Friday, August 20, 2010

Friday Food & Wine Finds: August 20

Happy Friday! Today marks the start of Restaurant Week in Des Moines, which means $25 three-course dinners all week long from some of my favorite spots around town. (Most restaurants are also offering 2-for-$25 lunches, but since I'm never in Des Moines during the day, I won't be partaking in any lunch specials and thus I like to pretend they don't exist.) 

To celebrate the best week of the year, I've decided to devote this edition of Friday Food & Wine Finds to highlighting the best-looking Restaurant Week menus around town. Since Restaurant Week actually runs for ten days (August 20-29), I'll choose my top ten destinations, one for each day. Just for fun, I'll also tell you what I would order at each restaurant. Here they are!


1. Baru 66
Restaurant Facebook Page
Restaurant Week Menu
I've only visited Baru 66 once since it opened last spring, but to say the visit was memorable would be a massive understatement. I'm not sure I've had a more enjoyable meal anywhere in Des Moines. It's my top choice for restaurant week not just because the food is amazing, but because this is one spot where a $25 three-course meal is really a tremendous deal.

The first course comes down to the pate or the soup for me. Though it's a tough choice, the escargot in the soup wins me over. I would be tempted to order the confit pork belly and loin as my second course, but it sounds awfully heavy. I'd probably try to convince Charlie to order it so I could have a taste; for my own meal, it would be the Parisienne gnocchi. No surprise there - gnocchi and peas (hello, blog title) are two of my favorite things.

Dessert gets tricky. Immediately I wanted to choose the peach creme brulee, but it's hard to overcome my extreme addiction to cheese. I ordered a cheese course when we ate at Baru 66 last spring, and it remains one of my favorite "desserts" to date. I think I would probably have to go with the blue cheese with confit pears here. Sorry apple tarte tatin, I really didn't even give you a shot - though I'm sure you're lovely. 

2. Cafe di Scala 
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
I always love everything at Cafe di Scala, not the least of which is the amazing atmosphere inside the beautiful Sherman Hill home where Scala is located. I knew I could trust them to put out a good restaurant week menu, and they certainly didn't disappoint. To tell the truth, the only reason it ranks second to Baru 66 is because Cafe di Scala is only open three nights per week, and I really don't know if I'll be able to get there between Thursday and Saturday!

First course: easy. The Torte del Polenta looks wonderful - a warm, homey start to a lovely Italian meal. Second course: easy. Cavatelli di Lemmo is a classic dish at Scala, and never disappoints. Third course: not so easy. Right away, I can rule out the chocolate torte (not because it doesn't look delicious; I would just imagine I'd be too full after the first two courses for a dense dessert). That homemade tiramisu looks heavenly, but I think I'd end up ordering the vanilla panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and fresh mint. I actually had something quite similar at Scala a couple of years ago, and the balsamic strawberries were such a wonderful pop of flavor. I can only assume this would be just as good, if not better, than the version I remember.

3. Sbrocco 
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
Sbrocco is a great choice for restaurant week because, let's be frank, it can be a wallet buster. The food is excellent, especially since Andrew Meek came on board, and its ambiance is difficult to equal in Des Moines. I love the curved bar upstairs, the tables in the wine cellar, and the architectural salvage aesthetic. And of course, the wine list is amazing.

Normally, I would start with the frites. However, last summer I had a chilled leek soup at Sbrocco which completely blew me away - so this would be a tough choice. Based on precedent, I'd have to go with the farmer's market soup. For my main course, the choice is easy: Niman Ranch pork chop. Did you SEE those bacon mashed potatoes? I've had some great meat preparations at Sbrocco, so I'm certain the pork chop wouldn't let me down. Dessert: anyone who knows me could predict this one. Blueberry bread pudding with lemon sabayon, please.

4. Lucca
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
At Lucca, $25 for three courses is quite a deal. That's why I've ranked Lucca #4 despite not being able to find their Restaurant Week menu anywhere online. Based on past years, it'll probably include their fantastic gnocchi and perhaps the chicken livers which inspired this recipe. OK, I'm guessing. I have no idea what's on their menu. But whatever it is, I have no doubt it would be incredible.

5. Le Jardin
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
Restaurant week is the perfect opportunity to visit Le Jardin again - it's one of my favorites, though I tend to think of it as a "special occasion" restaurant. For my starter, I'd have to go with the Cognac Pork Pâté. It just sounds so good... grained mustard and Cornichon pickles? Mmmmm. For my main course, right away I picked out the shrimp and tomato gnocchi. Then I started reading the burger description. Go ahead; read that again: meunster cheese, roasted leek confit, fig mustard and grilled asparagus. On a burger. Oh yeah. It may seem like an odd choice at a French restaurant, but it's the burger all the way for me.  

