Raul’s Mexican Restaurant in West Des Moines

Raul’s Mexican Restaurant in West Des Moines is another example of the second generation keeping a long-standing Des Moines restaurant tradition alive, not unlike Sam & Gabe’s. When I heard that family members were starting this familiar name back up I figured that I had to make my way there. That meant traveling to West Des Moines, a place I try to avoid given its long history of favoring chains and killing off chef-owned restaurants.

Not all old-line restaurants in Des Moines are even owned by the same family that started them and the continued success of many of those restaurants indicates that change can be good. But there are some traditions that we all hope can continue in the same spirit that made the originals great and after a five-year hiatus (2005-2010), the Hernandez family is working hard to keep the original tradition alive with Raul’s.

History. Des Moines natives are likely familiar with the old Raul’s on East Grand Avenue. Raul Hernandez opened his restaurant back in 1962. The old place was definitely a true Mexican restaurant, with great meals, a fantastic lunch buffet, and a certain proud attitude that meant that it handle both casual and formal crowds. With the new location, the Hernandez family is working to capture as much of that history as possible. More history is available on their web site.

Service. Service was pretty good. The wait staff managed to keep checking on our meals and drinks. I did note a few times when new guests would arrive and the entire dining area seemed to be missing all three waiters for a bit longer than was comfortable. The crowd was not huge, but for a mid-day evening there was a fairly continuous flow of customers.

Cuisine. The menu offers solid Mexican fare with few departures, which is a good choice given the large number of different restaurant choices available to diners in West Des Moines. Sure, the contrarian in a dining group can still order a hamburger, but this is a Mexican restaurant through and through. Since we were there for dinner, we did not try the lunch buffet, a favorite of mine at the original east-side Raul’s.

The Food. I ordered the tamale dinner as Raul’s tamales were a favorite of mine. The dish comes with Spanish rice, refried beans, and some shredded lettuce. These tamales are larger than tamales offered by some other Mexican-style restaurants in Des Moines. They are real tamales and come wrapped in corn husks. They were perfectly prepared, not too soggy and had a tasty pork filling. The pico de gallo sauce was served on shredded lettuce. It was tasty but I wish there was more. The tamale sauce was a hot dipping sauce and went well with the tamales.

We also ordered the corn enchilada dinner – called “Letter B” for some reason. This featured two corn enchiladas bathed in sauce and served with Spanish rice and refried beans. This was a standout. The enchiladas featured a smoky aroma and flavor that channeled me directly back to the old Raul’s. If for no other reason, this is an excuse to visit the new Raul’s.

The chips that come with with every meal are home-made and crispy. The sauce was surprisingly thin with no discernible chunks. It may have been the fact that we ordered the mild sauce. If you visit (and can handle hot sauces) let me know if the hotter sauce has anything in it. Anyway, it was a challenge to keep the sauce on the chip and the menu, my pants and the table top all suffered through the effort.

Location and Style. The location has served a number of restaurants over the years. I first recall it being the 8th Street Seafood Bar back in the ’80s. I lost track of the restaurants since then. The architecture of the building does not appear to share any “Mexican” attributes, being a ’70s-style boxy contemporary, but it has its own parking lot and is a stand-alone building. The building is the definition of bland on the outside but inside is well fitted out. There is a full bar along one side of the dining area. Dinner is served on Formica tables. There are not paper place mats or tablecloths.

Raul’s features the usual selection of drinks and a number of Margaritas — and served in larger glasses than those offered by Dos Rios. Hats off to Raul’s for giving me a reason to venture a couple of blocks into West Des Moines. I wish the Hernandez family the best.

Raul’s Mexican Restaurant
1261 8th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50265
515-422-7802

Tuesday and Wednesday
11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday

Joseph’s Brau Summer Brew

All summer long I’ve been aimlessly searching the freezer aisles for a summer beer that’s hard to describe. Something light but not forgettable, a beer which is easy to pick up and put down. While I want something that doesn’t take itself very seriously, I really don’t feel like cheap beer this season. It seems like winter is the time for cheap beer in great quantities, and the leisure of summer lends itself more to the slow swilling of tolerable stuff instead.

