TNT...it's dynamite

I drove by TNT Restaurant on MLK Parkway many times and said to myself that I should stop in and check it out.  I'd heard some great things about it and love Vietnamese food so I was glad that we finally got a chance to stop in.

The restaurant is a good size and there was no problem getting a table on a Friday evening.  Our waiter was very nice and attentive.

As with a lot of Vietnamese Restaurants the menu is very expansive and can be overwhelming, but don't be afraid to ask them to explain the dishes to you.  For the most part, most dishes are variations of rice dishes, Pho (rice noodle soup), and other noodle dishes.  Each one is available with different proteins such as meatballs, chicken, shrimp, pork, etc. so Each is listed with the protein option under it's Vietnamese name, while there are hundreds of menu items, a lot are the same dishes with different meats.

Anyway,  we started out with summer rolls and and a Cafe Sau Da (Thai Iced Coffee) which is my hubby's favorite.  He said it was really good and I really enjoyed the rolls.  Very fresh.

We ordered the combo fried rice and a large Pho to share.  It was HUGE.  We could have ordered the small to share and it would have been plenty.

We enjoyed everything and would definitely return.  I'm not sure that I loved it more than A Dong, but we also ordered different dishes than we usually do there, so it's hard to compare.  I liked the summer rolls a bit better, but Josh enjoyed A Dong's Pho a bit more. I also really enjoyed my meal at Vietnam Cafe so we'll just be lucky to have so many great options for Vietnamese food in Des Moines.  For now I'll just add TNT to my list of good restaurants in Des Moines and be back soon!

Iowa State Fair

The Fair is here!! The Iowa State Fair funs August 8th to 18th in 2013.  From cows made from butter to everything you ever wanted that you didn't know you'd ever want on-a-stick, it's fair time!

Some people like to avoid the craziness, but I like to dive right in.  Have you ever seen so many mullets in one place before?

Kids love it too.  There are the over-priced carnival-rides of course.  But, if you can keep your kid occupied with the plethora of animals, the free give-aways (mostly fake tattoos that they want to be covered with from head to toe) in the varied industries building from hundreds of vendors and the little hands on the farm exhibit which is one of our favorites, you can possibly avoid spending too long in line for a $4 ride that they may or may not puke on. The hands on the farm exhibit is where kids go through the motions of being a farmer and milking a (fake) cow to earn (fake) money to buy something in the store at the end.  I'd say kids at least up to age 9 or 10 would like this.

And then there is the food....ahhhh the glorious food.  Three things I never miss are 1. A pork chop on a stick.  That hard to find french cut of goodness smothered with BBQ sauce. 2. A frozen apple cider slush.  Overly sweet, yet tart and perfect for the hot days at the fair.  They sell them in the same building where you find the butter cow and get your egg on a stick.  3. those darn buckets of chocolate chips cookies that you can't resist.  Why are they so good!? With so many choices, why would we pick cookies?  Because they are that good!  We finally came to our senses that we don't have to eat the whole darn bucket in the few days following the fair, they actually freeze really well and pulling out a Ziploc bag of cookies 3 months after the fair and popping them in the microwave for 20 seconds is like re-living the fair all over again.  Do it I tell you.

Well, that's all you are going to get about the fair from me....I am far from a fair expert, but I know there are some of you out there with tried and true tips, like "make sure to come on Eat Side night" so, please share with the rest of us what YOUR favorite parts/foods of the fair are.  Thanks!

1, 2, 3 Tequila!

The word on the street was that Tequila Mexican Restaurant in Des Moines has some darn good Mexican food.  I would have to agree!  

We checked out Tequila for lunch the other day and it was very accessible right off of 235 at 2825 Easton Blvd. in Des Moines.  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is clean and well-decorated.  The $1.99 margarita sign caught out attention right away.

We ordered 2 original margaritas (.51 cent more for a frozen, but still well worth it, flavored margaritas were extra) and started browsing the huge menu.  Familiar favorites at very reasonable prices.  We tried the chicken enchiladas and some chicken tostadas.  The little guys had a cheese quesadilla with fries which came out hot and fresh.  We were impressed with the wide selection in the kids menu as well as the regular menu.


I appreciated the fresh salsa with real (not canned, diced veggies) and that it wasn't the pureed stuff you get in some restaurants, it was chunky with a kick and great with the warm chips.

The enchiladas were reminiscent of most Mexican joints in town.  Good but not particularly stand-out-ish.  The tostadas however were excellent with fresh lettuce, tomato, guac, beans and crema. Very good and very inexpensive.  


We saw a lot of guests ordering the fajitas and will certainly order those on our next visit since folks were raving about them.

If you're looking for a Mexican restaurant with good service, yummy food and great prices, check out Tequila Mexican restaurant and make sure to order a margarita!