Tag Archives: DINING

January 4, 2018 · 7:56 pm

A little bit of Brooklyn in Des Moines – St. Kilda Bakery and Cafe

The new St. Kilda Bakery & Cafe, tucked away in an emerging downtown neighborhood of old brick warehouses converted into lofts and newly constructed apartment buildings, grabbed my attention initially because its owner is London-born and Australian-raised and promised an “Australian-style cafe.” That’s new for Des Moines.  Then I learned from a friend – a Des Moines native who lives in Brooklyn’s stylish Prospect Heights neighborhood – that St. Kilda’s owner previously ran a bar/restaurant in her NYC neighborhood. (Apparently he’s married to a Des Moines native, hence the move here…)

Anyway, St. Kilda (named after the owner’s hometown near Melbourne) has an urban contemporary  vibe and “modern, healthy-style”  food, based on my first lunch there last month.  Located in the attractively renovated warehouse now known as the Harbach Lofts, south of MLKing Parway downtown (a few blocks northwest of Principal Park, home of Des Moines’ minor league baseball team, the Iowa Cubs), St. Kilda  is a small but  airy tan-grey-white space with pale hard wood, concrete and redbrick. My friend Denise and I shared the avocado toast (an entree that appears to be all the rage today) and a steak salad with a poached egg on top. Both were attractively presented with  clever ingredients (beyond smashed avocado, the toast included charred corn, feta, tomato salsa; the surprisingly light steak salad included figs, pears and a bacon vinaigrette) — so not as ordinary or easily-made-at-home as you might think.   I look forward to trying dinner there sometime soon. (Here’s DSM Mag’s take)

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June 16, 2017 · 2:11 am

Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor//Redamak’s in New Buffalo– good stops heading east to Detroit

We finally found an opportunity to stop briefly in Ann Arbor for a corned beef sandwich at the senses-overwhelming Zingerman’s deli. As good as I remembered. Also got a burger on the way home at a place we’ve meant to try — Redamak’s in New Buffalo near the Michigan/Indiana state line.

Place was packed on a Monday for lunch and we soon learned why. The food was good and service prompt. Next time we are supposed to try nearby Oinks for ice cream, my sister tells me!

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June 12, 2017 · 7:11 pm

Parks & Rec Diner, Guardian Building, Parducci reliefs – Downtown Detroit



 This summer’s adventures in downtown Detroit included an excellent egg-centric brunch at Parks & Rec Diner, a fun little spot  way downtown in a former, you guessed it, city of Detroit parks and rec office in a surprisingly elegant castle-like stone building. Cheerful spot with good service, lots of young people in vintage-inspired outfits (later learned there was an LGBT festival nearby) and creative egg dishes (a creamy bright yellow hard boiled duck egg accompanying a mound of smoked salmon atop a lightly flavored crime freise sauce, and a heap of thick brown eye from the famous Avalon Bakery; Turkish eggs – perfectly poached with olives, tabbouli and homemade pita).

Onto the Guardian Building, an Art Deco beauty that was more impressive than anything I saw recently in Miami’s South Beach. Who knew?

We took a free walking architecture tour that began at the Guardian and focused on the deeply cut ornate stone reliefs by an artist named Parducci that adorn buildings by famous Detroit architect Albert Kahn. We got as far  as the Penobscot building and then had to break off early so I could get to my 40th high school reunion at the always stunning campus of Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills.

It was amazing to see 30 some people including some from Australia on the walking tour by Pure Detroit. next trip, I hope to take a tour of the Guardian Building and maybe even dare to ride a bike around the area. I really think this time Detroit is “back” but it’s at that fragile stage where there’s a lot more work to be done but also a palpable sense of potential and discovery. I hope it doesn’t tip either way (back into decay/decline or forward too fast into overdeveloped. Tricky to manage.