Joseph’s Brau Summer Brew is perhaps just that beer. I found it on an end-case at Trader Joe’s, and it has, in my mind, eclipsed every other case of beer I’ve had this season in terms of the “perfect summer beer” I’ve been looking for. It is light and sweet, but with an upstanding hoppy foundation. It has the fizzy creaminess of wheat beer, but it’s not hollow and empty. It’s not perfect, but it’s refreshing and satisfying.

4.8%, 25 IBU

Cedar Ridge announces “Unaged Whiskey” for sale.

Cedar Ridge distillery columns

It was probably only a matter of time before Cedar Ridge Vinyards, Winery & Distillery, one of only two distilleries in Iowa that produce and sell their own Bourbon whiskey, jumped on the white dog/corn whiskey/white lightning/moonshine bandwagon. After all, if you can sell your raw un-aged and unbarreled whiskey now instead of babying it for three to four years in a warehouse and sell it for practically the same price, why not? For those who have not been paying attention, moonshine is the latest rage to hit the bars as a “hip” cocktail base. In their announcement, Cedar Ridge states that it “is proud to introduce the newest product coming out of our distillery, Unaged Whiskey.” The release states that their unaged whiskey “is a corn based whiskey bottled at 100 proof that doesn’t touch the barrel, therefore it retains the character of the grain.” It is available at the distillery for $25.99. One interesting feature is that you can buy a one liter mini barrel for $39.99 so you can age your own whiskey. Now that is an interesting concept, and one that I would want to take advantage of. I seem to recall seeing some one liter barrels in the retail area of their showroom last time I was there. I do not know if those barrels are charred. Some of the versions available on the web are not. Keep in mind that the ratio of oak to spirits will be high in these small barrels. One very interesting reason to try a corn whiskey from your favorite distillery (they will all shortly sell it given the better profit margin and faster “time to market”) is that you can tell exactly what goes into a bourbon and what does not come out. With traditional bourbon, the charcoal in the charred barrel both imparts some flavor and removes others. The oak itself adds a significant amount of flavor. Also, as the “angel share” evaporates out, flavors from the spirit become more intense. Comparing an un-aged whiskey with its finished bourbon product, you can get a very good sense of what happened.

This new spirit joins several other recent announcements of similar moonshine products:

Two Jays Iowa Corn Whiskey

Heaven Hill TryBox Whiskey

Food Blogger Sent to Jail for Review: When Food Critics and Bloggers Get in Trouble

We start with a recent news story from the Taipei Times that reports that blogger “Liu” (劉) was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined NT$200,000 for criticizing a Taichung beef noodle restaurant for serving food that was too salty, being overrun with cockroaches, and having a bully for an owner – a fellow named Yang (楊).  Apparently, an investigation did not find the described unsanitary conditions and the court found that Liu had only had a single side dish. Liu has since apologized and, her appeal having been lost, is presumably on her way to a Chinese prison.

Next up is an expat Lebanese blogger living in Kuwait who writes the food blog 248am.com. He published a blog entry about his experience at the Japanese chain restaurant Benihana. Here is what he had to say:

The chicken was very chewy (I could swear it was undercooked if not raw) and tasted terrible.

Even the rice and the veggies that came with it tasted bad AND were under cooked.

There is no word on the current status of the lawsuit.

The third case arises from Belfast, Ireland. In that case, a newspaper critic named Caroline Workman working for the Irish News reviewed Goodfellas restaurant in Belfast. She said that the experience was “joyless,” that the squid was “reconstituted fish meat” and that the chicken marsala was too sweet and “inedible.”

The owner of Goodfellas sued for defamation and managed to get a jury to award £25,000 in damages. However, following an appeal to Her Majesty’s Court of Appeals, the verdict was overturned. The court agreed with the newspaper that the review was subject to protection under British law as “fair comment.” The day after the Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, the London newspaper The Times sent a reporter to revisit the restaurant to see if things had improved. Perhaps emboldened by the ruling, he had this to say about the Chicken Marsala:

“Without the court papers to confirm what I had ordered, I’d have guessed I was eating thin strips of mole poached in Ovaltine. It is revolting. It is ill-conceived, incompetent, indescribably awful. A dish so cruel I weep not only for the animal that died to make it, but also for the mushrooms.”

