Sakari

I'm officially on a Bento Box kick.  I love the boxes at Miyabi 9 and recently had a great one a Sakura Sushi in West Des Moines and Wasabi Chi on Douglas near Merle Hay Mall, so I decided to go for it at Sakari Sushi Lounge on Ingersol.



 The first photo is someone else's meal  I just had to snap a shot of since they were making it right in front of me at the sushi bar and it looked cool.

This place was busy!  Definitely a fun atmosphere and the chefs were were having a great time behind the bar.

The bento box was $12 which is a little more expensive than the other restaurants in town, but instead of the standard 1/2 roll you usually get, this included your choice of any of the special rolls they offer.

The menu said you could get a salad or miso soup, but I didn't specify and it came with a house salad which was fine.

While I prefer all white meat, the chicken teriyaki was very tasty and a good portion.  The highlight of the box though was the dynamite shrimp.  I have found a new addiction.   These are shrimp and cream cheese lightly tempura battered and fried.  OMG.  Amazing!


All-in-all I loved the fun atmosphere here.  I can see having a great time with friends eating sushi and drinking some cocktails.  The bento box portions were slightly larger than others, which was good because of the increased price and the dynamite shrimp was worth every calorie!  The sushi was beautifully presented and fresh.  Great meal!  And if I had any room left I would have went for the green tea cheesecake.  Next visit.

Hiland Bakery

If you live in a 20 mile radius of the East Side of Des Moines, you have got to get your butt over to the Hiland Bakery.  This place is the real deal.  It's not a huge place as most of the bakery is kitchen with a little store-front area.  But the products make a big impression.  Freshly made donuts for under a buck.  Pecan rolls, for $1.25, Dutch letter for $2. And my favorite item, the Cream Puff (OMG the Cream Puff), for $2.50, look at this fine specimen of a Cream Puff!  It was perfect. Light and fluffy pastry dusted with powdered sugar and a rich filling which was more vanilla-pudding-y than cream-like, but that's exactly how I used to get them from the Italian bakeries in Boston when I was little.  It was perfect.

My son was a fan of the soft and chewy decorated sugar cookies and I was too.  The hubby had some sticky buns and said they were very good.

The bakery is small, but if you come in early, you can catch them fully stocked with some of the most wonderful baked goods in town.
I'm not sure you could go wrong with anything you get here.  I had to contain my self and not try the mini champagne cakes or petite fours that looked so delectable.  Next time...

They also take custom orders for weddings, birthdays and other events.

The staff was friendly, the baked goods were great and the prices were right.  Whether you are looking to make a good impression at the office, have a party coming up and you need a cake, or just need to satisfy a sweet craving, Hiland Bakery is worth the drive from every corner of the suburbs.  Check it out!

Chips

I had a really great lunch at Chips restaurant in Ankeny the other day.  It's on SE Tones drive and you can't miss it if you're traveling up 35n.

Up until just last month Chips was one of the Trostel's trio of restaurants and is under new management.  I was a little weary because I've always relied on a Trostel's restaurant to be good, so I didn't know what to expect now that it's changed hands.

They were doing quite a bit of renovations on the outside and front entrance of the building which is great because it's starting to show it's wear a bit and I can't fault them for a little less than stellar appearance when they are making improvements.  The restaurant was clean and causal as usual.  It was the lunch hour so it was busy, but we were seated right away and greeted promptly.  In no time we were chomping on our yummy free chips.  I prefer them slightly hotter, but they were crunchy and salty and hit the spot with a cold diet pepsi.

They had a great lunch menu that included soup, salad, sandwich, pizza or pasta combos plus their signature rotisserie chicken dinners and more.



I ordered the soup, salad and sandwich combo which was a steal at $8.  The best part my my meal was the chicken and white bean chili that was chock full of their pulled rotisserie chicken.  It was probably the best chicken and white bean chili I've ever had in a restaurant.  Ever.  I was craving more at dinner time.  The chicken salad (which I got sans croissant) was especially delicious too.  Fresh pieces of diced red and green pepper mixed in with a rich, but not over-bearing mayo and more of their awesome rotisserie chicken.  I was very impressed with both preparation of the chicken.