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June 1, 2017 · 3:26 pm

Peninsula Malaysian Food on “Eat Street”, MilkJam Creamery – Minneapolis

When we were riding our bikes along Nicollet Avenue near our airbnb in the Whittier Neighborhood (26th and Pillsbury Ave. S.), I noticed that there were a lot of restaurants but we needed an insider (albeit a fairly recent 20-something arrival, our pal Conor) to tell us the area was called “Eat Street.” (I had noticed earlier an office that read “Eat Street Dental” which I found curious.)
We had lots of options – especially ethnic, including one Vietnamese restaurant (Quang?) that I think we went to over a decade ago) but we settled on Malaysian food at Peninsula  since I so rarely see or get that food. We counted on the server and a nearby table of what may have been Malaysian diners to figure out what to eat and it was good, especially appetizers (Malaysian pancake and sauce; spicy spareribs.)
Our local-in-the-know also took us to an artisan ice cream shop, MilkJam Creamery , nearby on Lyndale where we seemed to pick the few concoctions that didn’t feature coriander. (Cashew Ousside – malted sweet cream with caramel cashew bar and chocolate chips;  Hard Knock Life – dark chocolate w/ salted pretzels, brownies, and chocolate fudge.) Also very good. We skipped the Doo Wop (avocado lychee.)

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May 29, 2017 · 1:15 pm

The Grand Rounds Byway, Minehaha Avenue, Midtown Global Market, Spoonriver, Westin, Guthrie – Minneapolis

Guthrie gift shop finds

Another surprisingly gorgeous day and we used it well, spending most of it on our bikes pedaling Grand Rounds Scenic Byway from one lake to another, (Lake of the Isles, Calhoun, Harriet, all the way to Minehaha Falls.) Much of the city seemed to be on the trail, as they should be and we again appreciated the orderly layout of  the trail, with separate trails for bikers and walkers and the cycling trail divided by direction. We also found a perfect diagonal Street with a clear bike lande (Minehaha Avenue) to get back to the Midtown Greenway and our Airbnb, doing a great loop.

Guthrie cantilever

At the Midtown Global Market, we all tried various ethnic foods (excellent baba ganous which I don’t always like at the Holy Land;  brioche for breakfast from Salty Tart Bakery; Indian tacos from a stand in the southeast corner etc). dinner was at Spoonriver, next to The Guthrie. Very good salads, burgers, desserts. (The Vietnamese Salad with grilled shrimp and lemongrass was a standout).

Global Market

The play we went to see was odd (Refugia) but it was a treat to be in that building again. High drama decor with a blood red theater inside a dark deep blue glass building. Next time, I hope we can go up to the ninth floor observation area. (It was closed for a private event.)

At intermission, nature produced even better drama as we watched a storm move in over the city from the deck out side the cantilevered portion of the building. We capped things off with a drink at a Westin Hotel that was once a bank, with Art Deco reliefs, fixtures and carvings beautifully restored. So happy Noah gets to live here!

Westin hotel lobby for drinks

Biking to Minehaha falls

 

 

 

 

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May 28, 2017 · 12:07 am

Midway Greenbelt, Airbnb on Pillsbury in Whittier neighborhood, common roots on lyndale– Minneapolis 

Fun day riding bikes with our friends Polly and Jamie who flew here from Traverse City (we drove from Des Moines.) The Midtown Greenway trail was busy with cyclists and walkers but easy to navigate and nice to not be riding in streets, some with dubious bike lanes. We did find the bike share program a little cumbersome because it’s not really set up for daily rentals and although you can buy a day pass (for only $6) you have to stop every half hour at a bike docking station to re-up which is awkward. you get charged $3 per half hour that you don’t re-up but which can add up.

we ate well, first at Lucia’s in Uptown and at The Bachelor farmer, where I had the best meal my vets had in a long time. Not for nothing did this place win a James Beard award. Duck confit, porker belly appetizer, pork meatballs, lemon mouse cake with orange sherbet all excellent, good service, rustic chic industrial decor. Must try the casual cafe next.

we really like our air bnb in the Whittier neighborhood at 26th and Pillsbury. Huge, lots of craftsman furniture, art posters and this dream of a sun porch adjoining our second floor bedroom.

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May 9, 2017 · 3:50 pm

More good things in Des Moines – Akebono (sushi), new Farmers Market vendors, spiffed up Graziano Mkt, new East Village places

New improved Graziano’s meat counter, DSM

Good stuff keeps coming to Des Moines and this longtime resident remains thankful. Even Graziano’s, the old Italian specialty store on the south side has spiffed up with some major remodeling – and is now surrounded by new apartment complexes.

I didn’t think we’d have many people to watch as we ate on the patio at Akebono, a Japanese restaurant with good sushi, in downtown Des Moines last Saturday night but the streets were hopping. Part of it had to do with a food truck event  nearby at the Des Moines Social Club, some Kentucky Derby partygoers, some Prom kids and a crowd at the restaurant Malo but it still amazes me to see so much happening in a once obscure corner of downtown. We enjoyed Akebono’s food and service too (although the poke didn’t resemble the kind I’ve enjoyed in places like Hawaii and LA.)

