Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw Merlot

Last night I uncorked a bottle of two-buck chuck Merlot at the request of a thirsty reader. I found the wine to be solid and drinkable. It definitely tasted like a Merlot, with a good round fruity body. However, it suffered from a similar taste I’ve found in other cheap wines, especially other Charles Shaw wines: namely that sweet, pungeant, grassy taste that reminds me of mowing the lawn. Useful for reminiscing about summers gone by, I suppose, but that’s not really a reason I drink red wine.

Overall, the Merlot was good and my palatte wasn’t overwhelmed by the acidic overtones. I drink a hell of a lot of black coffee though, so those with less of a taste for acid might not tolerate it. Still, I would add the Merlot to the list of surpisingly good two-buck-chuck varietals, along with the Shiraz and the Cab.

I’ve always thought that $10-20 is the perfect price point for store-bought wine. Any higher and I’ll want to save it for a special occaison (and I’ll forget about the wine when such an occaison comes). Any less than $10 and the wine quality is a gamble: either it’s a syrupy concoction of grassy fruit and sugar, or it’s a wonderful $5 diamond in the rough, and I’ll never be able to find another bottle.

That’s why I’ve always hoped to find a really great two-buck-chuck: I can remember where I bought the wine and the brand isn’t going to vanish off the shelves suddenly. But the Charles Shaw wines I’ve had previously haven’t been all that rewarding. Impressive, certainly, for a $3 bottle of wine and better than you’d think, but nothing earthshaking. Of the other varietals I’ve drunk, the Shiraz was the best. You can read the previous reviews here: Nouveau, Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Cabernet.

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.

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

 

 

Gusto Pizza Co., Des Moines’ hottest new pizza joint

Des Moines’ newest pizza sensation is Gusto Pizza Co., located betwixt and between the Western Gateway and the Ingersoll Avenue district at 1905 Ingersoll Ave on the northeast corner of Ingersoll and MLK. I like how each new pizza place tries to outdo the last. One of the first of the new wave of pizza innovators was Centro with its New York style pizzas and great oven. Then Bagni di Lucca’s wonderful gourmet creations, followed up by Fong’s Pizza’s fusion of pizza and Asian flavors stepped onto the scene. All excel in adding unexpected, fresh and real ingredients that rebel against the hegemony of the deep-dish, pepperoni, and sausage cabal.

Big Labowski - click to enlarge

I can’t say enough good things about the Gusto pizzas. The Gusto pizzas are built on a crisp and tasty crust that do it right by staying out of the way of the toppings, which are the real stars of the show. We tried a special of the day, the “Big Labowski” which featured white Russian cream sauce, coffee-rubbed beef, shiitake mushrooms, green onions and mozzarella. I was intrigued by the mix of ingredients. The coffee-rubbed beef was quite interesting. The beef was cut into small chunks but the rub was significant enough that it morphed into something in between beef and coffee.

Il Figaro - click to enlarge

From the signature pies on the menu we chose the “Il Figaro.” We had heard that this was a great pizza.   This pizza comes with slices of Alfredo pears, dried figs, La Quercia prosciutto, blue cheese and fresh mixed greens on top.  It was as good as friends said it would be.  The figs were a riot to eat.I should add that Gusto Pizza also features some great local brews in addition to the usual offerings. Local brews include: Madhouse American Wheat, Hub City Brown Ale, Millstream Iowa Pale Ale, Millstream John’s White Ale, Peace Tree Red Rambler and, Peace Tree Hop Wrangler IPA. We opted for the two Peace Trees. You can peruse the entire beer selection on the website.

Holy Cannoli

We finished off the meal with a “Holy Cannoli” which is a must-have.  Just remembering this makes me want to go back and get one right now.  We also grabbed a gelato which is another dessert that is fantastic.

One feature in favor of Gusto Pizza is that it had enough space that we could actually get our order in and get our pizza in fairly short order — something that has not happened at Fong’s Pizza, which is still crowded on the nights we try to get in. As word gets out, this may change. However, the place does  have lots of empty space for more tables and chairs if they want to start packing them in.  On the whole, I have to say that this is one place that I want to return to as soon as possible.  Gusto Pizza is definitely on my “regular” list from this point on.

