G Mig's 5th Street Pub

Originally from Revere, Massachusetts, Chef George Migliero moved to Iowa and was the head Chef at the Wakonda Country Club for years before taking the plunge into his own place located on 5th street in Valley Junction, aptly named G. Mig's 5th Street Pub.  They are open seven days a week with hours posted on their website.

So what's different about this pub? You aren't going to find traditional bar food here.  The appetizer menu boasts New England Crab cakes and Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. Soups like New England Clam Chowder are made from scratch (are you seeing the East Coast flair here?) and sandwiches include Pastrami and Philly Bombs

They also serve weekend breakfasts which include typical favorites like Pancakes, make your own omelets and Eggs & Bacon.  But the highlight of the menu (and my meal) was the breakfast burrito (Aka Migsie's Burrito).  Stuffed with andouille sausage, avocado, hash browns, cheddar jack, poblano peppers and more, it was really amazing.

We had a great breakfast and can't wait to try some other meals here a G. Mig's.  Chef George is one of the nicest guys around and truly enjoys making people happy with food.

I love that he brings a little bit of the East Coast here to Iowa and includes a bit of his style in every dish.

Every day boasts a special and you can count on everything to be high quality and delicious.

Check out G Mig's for lunch, dinner, weekend breakfast/brunch with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa or some late night munchies with drinks.  This cozy pub will have you coming back for more.  Just ask the regulars!

The Color Run - Des Moines

Before

After

The Color Run is coming back to Des Moines for round 2 in just a few weeks on July 13th, 2013.  The start is at the State Capitol Building and this 5k really is one of the funnest around.  

The Color run is un-timed, so weather this is your first 5k or hundredth, you are going to be relaxed and have a good time.

There are a few things you want to remember about this race though. With the sheer number of people participating you need to get there early, really early (or I guess really late would work too) or you'll get stuck in a "wave" that doesn't begin running for a while.  They send "waves" to start every ten minutes or so and with thousands of people, your wave can maybe not start until a hour or so after the start time of the race (9am or 1pm).  Plus, finding a parking spot can be tough too, so if you can have someone drop you off that's ideal, or again get there early to find parking.

Try to wear old shoes because the color powder will stay on your stuff, even after washing sometimes.  They give some suggestions on the website about preserving your well-earned color as well.

So aside from logistics, this is seriously fun.  I was a little nervous about the color powder getting in my face at first, but I totally didn't need to worry, it was like corn starch and totally fun to get all over you!

They provide some light snacks and drink at the end and there are plenty of fun downtown places to party after the race too!

So grab some friends and sign up for the color run.  You'll be doing something fun and healthy whether you walk or run and You'll like it!

Did you Declare Ham Independence?

So, this really fantastic, Norwalk, Iowa based company called La Quercia, that makes the most fantastic Acorn Prosciutto (among other fantastic cured meats), came up with this fun idea to celebrate Ham Independence all over the country.  

These celebrations include local retailers putting together a series of classes, tastings, parties, etc. to celebrate, well, ham! The best display presented will win the grand prize of a whole Acorn Berkshire Prosciutto.  This is a big deal people!

For the Des Moines celebration.  Local stores like Gateway Market, The Cheese Shop, 515 Brewing, Juan O'Sullivans, Centro, Confluence Brewing Co., Creme Cupcake and more set up grand displays of amazing food and beer at Grade A Gardens in Johnston.  Grade A Gardens is this fantastic farm proving local produce right from the gardens in their backyard.  You can find their offerings at the Downtown Farmer's Market.

All of this amazing food, like cheese, bacon cookies, relish trays, pork sandwiches and so much more was enjoyed along with live music, all for just a donation.

What a great way to gather some of the best of Des Moines' local businesses for a great cause (Donations went to the Practical Farmers of Iowa) to have a fun time.  One of the best events of the summer so far!  Almost $2,000 was raised for the cause.  

Thanks to all of the participating businesses for a fantastic and delicious event!  Can't wait til next year!

Dishcrawl Des Moines - Neighborfood

Dishcrawl Des Moines' latest event was a little different than previous events.  Instead of the normal 4 restaurants, this event included 8 stops (plus a few bonus stops for drink specials and a neat store called InnaZONwerld for dip and wine tasting).  There was a groupon and living social deal for this event that made tickets around $20.

While I was accustomed to huge portions at the previous crawls, this crawl boasted smaller potions at each of the 8 stops.  A sampling if you will.

