Local Bites redefines food courts
Food courts changed the world’s feeding habits, but not in good way. From their 1971 origin at Plymouth Meeting Mall in Pennsylvania, they brought Dairy Queen, McDonalds, Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, [...]
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Posted May 18, 2016in Food Dude
Posted May 11, 2016in Food Dude
Joe’s relentless pursuit of perfection
I’ve reviewed so many good new restaurants the last two months (Gilroy’s, Kue’d, Jetheroni Pepperoni, Reed’s Hollow, etc.) that readers said I was getting soft. I figured that was an [...]
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Posted May 04, 2016in Food Dude
Candela Modern Mexican
Cities are dynamic organisms. Empires have been built upon the ruins of previous empires in scores of places. In super young Des Moines, one can observe similar dynamics in [...]
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Posted April 27, 2016in Food Dude
Reed’s Hollow fits Beaverdale
Beaverdale marches to a beat that few outsiders even hear. The neighborhood still supports an independent bookstore, a mid-century-style Chinese café and an independent sporting goods store. Its restaurant [...]
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Posted April 20, 2016in Food Dude
Eighth Street’s redheaded savior
During the final quarter of the 20th century, Eighth Street in West Des Moines was the epicenter of Central Iowa’s restaurant scene. Cork & Cleaver, Jimmy’s American Café, Eighth [...]
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Posted April 13, 2016in Food Dude
Great food, bargain prices
Spring came in like a lion this year in the local food scene. After two-and-a-half very quiet months, several fantastic new things announced they are here. Perhaps the one [...]
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Posted April 06, 2016in Featured Story, Food Dude
Kue’d jumps to front the queue
From nowhere, Des Moines became a solid barbecue town in the last two decades. Beginning with Flying Mango’s opening in 1997, central Iowa and barbecue initiated a sudden love affair. [...]
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Posted April 01, 2016in Food Dude
The stupidest food lists in Iowa
Des Moines has fallen head over heels for lists. If a blogger, magazine, newspaper or Tweeter wants to grab the attention of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, or [...]
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Posted March 23, 2016in Food Dude
Indian cuisine moves west
Most ethnic cuisines in Des Moines began in the inner city in neighborhoods attractive to immigrants. Italian restaurants spread from the south side, Vietnamese from the Drake and Riverbend areas, [...]
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Posted March 16, 2016in Food Dude
Marianna’s shines
The first round of 2016 restaurant openings began in synch with the high school basketball tournaments. Twice I tried to eat at Iowa Tap Room in East Village but moved [...]
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