Baru in The Art Center

As you might have heard, the Art Center restaurant has been taken over by Baru.  Chef David Baruthio, who also owns and operates Baru 66 in Windsor Heights is now in charge of feeding the hungry Art Center visitors.  How cool.

The beautiful courtyard dining is still available as well as indoor seating, all located at the Art Center (which has free admission every day) on Grand Ave in Des Moines.

The restaurant is closed on Mondays, but offers lunch Tuesday through Friday, Dinner on Thursdays and lunch on Saturday and Sundays.  

The menu boasts soups, salads, sandwiches and heartier entrees like duck leg, pasta marinara and salmon risotto.  All of the Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free items are clearly labeled on the menu and there are plenty of options in those categories.  

My friend and I ordered the cheese plate and appreciated that there were two of each item which was conducive to splitting along with some spiced walnuts and raspberry jam.

My friend enjoyed her salmon platter and I was most happy with my "Chef's Casserole" which was sauteed filet with mushroom, onion, bacon and fried egg. It was a nice portion and very tasty. A great gluten-free option.

I'd certainly visit again.  Entrees start around $10.  Service was efficient so you could probably take kids along if you were visiting the Art Center, but it wasn't particularly kid-friendly as far as menu choices.  

All-in-all a lovely meal with a nice selection of wine, beer and cocktails as well.  A great place to take out of town guests for a special occasion, Mom for her birthday or date-night on a Thursday evening for the Prix Fixe special.  When the weather cooperates, make sure to snag a courtyard seat.  The scenery is beautiful.

Noodles & Co. Jordan Creek

I had the opportunity to check out the brand new Noodles & Co. location at Jordan Creek today!  The official opening day is Monday, September 30th, but I got a little sneak preview of some of the new fall dishes available. What makes it even more special is that these dishes can't be found at any other Noodles location in Iowa right now either!  With the new location, they rolled out the new fall items early and the other stores won't get them for a few more weeks. And you're in for treat with these new dishes!

We got to try the Thai Hot Pot first.  Wow! It's a curry broth with fresh veggies, rice noodles chicken and pork and served with a side of Asian flatbread.  I loved this dish!  

We also tried the new Alfredo MontAmore which was surprisingly decadent. Not a soupy Alfredo like you get at some other chains.  This rich and cheesy sauce stuck to the spaghetti noodles because of the four cheese blend they use. With the added mushrooms, tomatoes and chicken, this is a complete meal and I really enjoyed it.

Their third new item is totally cool.  It's a Pork Adobo flatbread.  To add to their list of culture-inspired dishes, this one is Spicy Latin with flavors of toasted cumin, spicy Fresno peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes.  This dish packs some heat!  Very flavorful.  I think this one will be a hit.  

It's really nice to see them branching out with different flavor combinations and meal choices.  Noodles is great for the indecisive family who can't choose between Thai, Italian, Japanese, etc. for diner.   You can literally just come here and have it all. There is something for everyone.

Like I said in my last write-up (which you can read here) I appreciate that they source locally whoever possible and really give back to the community they are in.  For example, Eat, Play, Love Des Moines is hosting an event on November 7th to benefit Buy Fresh, Buy Local Des Moines and the Jordan Creek Noodles location had generously offered to serve noodle bowls at the event and donate 100% of the profits to Buy Fresh, Buy Local. How awesome!

The staff at the Jordan Creek location was super friendly and you could tell they were excited about their offerings and giving customers a great experience.  Welcome to West Des Moines Noodles & Co.!

China Cafe

Upon recommendation from a friend, I headed to Johnston to check out China Cafe.  China Cafe is definitely a favorite for lunch in the Merle Hay area since it filled up quickly.  The friendly staff was very efficient though and meals came out very fast.  

When I first perused the expansive menu I was nervous that this was going to be just another so-so Chinese place when I saw that meals were only about $5 and included soup, a spring roll, entree and rice.  But much to my delight it wasn't so-so at all.

The hot and sour soup was tasty and not overly-salty.  I requested an order of crab rangoon and was asked if I would like a half order since I was alone which was lovely since I didn't need 6, and I didn't know you could get half-orders.  I was super impressed that upon receiving two crab rangoon, my server informed me that another was being cooked for me since one of my three fell on the floor in the back.  How honest!  I wonder how many restaurants would have just wiped it off, plopped it back on the plate and called it good.  Especially where they were so busy and they were freshly cooked.  They were some of the best crab rangoon I've had in Des Moines to boot.  Sweet and creamy and fresh out of the fryer.  Perfect.


For my entree, I ordered the cashew chicken.  I was shocked to see that all of the veggies were fresh.  With the one exception that I would have liked to see all white meat chicken, this was a fantastic meal.  And my total bill with a diet coke...$8. I'm impressed.  Check out China Cafe if you get a chance.  I give it an "A" for value, quality and service.  

