Fighting the Crowd for Breakfast at La Mie Bakery in Des Moines

I finally made it to La Mie Bakery for a Saturday morning breakfast. I knew that La Mie was well-regarded for its bakery items and lunches, but I had no idea that it was so popular. The popularity of the place made me think I was in a Midtown Manhattan deli during the morning rush. La Mie definitely has a “big city” feel to the place. This isn’t bad, and even though the place was packed, the energy level had its good side. Lots of people crowding into a restaurant is a sign that there is some good food to be eaten.

I ordered my breakfast meal at the cash register, which was difficult due to the noise level, picked up my number and made my way back to find a place to sit. This proved to be difficult as for every diner who was just sitting down for a coffee and newspaper for a long chat with friends there were a half-dozen other diners hovering in the aisles with their number, endlessly circling the dining room looking for an empty spot, or sitting outside, hoping not to get soaked by a passing raincloud. I even saw some un-tabled diners asking some tabled diners if they were “about done” seeing how they were just sitting there talking. It is a bit disconcerting to try to enjoy a meal when you have a half-dozen hopeful diners watching your plate like vultures. There is no way I would sit there just to chat after my meal was over as I do not get any psychological pleasure from torturing others. Though popularity has its downside, this level of popularity is a good sign that the neighborhood really likes the food. And enjoying food is always a good thing.

Lets talk about the food. Even though this was my first visit, I have had lots of their bakery products as they sell them in a variety of outlets. The bakery products are always top-notch. We shared a cranberry scone which was delicate and tender (her description, not mine). My spouse tried the vegetable scramble. It was fantastic, a cross between scrambled eggs and an omelet. It featured sweet potatoes, spinach, asparagus, red onions, tomatoes and eggs, topped with half of a sliced avocado. The French Toast was made with real french toast and was topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries. I can understand why the place is popular.

La Mie is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday.

La Mie Bakery
841 42ND ST.
DES MOINES, IA 50312
P. 515-255-1625
Monday – Saturday 7AM – 4PM

Baru Sixty-Six

Ever since it opened, I have tried to get a reservation at Baru sixty-six without success. That is my fault as I’ve only tried on the busiest weekends (or even Restaurant Week). But the other day we had skipped supper because of a late meeting and were headed to Windsor Heights for another late appointment, so we dropped by Baru 66 for supper. Being a weekday of no particular importance, there were only a few tables that were being served and we were seated immediately.

The ambiance of Baru 66 is definitely in the white tablecloth, low light category. The finish and design is very classy with some artwork on the walls that show scenes of small French cities that have a queer and possibly intentional resemblance to 1900s Des Moines. I wish I could post some photos of the place, but there simply was not enough light. There was just enough light to read the menu and no more. The service was ultra-professional. My waiter was an experienced veteran displaying an easy confidence that put me at ease. I like the ambiance much better than that of Sage, which previously occupied this location on the corner of 66th and University in the heart of old Windsor Heights. The temperature was just right and the music was tasteful and not so loud that you couldn’t hear anything. Well done.

Baru 66 is described as offering real French cuisine, though I would describe the entrée menu as totally approachable. In a nod to the economic realities of the Des Moines diners, there is plenty available for the meat and fish lovers. The “French” aspect of the restaurant still pops up everywhere else on the menu and in the finishing touches and sauces used with the meat and fish entrées.

You know that you are in for a different sort of dining experience when the course begins with an asparagus mousse with blood orange zest pots du creme. It comes in a charming little glass container and is as decadent as it sounds. It was a perfect way to start a meal. We both ordered soup instead of a salad. Normally I don’t order soup, but this is a French restaurant, after all, so we ordered soup. The soup was carrot with ginger and testified to the chef’s skill at making a very nice soup without moving into the cloying category that soup can find itself in if the ingredients are not fresh or use too much salt.

I ordered seared salmon with oxtail ragout. I’d never guess that salmon and oxtail could be served together to make such a wonderfully complementary dish. The oxtail was prepared in a sauce that oozed an umami taste. The salmon was expertly prepared and was soft, hot, and moist. My dining partner chose the duck breast with winter vegetables and potato puffs. The potato puffs I stole off her plate were quite fun.

The wine list is expensive for bottles and I failed to study it properly, but I learned the hard way that you might be money ahead to order a bottle. By-the-glass prices are a bit steep, in the $9 to $13 category, with the classics in the more expensive territory. The white wine glasses are on the small side, so be aware of that when ordering. Three $13 glasses between the two of us and we might as well have ordered a bottle and enjoyed ourselves.

We were too stuffed (I blame the soup–it was a fair amount of soup) to try the desserts, but next time I’ll skip the soup, buy a bottle of wine, and check out their crème brûlée. I did not ask if they have a corkage fee. I will also hopefully have more time to enjoy the meal. This is not a restaurant that makes any effort to push people out the door so they can meet their seating quota for the evening.

I was quite impressed with Baru Sixty-Six. I do not know if I would rank it higher than Bistro Montage as Des Moines French-style restaurants go, but it does beat Django in my opinion. I need to go back to Bistro Montage soon so I can better judge. The ambiance at Baru Sixty-Six beats Bistro Montage unless you like the more authentic “bistro” feel of Bistro Montage. Baru Sixty-Six is a top-shelf dining destination if you just like great food and service, want to have a nice quite romantic dinner, or are trying to keep some picky but important customers happy. I recommend it without hesitation.

Since most people will google Baru 66 instead of Baru Sixty-Six, I’m typing this here for you folks. The web page has a graphic and the address, telephone number and e-mail address. That is it.

Baru 66
6587 University Ave.
Windsor Heights, Iowa
515-277-6627