The setup was pretty neat.  You checked-in and got your map of participating restaurants and you were free to hit them in any order you like to start sampling.  A fun thing thing to do with friends since this design makes it a little harder to meet other diners.

Tanya from Capital Pub & Hot Dog did a great job greeting Dishcrawlers and checking in to see if you were enjoying.

Rogue Sweets has some of the best gluten-free cupcakes I've ever had and I always enjoy their sweets. Look for them to grow quickly here in Des Moines.

I was excited to find a premium Italian Ice stand here is Des Moines with Little Jimmy's and I liked the portion size, but was a little disappointed in the flavor choices of bubble gum and blue raspberry.  This is a product that is unfamiliar in this market, but very popular on the coasts and this was a big chance to introduce it here and I don't think the flavors went over well.  Watermelon would have been a huge hit.

I was excited to try Mad Meatball again after trying their tasty meatballs at the grand opening, but they were serving their pizza.  It was good, but the portion size was on the small side.  Go back for meatballs when you get a chance!

I was pleasantly surprised by Plain Talk Books and Coffee.  Their panini's were tasty and they had a wonderful selection of hard to find books.  I'll be coming back for lunch and to browse more at this spot.

I love New World Cafe, but wished the owners would have discussed their concept with us a little because it's such a neat place.  I tried to ask Sugar Blasted Sweets some questions about her products, but she wasn't really interested in chatting.

All-in-all, this was a fun event and Mandi, the Dishcrawl Ambassador really works hard to coordinate a fun event.  Since some aspects of the crawl, like the friendly-ness of the of the vendors and the portion-sizes of the samples are out of her control, I can't blame Dishcrawl for that, but I can say that I have been impressed with Mandi and Dishcrawl Des Moines and look forward to the next crawl!

These events are great opportunities for smaller/local businesses to showcase their products as well as try some of the larger restaurants in town when they are willing to participate.  A portion of ticket sales go toward charity and the more we support local events like this, the better they get!  This was the first big event they've hosted, so look for these events to keep improving in the future.  =)

Weekend Review - June 28th - July 1st

June 28th
unWINEd
Come out to the terrace overlooking Grey's Lake every other Friday evening from 5:30pm - 8:30pm for live music, beer and wine.  Burgers and other food will be available from the grill. Music by Soul Searchers on June 28th.

June 28th - 30th
Des Moines Art Festival

June 28th
Yoga at The Glen
6pm-7pm 
All ages welcome!
Free outdoor yoga compliments of Power Life Yoga to live music!Yoga starts at 6:00pm, stay and enjoy the music until 11:00.
Every participant receives a free bottle of water and a complimentary sweat towel.
Caribou Coffee will be serving up free fruit smoothies. Enjoy a drink on Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar's patio.Caribou Coffee will be serving up free fruit smoothies. Enjoy a drink on Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar's patio.

June 29th, 2013
Downtown Farmer's Market
7am to noon

June 29 - 30, 2013
ArtsFest Midwest: The Other Art Show
Iowa State Fairgrounds' Varied Industries Building, Des Moines
Sat 10 - 6 p.m.; Sun 10 - 5 p.m.
Admission: Free

June 29, 2013
Iowa Barnstormers vs. San Antonio Talons
Wells Fargo Arena at Iowa Events Center, Des Moines
7:05 p.m.

June 30, 2013
Sunday Tunes @ Summerset Winery
Music by Abby Normal, Food by Local Yocals

June 30, 2013
Live At The Creek Kickoff with Decoy & Fireworks

Join us for “Live at the Creek” summer concert series, presented by Stivers, every Sunday from 5 – 8pm at Jordan Creek Town Center! Enjoy live music from the amphitheater or one of the five lakeside patio restaurants, and a wine & beer garden next to the amphitheater. “Live at the Creek” summer concert series is a great way to spend your Sunday evenings. Admission is free and will feature crowd favorites including Decoy, The Tony Valdez Large Band & Retro Rockets, Boomerang, Final Mix, Flipside, and Pianopalooza. Jordan Creek Town Center, “Live at the Creek” FREE summer concert series, Sundays 5-8pm, June 30th through September 1st. Time: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Location: Lake District

July 1st, 2013
Dishcrawl Des Moines - Celebrate Des Moines Independence from boring food.
Landing on the week where our nation celebrates it’s independence, we have set up a Dishcrawl adventure for you. This Dishcrawl takes place in the western part of Down Town Des Moines. Whether it be a twist on a traditional favorite, or exciting new dish at a Des Moines treasure, you don’t want to miss out on this Dishcrawl! 