They have a great selection on the kids menu even though my son opted for an early lunch before we came.  He opted for a hot chocolate to drink which I wouldn't have ordered had I known that the 6 ounce cup of water with powdered chocolate would run $4.25! Heck that was more than half of what my entree cost! That was the most disappointing part of the meal.  But, the rest of the meal certainly made up for the disappointment.

I'll certainly be back for more of the chicken chili and chips soon!  Can't wait to see it in a few weeks when the renovations are complete!

My Favorite Muffin

In West Des Moines, in a plaza off of 50th street near the Lowe's, lives the cutest little muffins you'll ever see.  A display case full of the yummiest flavors of muffins large and small capture your attention as you enter.

Our favorites are the Boston Creme and Cinnamon Cheesecake.  You can buy as many or as little as you wish and pair it with a coffee, or my favorite drink there, the Chai Tea Latte.  They make the best and will make it iced if you ask nicely. 


There are a lot of places that do donuts well in the area, but not too many that specialize in muffins.  Especially mini-muffins where you can try so many different flavors without having to buy full-sized muffins.

While fresh is the best way to eat them, these muffins actual freeze really well, not that I've tried that a couple hundred times or anything....You know so you can just defrost one at a time when you need to fulfill a muffin craving emergency.

They also have breakfast and lunch sandwiches and cozy seating in the restaurant.   If you are looking for something different for a quick breakfast, or to stock up for a late afternoon snack, check out My Favorite Muffin for a treat. You'll like it!

Hy-vee Brunch (Urbandale/Waukee)

 While checking out the new and exciting Urbandle Hy-vee, we noticed that they serve an all-you-can-eat Sunday Brunch buffet on, well, Sundays.  They start at about 8:30am and end at 2:00pm.  During that time, for $14 you can pretty much eat anything you want from the Hy-vee Chinese, Italian, home style kitchen, specialty oatmeal bar, Omelet station and prime rib station. It does not include sushi or deli-sandwiches, but it does in include dessert and gelato.  This is a really great deal for only $14 per person if you come hungry.  And the best part is that kids 5 and under eat free from the buffet!

The have an optional bloody Mary bar, but soft drinks and coffee are included in the price.  They also offer some a la cart breakfast items if you'd prefer not to do the buffet.

The new restaurant is pretty nice with servers and cloth napkins, pretty innovative for a Hy-vee.  At 4:00pm they change into their evening restaurant with a regular menu and you can't eat food items purchased outside of the restaurant in the restaurant.  You can't do this during the Sunday Brunch either, but I think it's acceptable during breakfast and lunch on other days.  We haven't eaten there for dinner yet, but we thought the brunch was really neat, especially if you are a fan of the Chinese or Italian sections.

All-in-all I really like the new concepts the Urbandale Hy-vee has brought from the specialty cheeses to the expanded health food section and gourmet prepared food offerings like a sushi bar and gelato stand.  I was pretty impressed with the Sunday Brunch and thought the service was good.  I would recommend That you order your omelet right away though as it took a while to prepare, but it was worth the wait.  Great brunch experience with a good bang for your buck (especially if you have kids under 5!).  Check it out.

Update: The new Waukee Hy-vee also offers this awesome buffet!

The Hippest Movie Theater in Town

 I just love catching a flick at the Fleur Cinema & Cafe.  While it's name corresponds to the location, this cinema is definitely a little different from the rest.

While you'll find some first-run mainstream films, you'll also find a lot of interesting independent films too.  If you are planning a date-night and nothing in the "regular theater" looks good.  Check out what's playing at the Fleur Cinema.  There is sure to be something playing here that you'll want to check out.

From the cozy waiting area to the up-scale snacks like wine, cheesecake and Italian creme soda along with popcorn and regular soda, your experience is always a little better here.

You can join the rewards club and earn free movies and snacks.  There is always parking available without having to beat the mall crowds.  And the theater is clean, the art and furniture in the lobby are contemporary and the the theaters are homey.  What was the last movie you saw at the Fleur Cinema?  If you can't remember, maybe it's time to look up the schedule and catch a show this weekend!

Tally's

I love Tally's in Beaverdale and everything about it.  $5 martinis on Fridays and $5 margaritas (huge) on Saturdays.  The neighborhood hot spot-type feel.  The friendly staff and great food.  They make you wish you could hang out here every night. Seriously.