Two people just this week have suggested I try China Cafe (not knowing I was already there last week) =)  They say it's just as good for dinner or take-out.  Check it out!

Bang Bang

If you haven't visited BangBang Mongolian Grill on Mills Civic in West Des Moines across from Red Robin, in a while, you might notice some changes.  


If you haven't been to BangBang before, it's a lot like HuHot Mongolian Grill with some neat additions.  The main meal is a meat and veggie station where you gather everything you want in your dish, pick your sauces and bring them to the grill to be cooked up right in front of you.


In addition to the grill items. they have soups, salads, appetizers you can order, a kids menu for kids who'd rather not do the grill, a chips and queso station and a frozen yogurt bar.  The appetizers, kids menu, chips station and yogurt station are additional charges from the grill price.  The grill is around $12.99 on weekends and $10.99 on weekdays I believe.


They have $2 martinis on Monday nights and kids eat free on Tuesday night.  They also just began doing Sunday Brunch where in addition to everything they normally have they have an omelet station set up and buffet including breakfast items like egg casserole, biscuits and gravy, French toast, donuts and fruit.  

The chips and queso station also had flour tortilla available to make fajitas from your grill items if you wish.  This station is an additional $2.49 to partake in, but that gives the whole table access for that one price.  It is actually a great deal for us because our picky 6 year old makes his whole meal out of tortilla and cheese and chips and we do not buy him a separate meal from that.


If you have a big appetite, come to BangBang, you'll definitely get a bang for your buck since you can take as many trips to the grill as you like.  



The frozen yogurt station is also set up pretty nicely with at least 30 toppings available all included in the $3.49 (ish) price


The only downside I've experienced is that you can go through the whole process of picking out your items for you meal, picking out sauces and waiting for your meal to be cooked and then maybe not like what you picked.  The good part is that you can just go through the process until you find a combination you like.  The bad part is that you have to go through the process again until you find a combination you like.  Luckily they have lots of recipes posted above the sauce station so you can play it safe and follow those and you'll usually come up with something you enjoy the first time around.

Starbeque

Have you been to a Starbeque??

Out-of-this-world stargazing + summertime barbeques = SCI Starbeques! 

The Science Center of Iowa hosts this monthly event and here is their description:

Bring your blankets and get ready for a new summertime tradition. Gaze at celestial objects through telescopes.

This event is hosted at:

Ewing Park, 5300 Indianola Road, Des Moines some months and others on the front lawn of the Science Center.

This event is in partnership with City of Des Moines Park and Recreation the Des Moines Astronomical Society (DMAS).

Starbeques are free to attend and when at the Science Center they offer food and snacks for purchase.  Keep an eye on the calendar to see which location the event will be each month...here is the calendar.  September 2013's event will be held at Ewing Park on the 28th at 7:30pm.

• 
  
  
  

Boone & Scenic-Valley Railroad

Today's guest post comes to you from our friend Margaret who loves to do fun activities with her son around Iowa.  Here is a great review about her recent experience at the Boone & Scenic-Valley RR!  Thanks Margaret!

One special event at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad is the Day Out with Thomas. For five days in September, the incomparable Thomas the Tank Engine comes to Boone. This event has everything any Thomas fan could imagine: a 25-minute train ride in coaches pulled by a full-sized Thomas, art activities, storytelling, temporary tattoos, several train tables for playing, inflatables, photo opportunities, and more. Sir Topham Hatt makes appearances before each boarding time, too.

Tickets get you in to all the activity tents and are sold with a specific train boarding time. They come with instructions to arrive an hour early. Beforehand, I thought this was excessive, but it turned out to be good advice. Given that we had tickets for only the second boarding of the day (the second of nine!), I was surprised by how busy it already was when we arrived. Parking is at a premium because the event tents take over the entire parking lot. We found parking in the grassy area adjacent to the museum, but ticket-holders for later in the day would have to walk and might take some time for the toddler set. Boone also has a very active railroad so we had to wait for 2 trains as we made our way through town to the depot. The crew positions Thomas in a way that provides great photo opportunities. We were there in time to see him arrive and got pictures before our ride.

The train ride is 25 minutes, so the trip does not reach the high trestle bridge as in other excursions, but for a first train ride, that was a selling point. In case your child doesn't like it, you're not too far from the depot! There was a lot of waiting involved with nearly everything at the event, but the train ride required extra patience. It took a long time to board all the passengers and prepare for the trip, so we were on the train longer waiting to leave the depot than the train actually moved. Had I known, I probably would have taken one of our Thomas books to read while we waited on board. I saw parents doling out snacks and drinks to fidgety toddlers, and it is definitely something to keep in mind if you choose a boarding time around lunch or snack time. 