My congratulations to Josh Holderness, Joe McConville and Tony Lemmo for putting together a nicely balanced but innovative menu.  They did a great job of getting a lot of advance publicity out.  The twitterverse (@GustoPizzaDM) was alive with constant updates of many potential updates, so there was no way that anybody connected even remotely with the Des Moines social network missed that opening.  The website for the place also features a social-network friendly blog which is a good way to keep up on what is happening in and around Des Moines:  http://gustopizzaco.com/blog

Some more of their great pizzas:

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

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

Iowa City’s John’s Grocery – “Dirty John’s”

Iowa City’s John’s Grocery, also known as “Dirty John’s,” is the last totally independent grocery in Iowa City.  For that reason alone it is a very unique place and well worth a visit or worth being added to anybody’s “must visit” list.  But it is the sale of alcohol in all of its various forms for which John’s Grocery is best known. John’s Grocery is known nationwide as one of the best places to buy beer. 

A sign in the window advertises “Beers from around the World over 3,000.  I don’t know if they mean 3,000 different beers or just 3,000 bottles and cans. Despite my natural skepticism, I somehow think that they are telling the truth.   I know I saw at least a thousand different brands in just one end of the beer room.  In addition to the beer, there is an impressive selection of hard liquor, with many varieties of Scotch whisky and Irish Whiskey that I’ve not seen before.  The wine selection, though fairly modest if you compare it to most wine stores, had some unusual and well priced selections.   True to its name, John’s also sells some regular grocery items, though it looked like a fairly limited selection. A deli counter serves a variety of meats and sandwiches.

This is a grocery that, with the exception of the liquor selection, is like a step back into time.  I somehow doubt that they stocked booze back in 1948 when it was established.  The building originally housed a Pabst pub in the late 1800s, so it has genuine credentials as an alcohol establishment. I remember as a kid and seeing the tiny neighborhood grocery stores and it never occurred to me that they would totally disappear from the landscape.

The place also featured a solid selection of locally distilled products, including the full range Clearheart products, including gin and vodka from Cedar Ridge together with their rum and bourbon. I also found Iowa Corn Whiskey from Two Jays  in Newton (Broadbent Distillery).  As I wrote in a recent blog entry, I had not even heard that Two Jays had started up its micro-distillery, so I was sure to snag one of their bottles.  I didn’t see any of Indiana’s best Rye Whiskey known in these parts as “Templeton Rye.”

There is a walk-in cooler to supplement the “warm racks” of beer.  The beer room is a collector’s heaven, chock full of an amazingly large selection of hundreds of beers, stouts, ales and mead. Mead? how often do you see mead for sale?   I am pretty sure I never even found it offered in any of the pubs I visited in England; but Iowa City has it.  Next door is another jointly owned store that I’ve not checked out which sells beer swag — bottles and other beer memorabilia.

Why is it called “Dirty John’s?” Their own website says that it is because they were one of the lone suppliers of Playboy back in the 1950s.  I didn’t check to see if they still carry anything like that.

B&B Grocery, Meat and Deli, Home of the Killer Sandwiches

Boy, I feel like an idiot.  There is no good excuse for never having visited B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli on the south side of Des Moines before today. Sure, I knew it existed from the occasional article or mention in local newspapers. I also knew that this was where Archie Brooks built his political base, and where he returned to after his political dénouement.   I was therefore shocked when I finally stopped by B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli for a sandwich. As they say, there are some things you have to see in the flesh in order to really appreciate it. First, I was surprised that it was as close to downtown as it is. I would have thought that I would have noticed the place driving down 9^th Avenue.  Second, I was surprised by the crowd.  I have just come to expect that crowds only appear at fast-food places these days.  Not only was the place absolutely packed, but other than some Lincoln High students the place was populated with “working men.”  Many of them were wearing the different uniforms of their various trades.  It almost reminded of a bowling alley on competition night.  The parking lot and the roads all around the building were packed with delivery trucks, company vehicles, and idling cars waiting for someone to fetch their pre-ordered lunch.  Yes, it is true that it is best if you call in your order ahead of time.  We were quickly spotted as B&B newbies and they took our order but told us that the wait would be shorter the next time if we took one of the little green cards that had the lunch menu on it. Some menu cards were stuffed into our sandwiches to make sure that we called ahead the next time. I like how they looked out after us.

