Posted September 04, 2013in Food Dude
Mexican restaurants cluster in Des Moines. In the early to mid 20th century, Valley Junction was synonymous with Mexican food. Around the end of the last century, a six-block stretch of East Grand and Hubble avenues housed more superb Latino cafés than the rest of the metro combined. Before the
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Posted August 28, 2013in Food Dude
The last 10 years brought a sushi renaissance to Des Moines. I realized the depth of our town’s craving for raw fish and rice at a food court this summer. A child who looked to be about 4 years old was throwing a full-fledged tantrum, pushing things over and kicking
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Posted August 21, 2013in Food Dude
The franchise restaurant industry has been busy this summer reacting to trends and troubles. Darden restaurants had a particularly bad summer after stomach viruses, traced to salad mixes, struck a number of customers at the company’s Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. Two years ago, the same company was criticized
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Posted August 14, 2013in Food Dude
No family has contributed more to the central Iowa food scene than Teresa Lacona’s. Her sons founded Noah’s Ark and Mama Lacona’s. The next generation added Bambino’s. Lucca, Gusto and Hot Shots are gifts from the fourth generation. Papa Lacona’s, which opened last month, is the latest, and the quirkiest,
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Posted August 07, 2013in Food Dude
Iowa has played a major role in loose meat sandwich history. Sioux City’s Ye Old Tavern (now Gus’s Family Restaurant) and Muscatine’s Maid-Rite both claim to have invented them in the 1920s. (So does a place in Montana.) Ottumwa’s Canteen in the Alley diner, which has specialized in loose meat
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Posted July 31, 2013in Food Dude
Wine Spectator’s annual “The List” is out with mega star restaurateur Thomas Keller on the cover. It honors 3,793 restaurants worldwide deemed worthy of its awards for wine excellence, including 14 Iowa cafés. For measuring purposes, 73 restaurants won the distinction in Las Vegas, 24 in New Mexico, 21 in
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Posted July 24, 2013in Food Dude
A new cafe in Amsterdam only provides small tables with single chairs, requiring customers to come solo. In America, dining alone is more awkward, particularly, it seems, for ladies. Female readers tell us that still, in the third millennium, they are scorned and shamed by some people when dining alone.
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Posted July 17, 2013in Food Dude
Some canons are only temporary. June is no longer the biggest month for weddings in Iowa. Wedding planners, caterers and cake makers all tell me that October and September are much busier now. Similarly, local gawkers learned last week that Hooters franchises are no longer proven gold mines. An Omaha-based
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Posted July 10, 2013in Food Dude
Summer, not spring, is the season of rebirth in central Iowa, especially in years like this when plantings are delayed by record-setting rainfall. I spent last week gadding about various places looking for seasonal goodies. At Waterfront’s annual Door County Fish Boil, I not only found Wisconsin whitefish served with
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Posted July 03, 2013in Food Dude
To stay current, food writers pay considerable attention to what’s new. Sometimes a place of significant excellence can slip into the deeper levels of our consciousness. After writing about a disappointing visit to a Chinese restaurant recently, three different readers reminded me of such a place. Great China has occupied
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