By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com
Dish freshens up 
When Trostel’s Dish opened in the fall of 2005, it delivered some rather daring new concepts to greater Des Moines: a transcontinental, all tapas menu; a completely non-smoking bar; and a transparent, Post Modern interior design. All of their concepts created unique niches to help lure diners away from franchise chain restaurants that were metastasizing in the western suburbs. As things played out, Dish was merely ahead of an industry curve on the international tapas trend, and state legislation took away their non-smoking niche. Then inflated food costs and a stock market crash decimated the restaurant business. I visited Dish to see what has changed and what’s remained the same four wild years later.
The brilliant design remains, with enhancements. There is no bad table in a single room dominated by a long, swank bar. Even the booth closest to the kitchen fits around a wall, making that location a blessing rather than detraction. Semicircular booths and bar tables divide the dining area in proportion to human preferences for privacy or the public eye. A curtained, 12-person party room has replaced the waiting area because “everyone preferred to wait at the bar.” The dining room has added two large exemplary paintings by Iowa master John Phillip Davis. That’s an impressive commitment to fresh and local thinking that continues on a menu that features products from Northern Prairie, La Quercia, Graziano’s, Eden Farms and Butcher Crick.
Unlike Trostel’s Greenbriar, where people named Trostel man both the kitchen and the front room every night, Dish has watched a parade of talent (Aaron King, Will Rutherford, Matt Pearson and Jeff Duncan) march in and out. Today, new chef Jed Hoffman is back in his hometown after four years working under three of Minneapolis’ better chefs. Brett Callison has returned to the Trostel fold to run the front of the house after stints as chef at Mojo’s and in management at Centro and Django. It’s always a good sign when a good chef runs the dining room, and Callison’s sommelier credentials up the ante. The new bar manager is Cody Trostel. Raised in Las Vegas, this 24-year-old cowboy/army veteran son of Paul Trostel has added an impressive line of Belgian beers and gracious enthusiasm.
Hoffman and Callison’s new menu debuted last week with remarkable concision and price reductions. The menu itself has shrunk by half to 40 items. Its $6 - $10 price range is down by one third. Prime rib, veal, house charcuterie, soups and ceviches are gone for now. The wine list, a perennial Wine Spectator Award winner, emphasizes more $6 glasses and bottles under $30. Callison advocated some merlot values, which he thinks are “still beaten down by Hollywood,“ meaning negative comments in the movie “Sideways.”
Of Hoffman’s eight brand new dishes, stand outs were: tequila lime shrimp in freshly chopped mango avocado salsa; freshly made mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes; and mixed greens with purple basil chevre, candied walnuts and caramelized red onions. A sirloin-portabello dish simulated braised comfort food on a tapas plate. New sliders with Italian sausage fit the mood of a tapas café well. A tuna roll erred on the side of abundance and missed the homemade pickled ginger and black bean vinaigrette that Pearson used to make. Among old favorites, truffled mac and cheese with chicken, and thinly sliced pommes frites with truffle oil and asiago remain signatures and the restaurant’s best sellers. Dish’s crab cakes are still the best Chesapeake style version in town, with just a little egg binder and super crisp coating. Pizza remains among the better thin crust pies in the metro. Ryan Binney’s pumpkin cheesecake is still the star of the dessert menu.
Bottom line — Lower prices, a shorter menu and enthusiastic new talent makes Dish fresher than ever.
Side Dishes
Iowa retained its No. 1 ranking in egg production with 57 million working hens laying 14 billion eggs — that’s one fifth of the nation’s production and a major export for Iowa… Smashburger opened its first franchise in the metro while Cheddar’s only franchise here closed, after 20 years. CV
Tequila lime shrimp with mango avocado salsa
Trostel’s Dish
12851 University Ave., Clive, 221-3474
Mon. - Thurs. 4 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. -- Sat. 4 p.m. - 11 p.m..
Lunch coming soon
