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!

   

Battledish

Mark your calendars for Battledish on Oct. 5. Seven fabulous local chefs will be competing and in the end, its you and I that win. As you know, I've attended and loved several Dishcrawl events in the past. This time, I'm so honored to be a local guest judge and hope to see you there.

Not only will you get to enjoy tasty food and drinks from seven chefs, you get to cast your vote for Most Creative, Best Modern, Most Delicious, Most Authentic and Best Cocktail.

What seven chefs you ask?

• Mike Holman | Executive Chef Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge
• Jo Tripp | Alba
• Joe Mcconville | Chef/Partner Gusto Pizza
• Sean Wilson | Executive Chef/Partner Proof
• John Andres | Executive Chef Bos
• Jeff Deets | Executive Chef Liberty’s – An Iowa Grill
• Sam Auen | Chef/Owner Tacopocalypse

So much talent! If you decide to feast your appetite at Battledish, I've got free entry tickets or $15 off any package just for my readers! Use promo code “trybattledishfree4" at http://dishcrawl.com/dishcrawl/1633.

On My Plate

A look at some of my favorite plates across the city...

 

Tacopocalypse

 

 

On the first of many visits to Tacopocalypse, we tried the Chili Torreados. Spicy deep-fried jalepenos with bacon cream. Amazing...ly hot. But it burns so good.

 

Mandarin Grill





 

The Bulgogi Bento Box is the stuff lunch dreams are made of. Sushi, tempura, salad and the star of the show, juicy and flavorful Korean Beef.

 

Tamales Industry





 

While waiting for my tamales, I snacked on some pretty-damn-good tongue tacos. If you haven't tried tongue, you are missing out on one the most succulent, flavorful cuts of meat. Dine Des Moines tip - don't skip dessert at Tamales Industry... the pineapple and strawberry tamales were great!

 

Mi Patria



 

Authentic Ecuadorian tucked away in a West Des Moines strip mall. I tried the Tilapia Frita with sweet plantains. Topped with shrimp and pico de gallo, it was crunchy, fresh and filling. Ask for the house hot sauce for an added kick.



Fresh Cafe and Market

There comes a time in every food-lovers life that a little detox is in order. When you dine out as often as I do, balance is key. I try to watch what I eat for most of the week, so I can really make the most of my weekends. While on a weekday hunt for green juice, I stumbled across one of West Des Moines hidden gems. Fresh Cafe and Market's creative and delicious menu of vegetarian and vegan fare rocks from cup to plate.

I started my visit off with a green juice. A delicious blend of pineapple, banana and greens - it was healthy and sweet. Skeptical? Give their green juices a try - all you taste is perfectly ripe fruit!

To make the most of my visit, I ordered a sampling of items off the ever-changing menu. I started things off with my favorite entree of my visit - the raw tacos.

The flavorful walnut and sunflower seed "meat" was well seasoned and not overpowered by homemade salsa, avocado and cashew cheese. These light done right tacos were fabulous.

I also gave the veggie spring rolls a try. Crisp cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, avocado, jalapenos and cilantro all rolled up in rice paper. A little dry on their own, the rolls came to life when dipped into the accompanying spicy lime almond dipping sauce.

While waiting in line, I noticed everyone around me getting the black bean brownies. I followed suit and I can see why they are such a hit. Moist, chewy and deeply chocolate... a dessert-fiend's dream.

Fresh Cafe and Market is the kind of place you can feel good about... any day of the week.

The Cheese Shop

I love everything about The Cheese Shop. The staff is knowledgeable and passionate, the selection is first-rate and the food is amazing. Located on 42nd Street, it's the kind of place that Des Moines is lucky to have.

I've had the chance to sample several items from the menu and they've all been great. The best thing I've had there was an appetizer called Face Jam. Slow cooked pork cheeks simmered with red wine, served on crostini. From start to finish... amazing. Not to mention, absolutely beautiful.

The Preserved Lemon salad was the perfect combination of crisp lettuce, salty preserved lemon, tangy cheese, crunchy almonds and Nicoise Olives. Its what I want all salads to be... simple and perfectly balanced.

I moved on to the Pig and the Fig sandwich. Fresh La Mie ciabatta topped with my favorite La Quercia Prosciutto, creamy Fromage d'Affinois and sweet fig spread. I asked for it toasted and it was a heavenly combination of salty, sweet, creamy and crisp.

On another visit, I decided on the Bahn Mi - a favorite Vietnamese sandwich of mine. The Bahn Mi at The Cheese Shop was layered with pork and liver pate, ham, pickled carrots and cucumber, cilantro and topped with a tangy chili and ginger vinaigrette. The ginger in the vinaigrette was amazing... each time I got a bite, it was a burst of flavor.

We also sampled the Bacon Blue Cheese Toastie. Forget the grilled cheese, toastie's are where its at. Bacon, blue cheese and fig spread... to die for.

Please note the melty cheese.

One of Des Moines top spots... get to The Cheese Shop early and often. Chances are, I'll see you there.

Northside Cafe

Stepping through the doors of Northside Cafe, I was transported to the days of housewives, mysterious photographers and covered bridges. While filming Bridges of Madison County, Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep started their love affair atop the stools lining the bar of Northside Cafe.

I started my own love affair with the food and charm of today's Northside Cafe.

We started things off with cheese curds (my old fav) and old-school cherry cokes with grenadine and maraschino cherries.

The drinks were a delicious blast from the past and the homemade ranch that accompanied the cheese curds put all other dressings to shame.

I decided upon a perfectly-cooked steak topped with herb butter. From now on, all my steaks will be topped with butter... and all my trips to the gym will be topped with extra time on the treadmill. Worth it.

I also enjoyed one of the most unique drinks I've had in a long while - an Elderflower Fizz. Homemade Elderflower Syrup fizzed up with carbonated water. It was light, refreshing and the perfect taste of summer.

We ended things off with my favorites of the night - blueberry crumble and fresh peach pie. Oh the pie. It was hands down the best I've ever had.

The blueberry crumble had savory notes of thyme and rosemary - the perfect way to cut through all the sweetness.

Northside Cafe is the perfect place to start your own love affair with small-town charm, delicious food and the Bridges of Madison County.