By Jeff Pitts When you think of an old-school classic dessert, chocolate cake probably comes to mind. Add in a deluge of cold milk to wash it down, and you have a timeless classic. Jim Lacona, of Noah’s Ark Restaurant and Lounge, knows a quality cake when he tastes one. He grew […]
By Eleni Upah and Meghan Johnson Coffee and dessert pair nearly as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly. Whether your preference is decaf or regular, a hot cup of Joe is the best complement to the sweet treat at the end of a meal. Naturally, then, one cannot go wrong with combining the two to […]
By Eleni Upah The culinary minds behind Baru 66 are continually working to create something new and fresh. Chef and owner David Baruthio changes up the menu regularly, with recipes that can’t be found anywhere else. He’s constantly trying to avoid that “déjà vu” feeling with desserts he feels have been overdone. That’s how the […]
By Eleni Upah Ice cream is as much of a summer staple as hamburgers, grilling and the Fourth of July. So it only makes sense to end a classic summertime meal of grilled chicken with a couple scoops from one of Des Moines’ many local ice cream shops. In the Pleasant Hill area, Over the […]
By Ashley Buckowing Strawberries are not just another fruit in Iowa. Just like apples, many people look forward to the opportunity to walk through the fields on a sunny afternoon and pick their own strawberries. There’s nothing better than fresh strawberries on a casual, sunny afternoon. And when it comes to putting them to good […]
A glorious ride
By Jim Duncan
As Relish moves into its 15th year, we have witnessed a marvelous birthing of central Iowa’s food culture. The number of good places to eat here has increased exponentially since our first issue. The diversity of foods available here has, too. Our readers, who are also the city’s fine diners, have also become far more sophisticated about food. Fifteen years ago, few people here knew what charcuterie or heirloom tomatoes were. James Beard Awards were for New Yorkers, Chicagoans and San Franciscans. Free ranged, cage-free, organic, pasture-raised, and naturally grown were terms few people cared about. Today, Target and Hy-Vee stores have giant sections devoted to them.
Clearly the times have changed, and now it’s time for us to change, too. This issue introduces our new format with more of the things readers have told us they like – glossy paper, subject oriented stories, recipes, food and wine/beer pairings, and, of course, top restaurants. Don’t worry, The Dish returns with three months worth of tales from the wacky world of food. Two features in this issue focus on hot new restaurants. Another lauds the season with a story about why we believe that Des Moines in late summer, more than anywhere else on earth, represents the perfect conjunction of time and place for producing great things to eat.
Fifteen years ago, that was not the case. It’s been a glorious ride while watching this food scene develop on our watch. Today Iowa travelers tell stories about exchanging our local foods with friends and chefs in other parts of America. August produces the best of Iowa tomatoes, and we have been told that they are now apparently worth their weight in roasted Hatch chilies in Albuquerque, stone fruit in Fresno, wild mushrooms in Oregon and crabs in Baltimore.
Bon appétit. RELISH
— Jim Duncan, editor
JD91446@aol.com
Twitter.com/foodude
Jim Duncan has covered the food scene in Des Moines for more than 25 years. And he never met a dish he didn’t respect.
