Posted October 15, 2014in Food Dude
The Meskwaki Casino is imbued with delicious irony. The Lincoln Highway’s course was only altered in one place — between Marshalltown and Tama. In 1955 the powers there moved it several miles north of its original course through the Meskwaki settlement. From 1918 till that move, the highway had delivered
Read More →
Posted October 08, 2014in Food Dude
It’s becoming a common story that Iowans find endearing. New Yorkers visit here, discover that public schools actually work, that the quality of life is less stressful and that they can buy twice the house for half the money. Then they move families and friends here and open an outstanding
Read More →
Posted October 01, 2014in Food Dude
The chain restaurant industry is reinventing itself. McDonald’s applied for a trademark on the term McBrunch, leading to considerable speculation about what that sagging giant has in mind. They also promoted free coffee at breakfast. Wendy’s countered with free drink cups for seniors at all hours. Applebee’s went to Instagram
Read More →
Posted September 24, 2014in Food Dude
If Ingersoll were human, she would be my favorite, eccentric aunt. No other street in town represents such democracy of commerce — tattoo shops and massage parlors next to doctors’ offices and pet spas, dive bars next to French bistros. Where else in Des Moines would one find an exclusive
Read More →
Posted September 17, 2014in Food Dude
Des Moines has generated some media noise this year. The latest was made by “Women’s Health” magazine and Yelp. Anyone who has felt the savagery of bad Yelp reviews probably puts little credence in any survey that website takes, but at least this was good news. Des Moines was named
Read More →
Posted September 10, 2014in Food Dude
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the Chinese buffet is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. People either love them or hate them. Their history in America has been notorious. Las Vegas’ first all-you-can-eat buffet was Chinese. The genre also seems too often beset with problems. Eastern Sushi Hibachi
Read More →
Posted September 03, 2014in Food Dude
With fusion cooks spanning the globe to create such things as taco pizza, barbecue egg rolls and chocolate fried chicken (a significant prize winner at this year’s Iowa State Fair), I have often wondered why so few restaurants have tried to pair espresso bars with traditional American breakfasts. Why does
Read More →
Posted August 27, 2014in Food Dude
Sevastopol (“venerable city” in Russian) is not just the Crimean jewel of Vladimir Putin’s ambition; it’s also an old, local neighborhood where an independent town had existed into the 20th century. Laid out south of the Des Moines River during the Civil War, it was centered around S.E. Sixth and
Read More →
Posted August 20, 2014in Food Dude
When Fresh Café & Market opened last decade in West Des Moines, they splashed their logo, store and T-shirts with an odd shade of green. Wikipedia lists 21 natural shades of green and 36 additional ones. None seems exactly right, but “Kelly green” probably comes closest. Fresh’s is more like
Read More →
Posted August 13, 2014in Food Dude
Some of the folks who love the Iowa State Fair refuse to eat there. Each year I hear from readers who find the fair’s concessions disgusting, unhealthy or overpriced. So the first week of that big event seemed like an appropriate time to revisit a couple institutions that offer something
Read More →
