long but the dogs will be as good at Capital Pub & Hot Dog Co., just south of the East Village in Des Moines. From the outside, the place looks like an old roadhouse that matches its gritty industrial neighborhood that is slowly slowly gentrifying. The pub – located in a 19th century building originally built for Irish immigrants working on the railroad, the Des Moines Register reports – is selling 100 percent beef dogs (also turkey and vegan dogs) in 13 guises. They’re thick (maybe like my favorite dogs – kosher hot dogs?) – and cooked to order (whatever that means with a hot dog – surely people don’t eat “medium rare dogs”).

One favorite is the Chicago Dog (natch), which sports yellow stuff (mustard, onion), diced tomato sweet relish, sport peppers, pickles and celery. The Mobayashi dog sounds way weird – tempura battered and fried, dressed with spicy mayo, cream cheese, cucumber and, of course, wasabi. I may have to go for the non-hot dog sandwich – the Southside Link, made from locally-made (Graziano’s) Italian sausage with giardiniera pepper relish (which I first ate at a street fair in Chicago, yum) and cheeses.

Tag Archives: des moines restaurants

Iowa destination dining: The Northside Cafe in Winterset

Trying some new Des Moines restaurants – Host, Tartine, Zombie Burger

Gourmet hot dogs – from Chicago to Des Moines

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