By Jim Duncan
CVFDude@aol.com
Twitter.com/foodude

An Iowa Swabian Hall pig, picked to the bone at Centro.

Last year in this annual review, we praised 22 new food businesses that opened despite economic challenges. Eight of those places closed in 2011, along with older establishments such as Suzette’s, Urbandale Café, AK O’Connor’s, Brick’s, Casa di Vino, Nana’s, the Altoona Kin Folk’s, The Game, Jasmine Bowl, Tandoor, Banh Thai and Timothy’s. La Pizza House re-opened and then closed again. Chefs also moved at a frenetic pace. Scott Stroud (Food Dude’s Rising Star of 2007) started 2011 at Orchestrate, moved to Hy-Vee, then to Tartine before finishing the year back at Orchestrate. Hy-Vee also poached top chefs Dean Richardson (Phat Chefs), Alex Strauss (Gateway) and Matt Pearson (Dish, Skybox). In Iowa’s Kardashian affair of the year, all four barbecues in the West Des Moines-Clive area divorced their venues in the same two months.

Amidst the chaos, our food scene also produced a surprising amount of happy news. Standouts included:

Top New Market. Saigon Market upgraded our grocery scene much like Gateway and La Tapatia did in other years. It’s immaculate, friendly and stocked with delicacies and bargains that one used to have to drive to Chicago to find.

Top New Specialty Shop. Cheese Shoppe of Des Moines is a European-style store where one can shop for the best charcuterie, pâtés and cheeses, or idle away an afternoon enjoying them with something from a marvelous, inexpensive wine list.

New Chain of the Year. Abelardo’s (Omaha) changed the city’s late night dining habits with 24-7 drive through service.

Design of the Year. Americana, by architect Van Hunt, is one of the best looking places in years. Honorable mentions go to Patton’s, Haiku and Zombie Burger + Drink Lab.

Rising Star of the Year. Bree Ann Leighton of Alba, 22, has already plucked wisdom from three of Des Moines best chefs — Sean Wilson, David Baruthio and Jason Simon. On her own, she also began a series of dazzling tasting menus.

Farmer of the Year & Top New Food. Carl Blake recreated a legendary 19th century bloodline by crossing Chinese Meishan pigs with Russian wild boars. The nation’s best chefs and charcuterie makers responded overwhelmingly to his Iowa Swabian Hall, comparing its meat to a cross between pork and duck.

New Beverage of the Year. Peace Tree brought us Kolsch without the expense of a trip to Cologne.

Boldest Advertising. Heartland corporations Post & Hy-Vee hired Australian sex symbol Curtis Stone to represent their middle-American values after Stone had incurred the wrath of PETA by touting battery-raised hen’s eggs.

New Cuisines of the Year. Thanks to Hung Suan (Simply Asian) and Cesar Miranda (Mi Patria), Burmese and Ecuadorian cuisines debuted in the metro.

Trend of the Year. Longer hours. Abelardo’s rocked the town with 24-7 service. Bistro at ICI and Luna added dinner service. Kelly’s Little Nipper added breakfast. The Palms instigated a four-hour “happy hour.” Gino’s West added weekend brunch. We could go on and on.

Hottest New Service. Americana’s Bombshell Brunch and Bloody Mary bar became a weekend ritual.

Iowa Food Blog of the Year. Jess Jones (www.jonesing-for.com) pairs photos one wants to eat with recipes that makes that possible.

Book of the Year. “1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created” by Charles Mann argues brilliantly that Columbus’ most dramatic discovery was bird piss, which led through a little known American war to the invention of industrial agriculture.

Cookbook of the Year. “Heartland,” by Judith Fertig, shows deep respect for the great food artisans of the Midwest including many whom Cityview has been touting for decades.

Lift a Cup of Kindness for… Paul Trostel revolutionized dining in Des Moines, introducing or upgrading things like appetizer menus, wine cellars and tapas at Colorado Feed & Grain, Rosie’s Cantina, The Greenbriar and Dish. Bobby Braverman popularized organic and natural foods at his Friendly Farm.

Watch for our restaurateur, chef, restaurant and new restaurant of the year in two weeks. CV