Dishcrawl Des Moines - Take 2

I have to say, Dishcrawl Des Moines #2 was a hit!  Dishcrawl ambassador Mandi and her husband Chris did a great job working out some of the kinks from the first Dishcrawl and I think these events are just going to get better and better, especially since they are going to start partnering with non-profits to have these events benefit charities too!

The first new addition to the Dishcrawl was a bingo game that was like a scavenger hunt that required you to "check in" at the restaurants, get business cards from different people at the event, etc.  This was nice because it helped people to mingle and give diners something to do while waiting for food.  Plus, 2 people won tickets to the next Dishcrawl.  Cool.

All four participating restaurants did a great job showcasing their offerings this time around.  We were crawling in the East Village and the first stop was Capital Pub & Hot Dog.  This was my first visit, so it was great to get to try a few mini-dogs.  They had a Chicago dog, buffalo with blue cheese dog or nacho dog with waffle fries.  The Chicago was my favorite.  I can't wait to come back and try a few more!

The Next stop was another newer restaurant called HoQ.  The atmosphere is simple and elegant and the owner came around explaining that he uses every ingredient from local sources and most menu items are gluten free and vegan.  They put together a three course meal for us that included a carrot-ginger soup, braised beef and a baked alaska.  They were all very good. They just started offering a Sunday brunch and I can't wait to try it.

The next stop, and most surprisingly good was The Rooftop/House of Bricks.  Unfortunately it was too cold to eat on the newly renovated rooftop, but we got to try 5 items from the newly renovated menu!  Everyone at my table agreed that the mac & cheese was outstanding.  The spicy shrimp appetizer was tasty and the pork-loin slider was crunchy and juicy.  I would eat here anytime.


The finale was brought in by Cleverly Crafted Confections.  What a treat.  They baked up hundreds of cupcakes to sample including unique flavors like apple pucker, root beer float and pineapple upside down cake.  These were really good!

All-in-all I was pleased with the restaurant selection for this Dishcrawl and even more pleasantly surprised by the awesomeness of the food.  We can't wait for the next Dishcrawl on May 21st in the Western Corridor this time!  Hope to see you there!