Said as only a journalist for the British newspaper could put it.

A fourth case comes out of the USA, Philadelphia to be specific, and was reported in the Philadelphia Magazine. An anonymous (he hides his physical identity) food critic named Craig LaBan writing for the Philadelphia Enquirer posted just the following 44-word review of a restaurant called “Chops” in City Line, which I take is in the suburbs of Philadelphia:

“A serious power-lunch crowd makes this sunny room feel like ‘the Palm on City Line.’ A recent meal, though, was expensive and disappointing, from the soggy and sour chopped salad to a miserably tough and fatty strip steak. The crab cake, though, was excellent.”

The restaurant owner sued, claiming that the meat that they serve for dinner was USDA Prime. It turned out that the review was of the meat served for lunch (note that the short review mentioned lunch — how could he miss that?), which is not necessarily USDA Prime. But that did not stop the lawsuit. After three years of litigation the case was settled on undisclosed terms in April of 2011. I suspect that the restaurant got nothing, but that is just a guess.

So, what does a food blogger do with stories like this? First, though there are many cases involving suits against bloggers, cases against food bloggers are still fairly rare. Second, most of these stories arise from outside the USA ,which is probably the hardest country to successfully sue a blogger. Third, it helps if you take pictures of the food as you can prove that you actually ate there. Of course the Kuwaiti blogger took video of the food being prepared (check out his webpage). It appears from my review of the video that the cook knew nothing about how to cook (but what do I know?), and he still got sued.

Sam and Gabe’s Fine Italian Bistro – Des Moines

Sam and Gabe’s Fine Italian Bistro is a great place to relax and enjoy a great Italian meal with friends and family. Sam and Gabe’s offers a slightly different departure from other Des Moines Italian restaurants. First, it offers northern Italian cuisine (as opposed to Calabrese).  Second, the lights are dim and there is usually live music. White table cloths give it an upscale finish.

Although Sam and Gabe’s is a second generation Italian restaurant, it is a refreshing reboot of the northern Italian cuisine with a nod to the legacy of Vic’s Tally Ho restaurant which was formerly at 56th and Douglas. Vic Talerico was the father of Jerry and Julia Talerico, the hosts of Sam and Gabe’s. What sets Sam and Gabe’s apart from the other restaurants, and even other restaurants featuring Italian cuisine, is the supper club approach to the dining experience. The traditional supper club has pretty much vanished from the Des Moines restaurant scene, but it is alive and well at Sam and Gabe’s. It is not just a white table cloth dining experience (itself somewhat rare feature among Des Moines’ Italian restaurants) but it offers a solid menu of musical acts to liven up the party. Just checking the upcoming list of musicians finds Sam Salamone, Fred Gazzo and his band, and the John Krantz Trio — some easy-to-listen-to local jazz musicians. Another feature is that the layout of the restaurant can provide a quieter atmosphere for dining if that is what you want. Just ask to be seated on the north end, which is fairly distant from the south end where the music is played and is somewhat cordoned off by open doors.

When we most recently visited the place it was surprisingly full for a Monday night. Several in the restaurant were there when we arrived and were still having fun when we left one and one-half hours later. The waiter was efficient with a very serious demeanor. Orders were all correct, water and tea glasses were promptly refilled and the food all arrived hot and in order. Even for a fairly busy Monday there was plenty of staff.  The decor is classy with interesting art work.  The lights are low (which makes taking good pics a challenge), perhaps one notch brighter than the really dark atmosphere of, say, Baru 66 (which is cave-like).  It was light enough that I could actually see my dinner.

A restaurant is nothing without good food, and Sam and Gabe’s does not disappoint in this department. Several in our dinner party are fairly picky about their food and they raved about the offerings.