There are several food vendors at the event selling snacks, drinks, and food for lunch. We chose to pack a picnic and found there are several picnic tables and a gazebo near the parking area to enjoy our lunch while enjoying views of the train yard.

After eating lunch, we visited the on-site museum which is half-price for Day Out with Thomas ticket-holders. The 9,000 square-foot museum has a Thomas play table (with fewer children vying for engines!), antique track maintenance vehicles, memorabilia, model trains, informational displays, a theater, plus a library and gift shop. Admittedly, I was a bit reluctant to head in to the museum initially, but I am very glad we did. I learned a lot, it was a welcome respite from the activity just outside, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our day.


In all, this was a special treat for our Thomas fan that won't be soon forgotten. Peep! Peep!

Boone is about a 50 minute ride from Des Moines and while it might be too late to get in on the Thomas event this year, they also host Pumpkin Express train rides in October and Santa Express train rides in December.  These rides are along the same lines as the Thomas event.  Here is the full Special Events Calendar.  They also offer weekly un-themed train rides and lunch and dinner train rides too.  Visit their website for more info.

Granite City Brunch

There are a lot of great places for buffet brunch in Des Moines.  Some of my faves are The Machine Shed, Americana and Hy-vee Grille at the new Waukee and Urbandale locations. I also just can't keep myself away from the Sunday Brunch buffet at Granite City.  It is just so awesome.

I have dreams about the reggiano hash browns.  Seriously, dreams.  I'm a sucker for a cheesy-potato dish, but these take the cake.  I can't even explain the sophisticated, sharpness of this flavor, you must try them yourself.

Ok, enough about the potatoes, the rest of the buffet is good too.  They offer an omelet station, prime rib station, fruit, eggs, waffles, great quality sausage links and thick cut slices of bacon.  They also have a lunch dish available on the buffet as well like a pasta or rice dish.  An all around great buffet.

And don't forget about the impressive cinnamon rolls.  Always hot, fresh and addictive.

I don't always love buffets for brunch, but everything they serve is great on this one.  It is definitely one of the more pricey in town at about $16 per person. Kids are a reduced price, but definitely a trip for a special occasion.  It does get pretty busy when folks get out of church.  We waited for a bout 45 minutes on out latest visit.  But the earlier you arrive the better.

They offer an all-you-can-drink mimosa or bloody mary special during the brunch as well and you can of course order off of the regular menu, but why would you want to?!  Just kidding, their regular menu of sandwiches, pizza, pastas, etc. is very good and a great option for lunch or dinner.  I just love the buffet!!

Des Moines World Food and Music Festival

Great food, awesome music, cooking demonstrations from some of the best Chefs in Des Moines.  It doesn't get much better than this.  Except that you can get a "taste" portion at any of the 45+ food vendors for only a $1! And all entries are priced at $5 or less! 

This annual event is definitely one of the best festivals of the year.  The 2013 festival runs September 20th to 22nd on Locust street in the East Village of Downtown Des Moines.

For more information including a complete list of vendors, hours, parking info, music schedules and cooking demonstration schedules, visit their website here.

As lots of the food vendors don't have brick and mortar restaurants and only participate in this festival each year, it might be the only time you get to try some of their delicacies.

You can get some wonderful Italian, BBQ, Mexican or Thai food, but you can also venture out and try something like Ethiopian, Korean, Czechoslovakian, Mesopotamian or Filipino cuisine!  There is something for everyone.

Some of my favorites this year were:

1. Hawaiian Chicken from Alohana 

2. Chicken Stew from Czech up Time 

3.Pasta from Street of Europe 

4. Larp from Blu 

5. Tabsi Tayuk from Afiyet Olsun 
(Mesopotamian) 

6. Chicken Kabob from Yanni's 

7. Chickencubes from The Ethiopian assoc. 


8. Fried banana roll from Cafe Fuzion 

9. Fried fish and potato on a stick with juice 
and chocolate covered strawberry from Sims 

10. Beef taco from Taco Loco

And every item I had was only $1!  Can't wait til next year!

Friedrichs Coffee

Located on the corner of 42nd street, on University ave in Des Moines is a cute little coffee shop.  Friedrich's is a chain, but they they offer pasties, cookies and muffins from local sources and a nice variety of coffee and smoothies. 

The shop is very welcoming and the staff is always friendly.  I tried the "canopy jumper" (or something similarly named) and it was good, unfortunately for Friedrich's though, The Juice Company is right down the street and offers better smoothies.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but my friends said they enjoyed some of the exotic brews and would come back for more.

Sometimes you are just looking for a spot to relax or do some work and have a snack, read a book or meet with friends.  If that's your goal and you are in the Drake neighborhood, check out Friedrich's.