This event is presented by your local favorite blog, Eat, Play, Love Des Moines. “Looking for fun, fresh places to go in Des Moines? We are giving you reviews of the best places to eat, play and enjoy Des Moines. We'll show you things to do you never even knew existed! We know you'll love Des Moines too!”
It's a guessing game! We’re keeping the names of the restaurants we will be visiting a secret for now, but here and there we’ll give you some hints. Follow us on Twitter @dishcrawldsm and be the first to know!
Where to Meet Us: All ticket holders will be notified of meeting location via email, 48 hours prior to the event.

June 8-July 14

Family Summer Camp at Bass Pro Shops Altoona Iowa

Noon to 5 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday Free crafts, special workshops for kids, and activities! The fun starts at noon (unless otherwise noted)! Activities: Our new Daisy BB Gun inflatable shooting range The fabulous FREE wildlife carousel Casting Buckets Soft Foam Shooting Arcade Workshops (See schedule below) Crafts (different craft each week) 12 – 2 p.m. Homemade Ice Cream - Saturdays only 5-6 p.m. Each child will receive ONE free lanyard (while supplies last) and then earn a FREE pin at the end of each workshop they attend. Here's the workshop schedule: Tuesdays Noon - Bird Watching 1:00 - Fishing 2:00 - Archery 3:00 - Outdoor Discovery 4:00 - Backyard Adventure Thursdays Noon -Archery 1:00 - Shooting & Hunting 2:00 - Wildlife Exploration 3:00 - Water Safety 4:00 - Camping Saturdays Noon - Fishing 1:00 - Water Safety 2:00 - Hunting & Shooting 3:00 - Outdoor Discovery 4:00 - Bird Watching Sundays Noon - Hunting & Shooting 1:00 - Archery 2:00 - Wildlife Adventure 3:00 - Camping 4:00 - Backyard Adventure

Follow us on FACEBOOK HERE for the most current updates and happenings =)

Is this New York? Nope, still in Des Moines

Hagar's Manhattan Deli is located at 37th and Ingersol in Des Moines and is celebrating 30 years in business.  

How refreshing to get a little taste of New York right here in Iowa.  In the "Yelp" reviews there is a comment that is interesting.  You can read the full comment here, but basically, it's a customer's theory that New York mobsters who ran a deli by day and lived a life of crime by night, snitched on their mob bosses and were relocated by the FBI to Des Moines, Iowa.  So doing what they knew best, they opened a Deli (one of the reasons they only take cash and checks for payment and not credit cards).  Far from the truth, but funny...

Anyway,  The offerings at the Manhattan Deli are probably the closest to authentic New England style deli food I've found. The egg salad is made daily and as fresh as you get.  Thick cut deli-meats that fill soft hoagie rolls.  You can't go wrong with anything you pick really. 

They have a good amount of seating, but it fills up fast over the lunch hour, so get there early if you can or expect to wait in line a bit.  They do move the line along pretty fast though so everyone can get in and out on lunch break.

The regulars recommend the Tuesday and Thursday specials. They say you don't have to know what it is, just know it's going to be the best thing they make that day.  Try the famous Vito with beef, provolone and spicy peppers or a simple and fresh turkey sub.  Prices are great and service is good.  Don't come here looking for ambiance, but, you are going to get a great meal and a little taste of the East at Manhattan Deli.  Highly recommend you try it!

Hey There Hotshot

So we finally made it over to Hotshots today!  It's been open for like a month now and we've been trying to make it over since!  Hotshots is Tony Lemmo's (owner of Cafe Di Scala) newest restaurant and it's a Craft Hotdoggery!  The menu consists of hot dogs and sides (chips, tots or pasta salad).

It's located at 1220 Locust street in Des Moines next to Jimmy Johns and across from the sculpture park.  The site of the former restaurant "Host". And it is open for lunch Monday though Saturday.

The hubby got the James Dean which includes a beef frank with mustard, onion, pickle, relish, tomato, peppers and celery salt.  I got the Steve McQueen which includes a beef frank, Cincinnati chili, cheese, onion, cilantro, sour cream, tomatoes and fried rice noodles (minus the onion and tomato for me).  

We both made it a combo for an extra $2.50 and added hotshot-tots which were awesome.  Who doesn't love a tater-tot? And add in a zesty seasoning, they were scrumptious.  At about $6-$7 for a dog, it makes for a good meal under $10.