The history of the place is that the original location was opened in 1922 by a couple of teenage boys, J. Archie and John Brooks who decided that they wanted to go into the grocery business. How many kids do things like that nowadays? The business has been in the family ever since, and it is clear that the local community rewards the great food with faithful patronage. I could go on, but the webpage for B&B has a good history, along with pictures.

I ordered the Rib-eye Sandwich. This was a real slice of freshly grilled rib-eye in a bun. It really hit the spot. My spouse ordered the Reuben and I stole a bite and can report that it was way better than any Reuben I’ve tried lately. The sauerkraut was really tasty and it did not have that rubbery cabbage feel that so many Reubens have. For anyone else who wants to visit, you go to the meat counter area to order (if you didn’t call in ahead of time) and then back away to wait for the food to arrive. After you pick up the order,  proceed to the checkout stand near the door. If you want to eat in, there is a no-nonsense lunch counter tucked away in a corner. I got the impression that this is not for leisurely chats with friends. This counter is built to allow hungry people to chow down and move along.  It reminds me of a feeding trough for cattle. As the clock neared 1:00 p.m. it was interesting to see the place clear out as quickly as it had filled up. Within minutes the only people at the counter were some Lincoln High kids on an extended lunch break.

Check out the webpage for a series of interesting “Butcher Videos.” These are videos demonstrating how the various cuts are prepared the “old fashioned way.” Their steaks are cut from carcass beef and the hamburger you buy all comes from a single carcass. They even show how they create sausage. The video showing John Brooks Jr. breaking down a beef hind quarter will be amazing to anybody who has tried to butcher a large animal. From the looks of meat counter, it looks like a lot of the cuts are long gone before lunch, so if you want something in particular you may have to get there early. Here is a video showing how a beef standing rib roast is prepared.

Monday - Friday:  8:30am to 6:30pm (Grill Closes at 6pm)
Saturday:  8:30am to 5:30pm (Grill Closes at 5pm)
Sunday:  Closed

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli
2001 SE 6th Street
Des Moines, Iowa  50315
(515) 243-7607
FAX (515) 280-7037

Des Moines Gateway Market and Cafe

The Gateway Market and the Market Cafe have brought choice food ingredients and prepared food to Des Moines in an amazing package. Just about anything that a cook would want is available here. While the local grocery store might have a dozen different types of olive oil, Gateway Market offers an uncountable number of different oils. South Union Bakery has moved its production to the Market, so there is always the freshest selection of bread available. There is also a full cheese supply, meat, an olive bar, pastries, many imported and specialty beers, and a very sophisticated wine selection that includes less expensive bottles not found in many of the other wine stores. The wine department area is handled by certified sommelier Abbe Hendricks. The Market Cafe was a favorite location for media types covering the last Presidential election and I suspect that they will be back again. One reason for its popularity is the outstanding lunch menu and fast service. Rather than try to itemize the thousands of different products, here is a photo essay:

Des Moines’ Graziano Bros. Italian Foods – a Photo Essay

While completing my quest to try the old-line Des Moines Italian restaurants we had to stop by Graziano Bros. Italian Foods grocery store. It is just across the way from Tumea and Sons at 1601 South Union Street. Graziano’s is not a full-service grocery store. However, you will find more Italian cooking ingredients here than in even the largest full-line grocery store. Graziano’s has unique imported ingredients not available at most supermarkets as well as locally made pastas, sausage and bread. The prices are actually less than what you will pay at other grocery stores. Some history can be found on the Graziano Bros. website and in this Des Moines Register article. Rather than try to explain what you can find there, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Olive Oils

Sauces

Spices

Meat and Cheese Counter

Cheese

More Sausage

Stop by and stock up!