There's no option for dessert - you'll be having the poundcake, thankyouverymuch - but it looks perfectly good. I'm not a big cake person and I wish they'd at least give you the option of a cheese course, but I'm sure I'd happily eat whatever Le Jardin put in front of me.

6. Alba
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
Can I just say I love how many options Alba has on the prix fixe menu?? Choosing three courses here would truly be a difficult decision for me. The carrot and mint soup is awfully tempting, but in the end I'd probably start my meal with the duck breast terrine. Really it's because I can't resist picked vegetables. Or duck.

The second course is just as difficult. So many great choices! Potato wrapped trout? Chive potato gnocchi? Wild salmon tartare? In the end, I would probably go with the veal roulade. That saffron risotto sounds SO good. Luckily dessert is an easier choice: I've heard wonderful things about Alba's lava cake but I've never tried it myself. This seems like the perfect opportunity. Plus, buttermilk ice cream? I'm so there.
 
7. Azalea 
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
I've had some sketchy experiences at Azalea in the past, but recently two of our friends had a wedding in the Azalea ballroom complete with Azalea-catered food. Hands down, it was the best wedding food I've ever had. Based solely on that wonderful food, I think I owe Azalea another shot. As far as I'm concerned, if your kitchen can create amazing food for a wedding buffet, they can do anything.

The first course is a tossup for me and would probably depend entirely on what the "soup of the moment" is. (By the way, semantically speaking, what's wrong with "soup of the day" or even "soup du jour?" Do you really expect me, the diner, to believe that the chef might get the whim to come up with an entirely new soup at a "moment's" notice? Come on now, you're not fooling anyone.)

As for the main course, this is a tough one. That garlic-basted steak looks amazing, but the stuffed pork loin would probably win out - mostly because I love cheddar grits (and I imagine I would also love bacon bourbon sauce. Who wouldn't?). Dessert seems like an easy choice - bread pudding, of course - but that goat cheese sorbet gives me a moment of pause. In the end, it would probably come down to how full I was and whether I needed a refreshing palate cleanser or could handle something a little more substantial and sweet. 

8. Mojo's on 86th 
Restaurant Website
Restaurant Week Menu
I've actually never been to Mojo's, but I've wanted to go for a very long time. And when I saw this restaurant week menu, well, then I REALLY wanted to go to Mojo's. Lots of choices, and they all look terrific. While the rock shrimp ceviche looks wonderful, I'd probably start my meal at Mojo's with the duck confit salad. I know, so predictable - I always order duck. But look at that description again. Northern Prairie Chevre, strawberries, almonds, and arugula. Sounds fresh and tasty.

It's tough to pick an entree here - all five of their choices sound wonderful. While I'm tempted to pick the Cornish game hen (I bet those potatoes are wonderful), I'd end up ordering the braised beef short rib. It sounds tender and flavorful - my mouth is watering just reading the description. Dessert is no question for me - it may seem an odd choice, but I would choose the heirloom tomato basil sorbet in a heartbeat. I love savory desserts, but I'm mostly intrigued by the candied ginger. It sounds like the perfect light, refreshing end to the meal.

8. Proof Restaurant
Restaurant Website 

Restaurant Week Menu
I have wanted to visit Proof since it opened. When its chef received a semi-finalist nod for a James Beard Rising Star Award, I wanted to go even more. Unfortunately, it's a lunch-only restaurant in downtown Des Moines, with one exception: Friday nights. Can I manage to get a reservation on the one night per week that Proof is open (during restaurant week, no less)? I doubt it. But would I love to go? Oh, yes.

For my starter at Proof, I would order the lamb samosas. I love lamb, and can rarely pass it up when I see it on a menu. Because this is a minimalist menu, I'd probably rely on my server's description to choose an entree. The beef with beet risotto sounds wonderful, but there's no mention of preparation method. Same goes for the tilapia with fruit - I would probably want to know more about the dish before making my choice. For dessert, I'd go with the flourless chocolate cake with wild berries. It's a bit of an unusual choice for me, but I've sampled Proof's desserts at the farmer's market and I'm fairly sure anything they bake would be fantastic. 


10. Django
Restaurant Website 

Restaurant Week Menu
Honestly, Django is only so low on this list because they regularly offer a $25 prix fixe menu. In fact, Charlie ordered it last week! The prices aren't high enough at Django for me to want to make a special visit during Restaurant Week - not that I'm complaining. Plus, the restaurant week menu isn't that inventive - it's a set menu of three courses, one option per course. That's it. However, it's hanger frites, and Django's hanger frites are delicious. So delicious that it warrants a top-ten shout out despite the lack of any real options. Fact is, I just love Django that much. I know it has its flaws and detractors, but I always enjoy my dining experience - and isn't that really what it's all about?


There you have it: my top ten Restaurant Week destinations. What do you think of my selections? Any glaring omissions? Let me know.

In the meantime... I think I have some reservations to make!



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