I tried the Manicotti al Forno, which is tubular pasta filled with veal, chicken, pork and spinach. It was excellent. I was given a choice of a red or white sauce and took both, split between each half of the dish. The sauces were both very good. The pasta was clearly freshly made and delicious.

The Tortelloni Modenese was also excellent. This dish features homemade cheese and spinach-filled tortelloni, tossed with peas, prosciutto and mushrooms. I tried some of the tortelloni and thought that prosciutto worked well with the cheese and hand-made pasta. The light Marsala wine creme sauce was also tasty without being cloying.

Several in our party chose the Price Fix menu, which included bruschetta, toasted ravioli or provolone. The soup of the day was thick enough that a soup spoon would have no trouble standing straight up for a bit. The seafood cannelloni was probably the hit of the party, which is saying a lot as several in our party were visiting from Florida and eat enough fresh seafood that when they stand up the mercury in their blood turns their toes silver.

Salads all feature home made dressings. I tried the classic Italian and it was very good.

We did not try the wine list and did not have room for any dessert.

Hours and Location
Mon-Sat 5PM – Close
8631 Hickman Road
Urbandale, IA 50322-4323
(515) 271-9200
Sam and Gabes Fine Italian Bistro

Des Moines Winefest 2011 – My thoughts.

Winefest billed itself as Iowa’s premier wine tasting event, with wine tasting seminars, special entertainment, and nationally-renowned vintners. Every year it seems that I am out of town on that weekend, so it was not until this last weekend that I actually got to try Winefest for myself. For anyone with even a passing interest in wine and food (in that order), Winefest had something for everyone at every possible price point. You could have joined the crowds on Friday evening for not much more than the cost of a single bottle of good wine and you could have drunk as much as the lines allowed.

For not quite double the price of the Friday event you could have joined the smaller crowd on Saturday, with no real lines to speak of, about a dozen food stations and enough wine (mostly in the $12-$25 price points) to satisfy the budding oenophile. This event was called the Grand Tasting and was the final event. It cost $65 in advance and billed itself as featuring “wines from around the world along with gourmet foods.” I will agree that there were wines from around the world but I would not describe the food as “gourmet.” It was good food, no doubt, but I would not say it was gourmet.

If you felt like a VIP (I didn’t), you could have paid $20 more and hobnobbed with the other people who saw themselves as VIPs. They got to do this behind the security of a wall. I did not feel compelled to join the other VIPs, so I can’t tell you if they got better wine or food, but they must have. I saw that the Governor spent quite a while outside the confines of the VIP room, so maybe he wasn’t feeling all VIP-ish either. If you were feeling really rich and wanted to “see how millionaires dine” (that is what the promotional literature said — I kid you not) the Prima Dinners sold out at $250 per person. Since they sold out I can’t say that its a bad deal. There must be some very expensive wine added to the menu to justify that price.

Entertainment was also provided, though the Nollen Plaza stage is set so far back from the rest of the venue that it was kind of ridiculous looking. Poor Fred Gazzo and The Metropolitans seemed stranded down there.

Here are some photos:

Stone Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon - This is a really nice blend of Sonoma and Iowa grapes but it is really hard to find. It has less oak and more fruit than most cabs. None of the unpleasant (to me) foxy musk that some Iowa wines have.

Maytage Cheese introduced its cheese popcorn.

The Kerrygold Dubliner "Irish Stout" crumbly cheese was a big hit.

Spurgeon Vinyards had some Honey Mead. Surprisingly tasty. You can see Fred Gazzo way back there.

My favorite was Hollen's signature Cabernet Sauvignon - I'm told that Wine & Spirits Gallery on Hickman and a WDM Hy-Vee has it.

Opolo had a large selection. The Mountain Zinfandel is very nice.

Some pointy shoes were in evidence.