The farmers market opened to a huge crowd (the weather was gorgeous) and I was pleased to see new vendors such as 5 Borough Bagels from Clive and Scenic Route Bakery from the East Village. The new HyVee also  fit right in, which is a relief. People on the HyVee patio were eating what looked like good brunch entrees including French Toast.

We stopped at Zombie Burger during a bike ride and were a bit disappointed by their new recipe for fries and the cranberry-Gorgonzola salad. We preferred the less crunchy fries and the salad with a less sweet dressing and bacon (although Zombie kindly added bacon to our salad anyway). Sitting on the patio, we took note of all the new buildings surrounding us, which makes the place feel more urban and busy, including the AC Hotel which has what we’ve been told is a great rooftop bar.

On the Great Western Trail, we were relieved to see that the changes in the trail to accommodate the Microsoft server plant and a highway near Orilla have not messed up our favorite trail. Also pleased to see that the pub Outskirtz looked more open for passing bikers on a Sunday than I’ve seen in the past.

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January 22, 2017 · 8:01 pm

Women’s March DSM and Marlene’s – Des Moines

dsmmarchpix2After a fantastic Women’s March in Des Moines (26,000 marchers estimated), I was ready for a warm and quiet meal which we did find on the south side at Marlene’s of Sevastopol Station ( which I gather is the name of the modern two-story strip mall Marlene’s is located in and is a former town site annexed by Des Moines – maybe this was a Ukrainian neighborhood?).

dsmmarchpix

We were a bit surprised to find at 7:30 on a Saturday night that they were already “out” of several of our first picks and the service was a bit slow (although our server was very nice and the host, who may have been Marlene, apologized). The food was largely good – spicy crab bisque,Cuban sandwich, good fries, risotto with shrimp appetizer (small portion but that was expected). The Caesar Salad was mediocre. Dessert was pleasant – a scoop  of chocolate gelato atop a wedge of sort of moist shortbread. The dining room was chilly for a winter night – concrete floors, plate glass windows, but the live music by a guitarist warmed things up. We’ll give it another go!

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January 14, 2017 · 3:21 pm

la Cocina, Old Town Artisans, Pima Canyon Trail – Tucson

Hiked on a perfect morning on Pima Canyon Trail yesterday (Oracle Rd. to Magee Rd east until the road ends), with my neighbor from Iowa who is on sabbatical in Tucson, then had a really nice lunch at La Cocina with Dad in the courtyard at Old Town Artsans downtown, near the art museum and EL Charro  (the famous Mexican restaurant serving carne secca). We had delicious small grilled artichokes at La Cocina and I bought a 1960s  (we think) suit (jacket and skirt) for $23 (yes $23) at a vintage clothing store on the courtyard. Also restocked my girl-gift supply with some Thai silver rings.

We also drove by a store called Bon and next door Five Pointe marketplace and cafe, which I need to check out next visit, and mid-century architecture near Broadway and Country Club/ Euclid. Next trip!

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January 9, 2017 · 6:50 am

Public Market Cafe, Roosevelt Row – Phoenix./ Acadia Market – scottsdale

Gorgeous morning in Phoenix so I walked around on a Sunday morning near our hotel downtown. Very quiet and not many people around, except for occasional street people and farmer/conventioneers. I did find a lovely little pocket of urban pioneer hipness at the Public Market Cafe, just north of the convention center area.

The place was bustling with a mixed crowd, families, millennials, older folks, all drawn to a place with good hearty comfort food (and what looked like great bloody Mary’s.) How great was it to sit on the open air patio under a tin roof by a fireplace, estimg a light breakfast. Later  I walked a little further north to the Roosevelt row art district which is still in process, with stucco bungalows in various stages of restoration or recreation as galleries or little shops and new modern loft complexes.

The development is still spotty — at that attractive stage where you sense change is happening and you feel a sense of discovery.

Early SoHo, I call it, harkening back to the days in the 1970s when I used to visit artists with my mom in the emerging soho district of New York, long before it became overrun with artists and over commercialized.

Dad and I stopped briefly for lunch in Scottsdale at a pretty place called Arcadia farms, again eating on the outdoor patio. 79 degrees today! nice change from subzero temps in Iowa.

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