Posted April 03, 2019in Food Dude
Des Moines’ food culture continues to diversify. Des Moines’ food culture has been diversifying and sophisticating for the last 15 years at a pace no one foresaw when it started. Two recent openings suggest that such things are still gaining momentum. The Des Moines Art Center Café reopened under the
Read More →
Posted March 06, 2019in Food Dude
Nikkei is the hottest kind of fusion cuisine in the world that has not yet visited Des Moines. Three of the most famous chefs in the world hang their hats in this pantry where Japanese and Peruvians share a love of fresh fish and the ancient foods of the Incans.
Read More →
Posted February 06, 2019in Food Dude
Ten and 15 years ago, restaurants were trying to reinvent the wheel. Fusion was so free spirited that terrible mistakes were made. Remember bulgogi cupcakes, savory ice cream or haggis pizza? Hopefully you don’t, but I do. Some terrible ideas became ridiculously popular, too, so there will always be more.
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
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
Read More →