We were able to get right in at 6:00pm on a Saturday night.  They were steady but not overly busy.  They had a large party going on in the party room, but our service was still quick and the food was still fantastic.

I highly recommend the mango margarita.  One was enough to last me through my meal and at $5 on Saturday nights, it's a great deal.  They also have happy-hour with drink specials every night until 6pm so Josh's Martini was only $5 too since our waitress was awesome and got us in on the special.

Chef/Owner Robert Sanda if I remember correctly has family members who are gluten-free so they take it very seriously at the restaurant and offer so many great gluten-free choices.  I ordered a delicious asiago steak pasta which he made gf and it was fantastic.  He even had a gf cheeecake for desert with a nut-crust and raspberry sauce. Awesome!

Josh said his pork chop was cooked perfectly and his cheesy vegetable risotto was also very good.  He had the blue cheese apple tart for desert and said it was awesome too.

The prices are so reasonable for the quality at Tally's.  They also have a Sunday brunch every Sunday from 9am-2pm which is great too.

Have you been to Tally's? Do you like is as much as we do?

Update: They now offer gluten-free breading for things like onion rings and pork tenderloins! If you are on a gluten-free diet, you need to eat here!

Don't bring animals to this Ark (but kids are ok)!

Noah's Ark restaurant is one of those restaurants that you don't always think about frequenting when there are so many hip, new restaurants popping up around town.  I know there are a lot of mixed reviews about Noah's Ark and there can be long waits in the evenings.  But, we've really enjoyed Noah's Ark for lunch and with kids actually!  They have coloring sheets to occupy the little ones while you decide what to eat, and this is a pretty big place, so the tables are spread far apart enough that people probably won't be bothered by kids. And your kids (and you) won't be bothered by boring conversation from the nearest table either.  It's really a cozy environment where you feel like you can just relax and enjoy your lunch while the kids color and play.  Not busy and not stuffy at all.

Anyway, the food is good.  I'm not going to say it's on par with say, Cafe di Scala, but it's always good.  They now offer gluten-free pizza and pasta and they also have lunch specials everyday that are in the $8.95 range.  

The servers are always friendly and if you ask nicely, they will bring the kids those little animals that they put in their cocktails.  They are tiny colored plastic animals (you know, sticking with the Ark theme) that keep the kids occupied for a while when they bring them.  We now have a collection at home. Not a huge deal, but anything that brings 10 minutes of happiness to a 5 year old so you can enjoy your meal, makes a huge difference.  


The kids meals are on the pricier side, but they are big.  One kids pizza can feed two to three kids easily as it's just their small 10 inch pizza with an added drink.  The creamy house dressing for the salad is really good and the garlic-butter rolls are awesome.
  

They are also advertising that you can now come into the bakery area just to pick up some bakery items like cheesecake, chocolate cake, etc.  They look really good!


All-in-all we like, Noah's Ark for a relaxing family lunch that keeps the kids entertained enough to enjoy a nice meal.  It's in a convenient location right near the intersection of MLK and Ingersol on Ingersol Ave. in Des Moines.  We've only had positive experiences there for lunch.  Have you tried Noah's Ark for lunch yet?

The search for the perfect cheesecake is over!

Baker Amanda and her
Family.

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

In July of 2011, baker Amanda Hagenow took her love of cheesecake to a whole new level.  She tweaked a recipe she found online and the product was the most delectable creation you will ever try, The Sugar Creek Bakery Cheesecake.  



The business is small, which gives her the flexibility to experiment and try new flavors out.  Until now, her business has been mostly word-of-mouth.  But this cheesecake is too good not to share!  One comment on their facebook page says "Skip the factory...these are handmade and amazing". We have to agree.  



The Bakery does not have a storefront, but is located in Windsor Heights and Sugar Creek will deliver to your door or arrange a place for pickup at your convenience.  You can order by contacting them on facebook or calling the Bakery at 515-314-1213.

Snickers Bites. Mini-Cheesecakes.

We have ordered these cheesecakes for a number of events and have never been disappointed.  They are professional, friendly and willing to accommodate special requests.  Skip the pre-packaged and factory-made cheesecakes and give Sugar Creek Bakery a shot for your next birthday, holiday or event.  We know you'll love them as much as we do!

Plain Cheesecake with Glazed, Fresh Strawberries.