We both enjoyed our dogs and we both especially appreciated the freshness of the toppings.  The tomatoes on the Dean were juicy and ripe and the chili on the McQueen was really good, the rice noodles added a crunch that made it extra special.  The buns were really soft and you could tell they were baked fresh today.  It really makes all the difference.

We'll be back to try more creations!  We love the Hotshots motorcycle theme and love a good hot dog! Check it out! 

Ps.  It's kind of nice that they are right next to Fighting Burrito and Jimmy Johns.  Hot dogs aren't always every one's thing, especially kids, so other patrons next to us (A family of 6) ordered 4 dogs and grabbed Jimmy John's for the non-dog eaters.  Better yet,  to please everyone, grab what what you like from Hotshots, Jimmy Johns or Fighting Burrito and head over to the beautiful sculpture park for lunch!

Iowa Beef Steakhouse

Truly a hidden gem in Des Moines is The Iowa Beef Steakhouse.  It's located on the East Side of Des Moines at 1201 East Euclid Ave.  You aren't going to get fancy-shmancy grass-fed beef with frilly salads here.  You are going to get a grain-fed, juicy steak as big as your face.  You can cook it yourself to save a buck (literally) or just have them them cook it to your liking.  The menu is very simple:

• 14 oz. Filet
• 20 oz. Marinated Beef Kabob
• 20 oz. Ribeye
• 20 oz. New York Strip
• 24 oz. Sirloin
• 24 oz. Sirloin Teriyaki
• 28 oz. T-Bone
• 2-14 oz. Iowa Pork Chops
• 2-7 oz. Chicken Breasts
• Fresh Shrimp Cocktail
• Fresh Sauteed Mushrooms
• Tall New York Style Cheesecake -Topped with Strawberries and Whipped Cream
• Supreme Chocolate Cheesecake - Dense dark cake surrounds rich chocolate cheesecake and velvety white chocolate mousse.

All of the meals come with Texas toast, potato and the all-you-can-eat salad bar.  The salad bar has a great selection of fresh items as well as prepared potato/pasta salads.  Vegetarians can also order just the salad bar with a baked potato as a meal and it would be more than adequate to satiate your hunger.

All of the meals can be split (including salad bar, potato and toast for both people) for a small added fee.  So worth it!  Each meal is about $19-$25 but if you split the meal, that's for two and that's a bargain (plus the spilt fee).  Each night they have a different meat on special for a reduced price, here are the nightly specials.

They have a full bar available, the waitstaff has always been friendly and they food is always good.  For a good old-fashioned steak dinner, check out Iowa Beef Steakhouse with the fam or for your next date-night.  You'll like it!

Weekend Review! June 22nd/23rd

Need something to do this weekend?

Saturday- June 22nd

USATrack & Field Championships

Free tickets for kids are available at Iowa Hall of Pride. As of June 19, "Tickets are still available for all sessions with prices ranging from $10-$25, although there's an opportunity for kids K-12 to go for free.The free tickets are available at Iowa Hall of Pride, located at 330 Park Street, Des Moines – 515-280-8969. There is a limit of two tickets per student, and students must show school identification in order to claim a ticket. The Iowa Hall of Pride is open from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily." (source: http://www.qconline.com)

Craft Beer Festival 

VIP 1:00-2:00pm

General Admission 2:00-5:00pmDowntown Des Moines – Locust St. Bridge, between 2nd Ave. and E. 1st St.

Sample 200+ craft beers by more than 30 Iowa breweries, along with a host of regional and national micro-brews. Craft beer lovers will enjoy unlimited beer samplings, food and a wide variety of special brews. 

Sunday- June 23rd

Dishcrawl Des Moines- Neighborfood

On June 23nd , We will be dining at 8 different restaurants in a East Village,all within walking distance. Your ticket will include food at each participating location, with drink specials to be offered.

How does it work?: A ticket is your invitation to dine at all 8 participating locations. During check-in, on the day of, you will receive a dinner map, which shows you all the places you will try and love.
Registration will run from 1:30pm-4pm and the restaurants will be serving from 2pm-5pm.

Featured Restaurants:

Capital Pub and Hot Dog Co- Mini Chicago Dog,Yellow mustard, yellow onion, diced tomato, sweet relish, sport peppers, pickle and celery salt

New world café- Vegan Mac & cheese (with whole wheat pasta, kale, and a sesame-spice sprinkle) , chocolate shakes and cucumber limeades.

