Proof, 1301 Locust St.,
865-2768, Mon. - Fri. 11
a.m. - 2 p.m., Fri. 5 -
10 p.m. |
Proof finds its place
This year’s impressive lineup
of new restaurants already includes
Alba, Zuzap, Le Jardin, Maverick,
Sbrocco, Django, Torocco, Gateway
West, Jethro’s and Graze. That
competition makes it tough for
a new place to find a niche, yet
Proof distinguishes itself from
the pack in more ways than one.
First, Carly Groben’s corner café
on Gateway Park completes an all
female free enterprise zone —
in the Arlington Building, next
to the Ritual Café. Secondly,
the cafe defies a shibboleth that
fine dining can only make it in
Des Moines by focusing on dinner.
Proof is open for lunch-only,
except on Friday nights when it
defies another common belief that
diners need a multitude of options.
Proof offers only one dinner choice
— whether to order the four-course
prix-fixed menu, or to select
fewer than four courses.
This café borrows style
and ambiance from two of consultant
Steve Logsdon’s restaurants in
which Groben previously worked.
The same unusual hours of service
gave Basil Prosperi a near cult
following earlier this decade.
Proof’s minimalist restoration
harkens the design mantra of Lucca
and its architect Kirk Blunck
— “Do a lot of work to make it
look like nothing much was done.”
Other elements of décor
remind diners to leave all assumptions
at the door. This is a bastion
of nonconformity where fresh cut
flowers have not yet bloomed,
nor even produced scents, where
a female-owned restaurant looks
utterly masculine with heavily
waxed, hardwood floors, a black
and white color scheme and exposed
ceilings on which even the electrical
wiring has been blasted with gunmetal
gray spray paint.
So, it’s not totally surprising
that Proof’s breads have not been
proofed (leavened). In fact, on
my four visits, I never encountered
single proofed bread — just good
flatbreads. Obviously, this kitchen
is also nonconformist. Though
partitioned off, it’s one of the
most “open kitchens” in town —
as at Radish, guests are welcome
to walk through on their way to
the dining room. Fabulous salads
are made without using any lettuces
at all. A “seafood tagine” was
prepared without a tagine (conical
clay pot that lends its name to
the dish). Instead, it was cooked
and served under a cone-shaped
lid improvised from parchment
paper.
Groben recruited top talent —
Chris Place was Django’s original
head chef and Tony Pill was sous
chef at Sage. Proof’s small dining
room, short hours and shorter
menu pretty much ensure that the
talent will prepare your meal.
That’s a rare luxury as fine dining
trends toward bigger things. Everything
I tasted was exciting and flawless.
Homemade merguez (lamb sausage)
even excited some picky North
African foodies, though I’ll order
it without the distracting marinara
next time. Fantastic seasonal
soups were made from bone stock
— green pork chile, roasted pumpkin
and coconut beef stood out. All
sauces were out of the Escoffier
playbook (bone stock reductions),
one made a nice filet of beef,
with a wild rice pancake, even
grander. Salmon was served perfectly
rare, as ordered, and was creatively
plated, hanging over a globe of
risotto like a crescent moon.
Chicken with couscous was tender
and juicy. Tabbouleh defied tradition
by including quinoa along with
fresh mint and raisins. Those
were all lunches, none of which
exceeded $10.
Dinners were more creative. Salads
included a grapefruit with fennel
and another that layered fennel
hearts, Feta and sweet potato
wrapped in fresh basil leaves.
Place served a pair of fried oysters,
on home made scones, with Feta,
carrot relish, harissa (chile)
oil, remoulade, aioli, baby tomatoes
and fresh spinach. His lamb moussaka
was made with braised whole legs
plus eggplant. Lamb roulade was
paired with cous cous. Desserts
were served in duos: chocolate
and harissa with bread pudding
one week; a fabulous sticky yogurt
cake with homemade espresso ice
cream another.
Side dishes
Dos Rios will pair tequila cocktails
with six courses on Monday Nov.
10, $75, 282-2995. ... Sage will
offer four courses with Belgian
ale pairings the same evening,
$55, 255-7722. CV
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