Gusto Pizza Co. keeps bringing me back

I had another great dinner at Gusto Pizza Co., located at 1905 Ingersoll Ave.  Since I’m trying to get to as many different restaurants as possible it takes something special to draw me back.  Check out my previous posting for a more complete description. For $10 you get a 10″ pizza that is a gourmet delight.   Here are some more pictures of their great pizzas from my more recent visit:

Maple glazed ham, rosemary, olive oil, goat cheese, Genoa salami, capers and roasted peppers

Gusto's Soprano Pizza Basil pesto, balsamic roasted chicken, roasted red peppers, marinated tomatoes, red onion, Asiago and mozzarella

And don’t forget to try their desserts:

Holy Cannoli -- a Cannoli shell with lemon ricotta, chocolate hazelnut or classic ricotta filling

1905 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50309
515-244-8786
Hours of Operation
M-Th 11:00am-10:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm
Sun 4:00pm-9:00pm

Omaha Farmer’s Market Photo Essay

I was kind of stunned at the relative ferocity of the Des Moines Farmer’s Market, featured here by our man in Des Moines. The Omaha farmer’s markets are not quite the carnival, maybe because there are three throughout the city: one downtown, one in Aksarben Village, and one at Village Point. I’ve been to the Aksarben Village farmer’s market, which is nice, but not quite as large as the one in the Old Market, which is featured here.

the city finally opened the streets up for vendors

there's always a lot of asparagus early in the year

more bear-killing dogs

yin/yang

scone action shot

Several of the highlights of the Omaha farmer’s market, for me at least, are Eric’s Enchilada’s and the Parthenon. The smell of cooking tamales is the smell of summer, and the Parthenon’s scones are the best I’ve ever had: soft, buttery, and delicious.

St. John Brewers Beer

Today I am going to write about St. John Brewers and their beer. I recently tried both the Island Hopping IPA and the Liquid Sunshine.

The Island Hopping IPA is a somewhat darker beer (they describe it as “bright copper”) with a very nice aroma and flavor of hops. This is not a super hopped-up beer, which is good if all you are looking for is a classic IPA. When poured, it has a nice head which sticks around for a bit. The beer is wonderfully balanced with malt and has a great finish. ABV 6.2%, IBU: 40 It uses warrior, cascade, and Willamette hops.

The “Liquid Sunshine” is what really got me excited. This is a seasonal offering of Belgian style unfiltered wheat ale spiced with coriander and curacao orange peel. The beer has a medium head that dissipates fairly quickly. The color is like light honey and because the beer is not filtered, it is cloudy. This is an awesome beer. If I were shipwrecked on a deserted isle, I’d want a a lifetime supply of this beer with me. The coriander and curacao are not distinguished themselves and do not distract at all from the malt taste but lend a nice balance to this Belgian-style beer. This is a masterfully brewed beer. ABV: 5%

Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market – Photo Essay

The massive crowd of humanity

There is no doubt that the Downtown Farmers Market has grown beyond all reasonable expectations. Just a few years ago the market was a fairly quiet affair with the vendors outnumbering shoppers on some days. Each year it has seemingly doubled in size. It is no longer a farmers market in the traditional sense of the term. It is now a weekly summer festival, complete with music, Bear and wolf-killing dogs on parade, and West Des Moines cougar packs all decked out in poofy hair, black outfits and slightly uncomfortable but stylish heels. I’m not sure what is more fearsome, the wolf-dogs or the cougar packs. I am still trying to get my head around the synergy that has developed with this event. It is as if the crowds are finally getting something that they have always wanted but which has long been denied. Exactly what that is that they have found, I’m not sure. I would like to think that it is the locally grown food, but as some other knowledgeable bloggers have pointed out, not all of the food is locally grown. Anyway, enough pontificating. I’ll leave the resolution of this conundrum to the marketing pros out there.

What the farmers market is supposed to be about - locally grown food.

Cleverley Farms - Where you can find real local food.

 

Iowa Aronia Berry Wine from Sawmill Hollow

Selling Iowa Aronia Berry Juice and Wine

Slaw

Another Bosnian Food Vendor - Cooking with STYLE

 

Its a Tacopocalypse

Its a Tacopocalypse in the making

Tacopocalypse Prices.

Convocation of dogs all capable of killing bears and wolves.

 

Flowers