Rogue Sweets- Funky Fun Gourmet Cupcakes: Themed, & ROGUEsicule a Creamsicule gluten free/ vegan

Sugar Blasted Desserts- Margarita, Bacony, Chocolate, Neopitan, & Blue Velvet Cupcakes.

Mia Bella Catering-Cavetelli: homemade Red Sauce ( Marinara) Sprinkled with Romano cheese

Mad Meatball- PIZZA: The Fuke,pepperoni,sausage,mushroom,onion,black olive,and bandanna peppers. The Cuzzy, pepperoni,sausage, and mushroom.

Plain Talk Books & Coffee- 
Fresh grilled Panini: Meat option/ Vegetarian option

Little Jimmies Italian Ice- 
Italian Ice

off innaZONwerld : Hosting a Local wine tasting & dip sampling

Drink Special: with purchase of Drink Band

AJ's On East Court: Strawberry Stripper, Haunting, or a can of SHOGUN Energy

Capital Pub and Hot Dog co. :Seasonal Beer on Draft 

Ham Independence

Grade A Gardens (Des Moines, IA)

12-5pm. Free. 

Prosciutto, beer, bacon cupcakes, porchetta, dancing, and everything fun.  Organized by The Cheese Shop of Des Moines, with participation from many other local businesses.

Tacos Degollado

 I got a tip that the best, most authentic tacos in Des Moines were sold from a truck at the cross section of MLK and University in Des Moines.  So what did I do? I went for a drive..

And right where they said it would be, in a empty parking lot next to the Advance Auto Parts was Tacos Degollado (which is a small city in Mexico).  

From the outside it doesn't look like much except that they have a few picnic tables set up under a tent and lots of people gathered around eating.

I didn't want to sound like I was a newbie, so I ordered two beef tacos without looking at the menu.  He asked me if I meant steak and I agreed and was presented with two yummy looking tacos adorned with radish, onion and lime.  They had a salsa verde and pico available as well.  The corn tortillas were warm and the beef was seasoned perfectly.  Man, these were some good tacos.

Upon further inspection of the menu I realized that all of the tacos were beef (and one pork), only they offered beef head and tongue as well.  While I'm told the head and tongue are very flavorful, I'm happy to stick to a more traditional cut of beef thanks.

Anyway, tacos were $1.50 and drinks were a $1.  My $4 meal was awesome.  They also offer burritos and quesadillas and I'm willing to bet they are good too.  You can also add cheese to your tacos for an added cost.

If you are looking for something a little different for lunch and can look past the fact that you are eating out of a truck, check out Tacos Degollado!  This is some good stuff!

A Dong

Ok, so the name is a little funny, but it's the name for Vietnamese currency so chuckle a little and then think of it that way.  And the food is so good, it doesn't matter.

Anyway, I just love A Dong that is located right near Methodist Hospital at 1511 High Street in Des Moines.  It's very easily accessible not far from the MLK exit off of 235.

The best adjective I have for the food at A Dong is "fresh".  Fresh vegetables and herbs are incorporated in every dish from Pho to Bun to rice dishes and stir fry's.  My favorite thing to order is #29.  It's the Bun (vermicelli rice noodle salad) with lemongrass chicken.  Lots of fresh lettuce, bean sprouts and cucumber with rice noodles and lightly sauteed lemongrass chicken.  So simple and healthier than most Chinese or Thai dishes that are sauce and calorie laden.  Not that I don't like those, it's just refreshing to have such a fresh, tasty meal sometimes.  #29 is pictured to your right.

They also have great Pho, which if you aren't familiar with the very traditional Vietnamese meal, it is rice noodles with your choice of meat in a broth also served with lots of fresh sprouts and herbs.  

I've incorporated some menu photos for you because the menu is hard to find online and they have over 100 menu items!  

They also have some Chinese rice dishes on their menu, but we go for the amazing Vietnamese items.  They use white meat chicken in all of their dishes and the beef has also been of good quality when we order it.  There is nothing worse than mystery meat.  You won't find that here unless of course you are looking for it...You can have most meals made with Vietnamese meatballs, duck, pork or fish meatballs.  I haven't ventured there, but if you have, let me know how you enjoyed it.  Most meals can be made vegetarian as well.

Prices are most reasonable and service is usually pretty quick.  The restaurant isn't much in the ambiance area, but it is clean and the food more than makes up for it.

They don't have a separate kids menu, but meals are big enough for sharing and the atmosphere is definitely family-friendly.  Perfect for the whole family but nice enough for a date-night or friends night-out.  A great place to try something new!