On my plate

A look at what I'm eating all across the city.

  Cache Bake Shoppe

 

On a particularly dreary Tuesday, a co-worker brought in these double chocolate beauties. Rich, fudgy and transcendentally good. Bad day? What bad day?

 

 

Fresh Cafe and Market

And then I discovered nacho kale chips. Crunchy, zesty and guilt-free. Have your chips and eat them too!

  La Mie

 

The caramelized banana pudding tart from La Mie is one of the most amazing desserts I've ever had. Sweet, rich and crowned with airy meringue.

  Django

 

The poutine at Django is pretty darn good. Crisp fries topped with rich gravy, short ribs, mushrooms and cheese curds. The Canadians certainly know a thing or two about comfort food.

 

Battledish

On paper, Battledish was a unique food competition showcasing seven of the city's best chefs. On the plate, it was the most amazing day of food I've ever had.

Proof - Chef Sean Wilson

Cocktail time
A tantalizing blend of spicy peppers, orange, passion fruit and bitters crowned with a salt/sugar rim. It was fantastic and I thought about it for the rest of the day.

On the plate
Proof presented a gorgeous piece of pork perched on top of succulent bacon braised greens with a surprising fried corn pudding. The pudding was silky smooth in the center, with a crisp, crunchy shell... to die for.

Gusto Pizza - Chef Joe Mcconville
Cocktail time
Local Farmer Brown Ale. Nutty and sweet, it was great with the seasonal pizza.

On the plate
A favorite pizza place of mine, I love Gusto's thin, crisp and never-greasy crust. However, it was the toppings that took center stage. Sweet carrot puree topped with ginger and maple glazed parsnip, sweet potatoes, red onions and candied walnuts. It was fall on a plate - and it showcased the season's flavors and colors. It was so good, my dining companion ordered one the next day.

Tacopocalypse - Chef Sam Auen

On the plate
Rich smoked miso ramen with house-made noodles, andouille, a soft-poached egg and Asian pear kimchi. The ramen was great, and I'm a sucker for anything with a poached egg on top but the two stars of the show - the flavorful andouille and the crunchy pear kimchi. The sausage had the flavor of the south with the texture of a traditional Asian sausage, unusual and wonderful. The sweetness of the pear set off the smoky broth perfectly.

Alba - Chef Joe Tripp
Cocktail time
Bourbon Street Beet: a jewel-toned beauty with bourbon, beet juice,ginger, lemon and bitters. Sweet and not a hint earthy, it was a taste of beets unlike any other I've had.

On the plate
Succulent braised pork belly resting on squash puree and charred Brussels sprouts. My favorite part of the dish, besides the to-die-for pork, was the brown-butter jelly. It was rich, sweet and brought the whole plate together. It was a good thing I was seated in a dark corner of the room, I needed some time alone with that plate of food. So. good.

Liberty's - An Iowa Grill Dish - Chef Jeff Deets
Cocktail time
A beautifully presented melon margarita. I'm not usually a fan of really sweet drinks but man, this was good.

On the plate
It was my first time at Liberty's and I will definitely be back! Smokey chicken tostadas topped with poblano sweet corn pico de gallo and jack cheese, cilantro and cream. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. Flavorful and crunchy - and the perfect match to the cocktail

Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge - Chef Mike Holman
Cocktail time
The sangria presented at Dos Rios took a decidedly South American twist. Wine spiked with absinthe, orange liquor, Mexican brandy and fresh fruit. It was delicious and strong... great for sipping on a warm Saturday afternoon.

On the plate
A standout of the day, I was floored by the Argentinian beef tenderloin sandwich with roasted peppers, pickled onions, hard boiled eggs and  mango vinaigrette. Holy cow. It was good. If its not on the menu at Dos Rios, I may cry. It was definitely in the top 3 sandwiches I've ever had.

BOS - Chef John Andres
Cocktail time
A New York Sour with a float of Malbec wine on top. First its sour, then its sweet. This cocktail was sophisticated and delicious.

On the plate
Seared Scallops with wine-braised beef short rib topped with whiskey pan sauce and lemon cream. It was a great way to end the day. Rich and flavorful, the wine-braised beef was a great match to the wine in the cocktail. I had a food moment when I discovered the lemon emulsion on the plate. A tart and bright way to bring the whole dish together.

I was trying to think of a way to do the day justice and bottom-line, I just have to say it was delicious. From the amazing food to meeting some of the city's most inspiring chefs (which for me, is like a teen girl meeting Justin Bieber) I was struck by how great our city's food scene is. I'm so glad I had the chance to participate and will probably dream about it for months to come.

Mi Patria

I have a few questions for you. Do you enjoy fresh and flavorful dishes? Are you ok with white rice... yellow rice or carbs in general? Does the thought of ripe plantains make your mouth water? If you answered yes to these three questions, then A. I like your style and B. You need to make your way to Mi Patria in West Des Moines.

Give Ecuadorian food a try. The fresh, exciting dishes will blow your mind... you may never be able to settle for boring tex mex again.

Located next to Michael's on 22nd Street, Mi Patria is a gem. Each time I go, I'm reminded why I love it as much as I do. Ripe Plantains.

Oh, but Mi Patria is so much more. 

Here are some of my favorites:

Tortilla de Yuca. Yucca patties stuffed with cheese and topped with fresh onion, tomato, green pepper and cilantro. There are three in an order. I think five or six would be enough for me.

 

Arroz Mariero. Yellow rice studded with clams, shrimp, mussels and topped with crab legs. Also sweet, ripe plantains.

  Hornado con Mote. Slow roasted pork, white corn, potato pancake, white rice with fresh salad. Fantastic.  

So, head to Mi Patria and enjoy!