Downtown for Lunch!

A look at what I've been loving – Downtown edition! For me a new job means lots of things, but one of the most delicious perks of a cross-city career move is lunch. I love exploring the city’s great eats over the noon hour. My new title brought me downtown and I couldn't be happier. Some of my absolute favorite spots call the heart of the city home. 

Here’s a look at what’s been gracing my plate.

Alba
I've been to Alba before for dinner and I've got to say – lunch is where it’s at. After accepting an invitation from a foodie coworker, I found myself digging into creamy, dreamy potato gnocchi. Light-as-air tender pillows of potato floating in a delicate cream sauce. The dish was finished with flavorful roasted veggies. I still think about it… thank goodness I’m just a short drive away. 

New World Café
My go-to lunch spot downtown. It’s become a Friday ritual for me to order their amazing Mexican bowl. It’s the most flavorful plate (or bowl) of vegan food I've ever had. That’s a tall order because my old hood, Kansas City, had some pretty fabulous vegan restaurants. Back to the bowl – perfectly cooked grains are topped with roasted veggies, avocado, a zippy green herb salsa and my favorite, cashew cheese. The dish is finished with a crunchy pumpkin seed crumble. I eat it every week and I love it every week.

City Bakery
I discovered a dessert at City Bakery that I don’t think I can live without. The coconut biscuit. Imagine the thickest, chewiest, most flavorful macaroon you've ever had. Then take that times a million and you have City Bakery’s coconut biscuit. I've been known to order two – one for lunch and one for immediately following lunch.

 

The Cheese Shop
But Sarah, you’ve already blogged about how much you love The Cheese Shop. Yes, I know but there’s this one plate. Hand-cut acorn Tamworth prosciutto from La Quercia with marcona almonds. So simple, so perfect. I love a paper-thin sheet of prosciutto as much as the next guy but the slightly thick, slightly chewy bits of hand-cut prosciutto really gave me something to savor. 

For the love of takeout

I order takeout at least once a week - usually on Friday or Saturday and always with a bottle of wine. A few of my favorite places deliver - but sadly most do not. To help you navigate the delicious world of carryout cartons, I've compiled a list of my favorite spots in West Des Moines. The best part - they're only a phone call away.

 

Zuzap

Located in Clive, Zuzap is fun to say and better to eat. However, I would only order takeout here. I once spent over an hour waiting for my lunch - not the best strategy on a corporate schedule. But the takeout is pretty darn good. The first time I ordered it, I was blown away by a few dishes: spicy glass noodles, mee krob and the most intensely chicken soup I've ever had (still not sure what it's called). My favorites: Mee krob (crispy noodles in tamarind sauce), Yum Woon Sen Salad (spicy glass noodle salad) and Crazy Noodles (curry noodles).



Mee Krob



King and I Thai

No delivery here - but King and I does have some pretty great carryout. I've dined here and the experience was great - the waterfall salad was top notch. But my favorite things to order carryout are Calamari Salad, Tom Yum Kai (coconut chicken soup), Pineapple Fried Rice (there's some curry here people) and Thai iced tea (loaded with spice and rich condensed milk).

Calamari Salad

Cool Basil

I've been loving Cool Basil since college and for good reason - the food is the best version carryout can be. Fresh ingredients, quality cooking and great flavor - I'd order here twice a week if I lived closer. Some of the best things I've had here: tofu pad thai (get steamed tofu, not fried), crab rangoon (its the real deal) and a great thai iced tea. Sorry, was too hungry to take pictures.

 

Coach's Pizza
Just when you were expecting another Thai place - here comes Coach's. I love one thing here above all else - Crack Pizza. Its aptly named for its rich alfredo sauce, crisp bacon and tender chicken. So good.

Crack Pizza

 

There you have it - my first four favorites. I've got a handful of others in my regular rotation but let's start here. Any place I'm missing? I'd love to hear it!

 

On My Plate

It sure has been a busy but delicious holiday season. From a quick trip to Omaha to my annual mother/daughter/best friend weekend in Chicago, my plate has been filled with memorable meals. Here's a look.

