Posted January 02, 2019in Food Dude
A simple lesson Godfather’s Pizza founder Willy Thiesen once told us that for a new restaurant to be successful, it first must be fun in its own special way. That seems like a simple lesson, yet it’s rarely at the top of the planning list for new restaurants not named
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Posted December 05, 2018in Food Dude
The ambiance is collegiate chic. Gazali’s is a secret trove. They have been around since the 1980s when they began in Valley West Mall and have been in their current locale on 25th Street in Dogtown since 2003, yet I am amazed how few people know about them. I think
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Posted October 31, 2018in Food Dude
Eggs & Jam is a rare bird in Des Moines. Its exact array of plumage, diet and song has not been seen or heard here before. The breakfast hotspot is not just about bacon, eggs, hashed browns and toast. Nor is it a breakfast buffet with an endless fountain of
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Posted October 03, 2018in Food Dude
Winner of CITYVIEW’s Ultimate Steak de Burgo challenge It was inevitable. Russians won an American election, yet no one called for an investigation of Kremlin collusion. Irina’s won the Ultimate Steak de Burgo challenge by collecting the most votes from CITYVIEW readers, beating out AJ’s, Sam & Gabe’s and Chef’s Kitchen in the finals. It’s
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Posted September 05, 2018in Food Dude
Who doesn’t love dumplings? A friend who spends time in France each year was baffled about the popularity of Subway with the Gallic people. A lover of French breads and cheeses, she began asking “Why?” The answers were consistent. French restaurants and delis are too prescribed. A croque monsieur invariably
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Posted August 01, 2018in Food Dude
In terms of per store profits, Chick-Fil-A is by far the most successful American chain restaurant. McDonald’s leads them in total sales and profits but trails them by a lot in per store sales and profits. This is amazing given that the College Park, Georgia, based chain does not open
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Posted July 04, 2018in Food Dude
Establishing an identity in the restaurant world is wrought with the same anxieties as it is for a teenager. How can you stand out as unique and still fit in and be popular? (Remember dinner theater?) If you try to be the first one to try something new, will anyone
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Posted June 06, 2018in Food Dude
Some ethnic cuisines here are modeled on the same templates and recipes. There must be more than a dozen Mexican restaurants now that serve pretty much the same menu. Italian restaurants are far more diverse. Mexico is bigger than Italy and tastes change in different regions, yet most places differ
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Posted May 02, 2018in Food Dude
Will wagyu finally sell in central Iowa? On the western frontier of the metro, where the last strip malls push back the Nebraska sky, culinary pioneers Sean and Andrea Gleason are testing new ideas. Can a cosmopolitan food truck build a homestead in Waukee? Will wagyu finally sell in central
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Posted April 04, 2018in Food Dude
Some are a bit confusing Change is constant, in physics or the restaurant business. As with all paradoxes, there is no rule to find one’s way to success in such chaos. Here are some examples of recent change locally. The space previously known as Bang, Bang Mongolian BBQ and Draught
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