Publican - Chicago

Fresh off the plane, we headed to Publican for Saturday brunch. I started things off with spicy pork rinds. I take pork rinds pretty seriously. When done right, they are one of the most addictive snacks on the planet and Publican does them right. I devoured the cheesy, spicy puffs. Sorry Cheetos - there's a new sheriff in town.

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater but I was admittedly intimidated by the blood sausage breakfast plate. However, it came with a pretty convincing recommendation from our server, so I decided to give it a try. 

Thank goodness I did. The rich and flavorful sausage balanced perfectly with tangy creme fraiche and earthy cauliflower. A runny egg yolk never hurts either. It was one of those perfect-forget-what-you-thought-you-knew-about-food bites.

If you make it to Publican for brunch, don't skip the side of maple-braised bacon. Thick cut and sweet, it put all other bacon to shame.

Publican is worth the trip to Chicago. In fact, I think Publican is one of the best places I have ever eaten. period.

Dixie Quicks - Council Bluffs

Off-beat, quirky and unique are words I would use to describe the decor at Dixie Quicks. Hidden dinosaur figurines, a large Venus flytrap and comic book imagery can be seen throughout the restuarant. There is also an adjoining gallery space next door with revolving featured artists. 

Dixie Quicks' playful approach to decor carries throughout the menu as well. From Sexual Chocolate French Toast (nutella, walnuts, banana, whipped cream) to my personal favorite Chilaquilles - the menu is as varied as the art. On my last visit, I ordered my usual carnitas chilaquilles. Corn chips and pulled-pork carnitas smothered in a spicy, rich sauce topped with a poached egg.

I also decided to give the soup special a try. I'm now a believer in Dill Pickle Soup. Rich and creamy with a smack of dill pickle at the end.  Bizarre and delicious.

 

Secret Supper

Ssshhh it’s a secret…. supper.

When I received the invitation for the city’s first secret supper, I was intrigued. What local restaurant would it be? Where in Des Moines would we dine? My mind raced with possibilities. Soon enough, I found myself sitting in an intimate, private room tucked in the back of Dos Rios. The delicious secret was out – we were being treated to six courses prepared by the talented Mike Holman.

Please excuse my dark photos - we had some mood lighting going on.

The meal began with an amuse. Cold smoked and seared foie gras nestled in black mole and sauced with mint and apricot compote. The bite was topped with a crispy duck skin chicharron. As soon as I put it in my mouth, I was struck by the smoky, complex mole and the rich, decadent fois. The mint compote was sweet, fresh and cut through the richness. After a first taste like that, I knew we were in for an evening of great food. 

The first course kept the smoky flavors going - an ancho infused tamale stuffed with braised goat shoulder and topped with charred tomatillo salsa and pickled red onions.  Dos Rios grinds their masa in house and boy, can you tell the difference. The tamale was tender, succulent and spicy. 

We moved on to sweet corn bisque topped with fried octopus, chorizo and garlic, jalapeño cream. The soup was a show-stopper – rich, creamy and a hint spicy. It was love at first bite. 

 

After the richness of the first few courses, Chef Holman wisely moved on to seared sea bass perched atop cannellini ragout and braised swiss card. The dish was finished with a lemon ginger espuma. The perfectly crisp fish was an excellent textural contrast against the creamy ragout.

The next course brought rich picadillo-stuffed rotisserie quail alongside crispy tacu-tacu dressing topped with a creamy romesco sauce. The heavily spiced quail was both delicate and robust. I found myself wanting more of the rich tacu tacu, a traditional Peruvian rice dish.  

For the final savory course, Chef Holman presented chile crusted rack of lamb and smashed plantains topped with peppery black bean sauce. The rub on the lamb was amazing – blackened and spicy. It added a great amount of heat and bite to the rich lamb. As you know, sweet plantains are close to my heart – and the fried plantains at Dos Rios were a nice change of pace. Starchy and crisp, they were a great balance for the juicy meat. 

The meal ended with one of the most amazing desserts I’ve ever had.  Classic leche frita or fried milk is a rich, creamy custard encased by crunchy fried shell – just begging to be cracked. Chef Holman finished his leche frita with tangy goat’s milk caramel and a sweet white chocolate and cinnamon tuile. As I slid my spoon into the velvety center, I noticed the table was very quiet. A sign of happy diners. 

After my secret supper at Dos Rios, I was a very happy diner indeed.