This place was directly across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn where we were staying and since we didn’t stop here for dinner, we stopped here for an after-dinner cocktail on the way back to our room.
Given our penchant for unique cocktails and my love of spicy and smokey drinks, we really enjoyed our stop (see cocktail pictures below). Our server was very friendly and helpful relative to helping us find a great cocktail for our tastes and in addition to enjoying the drinks, we had great conversation with a couple of people at the bar.
The food that was being served while we were there looked and smelled delicious, so we look forward to stopping back here for dinner sometime on another visit.
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We came across this place somewhat by accident while staying at the Hilton Garden Inn a block up the street. The Thai Pop across the street from the hotel caught my eye, but my wife was interested in American food for the evening so I did a quick search and talked her into the Blue Duck Kitchen based on their reviews and menu items.
We were impressed from the moment we walked into the place – unique, modern, clean, friendly and welcoming – with the owner floating around and making sure things were just right throughout the evening. Since we were there before official dinner hours and the dining room was still closed, we took a seat in the bar and decided to enjoy a few Happy Hour items from the sign (see picture). That brings me to the first call-out for great service – Leo was a fantastic bartender, was knowledgeable about the various drink selections and made wonderful Happy Hour food suggestions.
I started with an Old Fashioned (Happy Hour special – see picture) and wanted some food since we hadn’t eaten lunch, so Leo suggested the Kimchi Dog (see picture) – talking about how great it was. We were a little unsure about ordering a hot dog in a nicer restaurant, but went with his suggestion – and boy were we happy that we did. The hot dog was split in half the long way, had a nice ‘snap’ skin and was made with high quality meat. That, combined with the quality bread used for the bun and the great seasonings made it a dish that both my wife and I loved so much that we ordered another – the Chili Dog (see picture), which was also delicious!
We were then called to our table in the dining room…bringing about the 2nd call-out for great service – Alisha was quite the treat as our server. She was knowledgeable and friendly – and had great information about the menu items as well as some great recommendations! I usually don’t mention that I do reviews until after the meal is complete, but decided to flip the script tonight as there were so many things that looked great on the menu, so wanted Alisha to pick for me.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Chef’s Catch (see picture) and I Alisha surprised me with the Nashville Hot Frog Legs (see picture). Both of us loved our meals and as I told Alisha – while I never would have ordered the Frog Legs, I thought they were delicious. The Nashville Hot sauce was great (loved the burn) and the macaroni and cheese that they were served on was rich, creamy and tasty. I highly recommend both dishes.
As good as everything was, we just had to try some dessert. While Alisha suggested the Strawberry Crepe Cake (as did others we met later in the evening), we were afraid that would be too much – so went with the Chocolate Chip Cookies with sea salt (see picture) and coffee. They were bite-sized, warm (fresh out of the oven) – firm on the outside and yet so soft and wonderful on the inside. The next time we come back, we will have to try the Strawberry Crepe Cake – but that doesn’t take anything away from these cookies, as they were delicious!
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Nashville Hot Frog LegsChef’s CatchKimchi DogChili DogOld Fashioned (sweet)Mezcal PalomaChocolate Chip Cookies & CoffeeHappy Hour
I’ve heard about this place and driven by it multiple times thinking that we needed to go sometime and last night finally presented its opportunity. Friends were in town and we were enjoying some Happy Hour specials from happyhourdesmoines.com at a nearby pub when the owner asked if we were going to the comedy club.
We decided to give it a try ordering tickets on our phones while at another nearby restaurant. Tickets weren’t too bad ($17/person) but there was a 2 item per person minimum order, so I was bracing for some really expensive food and/or food.
While finalizing our evening plans, we checked out the menu and were pleasantly surprised by both the food selection as well as the pricing. After reviewing the menu, we decided that we would plan to eat at the Funny Bone before the show, so we arrived a little early, ordered drinks (see Lemon Drop Martini picture) and then ordered our meals.
I went with a basket of sweet potato fries while my wife ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (see picture) and our friend ordered the Chicken Strips (see picture). The sweet potato fry basked arrived early, so we all enjoyed them with the sauce that was provided. I shared the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with my wife and was pleasantly surprised with how good it was.
I found both the sweet potato fries as well as the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich to be at least in line with other nearby pubs and restaurants. The fries were flavorful, crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich was loaded with hot sauce (very juicy) and the bun tasted great. Our friend also thought that the Chicken Strips and fries were very good – so we would recommend both of them.
I was a little hesitant and not sure what to expect here, but found the atmosphere (it was packed for the early show on Saturday night), food, comedy and value to all be good enough that I look forward to a return trip in the near future.
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This is a donut lovers paradise without a doubt – with almost any size, shape and flavor of donut that you can imaging…and a catchy business name to top it off. I have stopped here on several occasions and enjoyed a variety of different donuts, so am convinced that it would be very hard for anyone to not thoroughly enjoy a visit.
I can say with confidence that if you like donuts, you will definitely find it worth your while to stop and sample a few (or a dozen…).
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We enjoyed an earlier stop at The Breakfast Club in downtown Des Moines, so looked forward to the opportunity to try out this new location closer to our home. We got the chance this weekend when friends were in town visiting and all of us were very glad that we stopped here.
We started the meal with a round of Bloody Mary’s – all of us agreed that they tasted great, were not overly salty and were ‘light’ in that they weren’t thick and pulpy. I pulled the atmosphere down a little due to the music being too loud for our tastes, making it more difficult to visit at the table.
For our meals, I ordered the Farm Boy with over easy eggs (see picture), my wife ordered the Deburgo Benny (see picture) and our guests ordered the Pad Thai Quinoa (see picture) and Basic B (see picture). We all exchanged tastes of each dish and everyone was very happy with their dish. I would highly recommend all of them with my only slight negative being that the Deburgo Benny gravy seemed a little salty.
The Breakfast Club finds a good balance between keeping portion sizes reasonable – leading to prices that are a competitive value. This value does not come at the expense of food quality or flavor either – as the dishes were all very tasty and presented very well, as the pictures show. This is a great stop for breakfast / brunch / lunch without the need to travel downtown for those of us who live on the northwest side of Des Moines.
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Pad Thai QuinoaBasic BFarm Boy with over-easy eggsDeburgo Benny
We have stopped here several times before…especially during Lent for their Friday night fish fries. Since it was Ash Wednesday and we were in the area for Mass…it seemed like a good idea to stop here to have some seafood on the way home. Suffice it to say that we were a little disappointed in their seafood options given the restaurant name – fewer than a handful and to substitute shrimp for chicken in a salad was an additional $5. Based on their current menu, it seems that Blue Chicken might be a more fitting name for the restaurant. But I digress…
The food presentation was great and the flavor was average – but the service was definitely above average, as Courtney took good care of us. Following a Jalapeno Margarita (we enjoyed it, just be forewarned that it does have a pretty good spicy bite to it), we ordered our meals.
I ordered the Grilled Salmon (see picture) and my wife ordered the Blue Shark Chopped Salad (see picture). I thought the brocolli was cooked well – I like a little crunchiness left in my veggies and that is what was delivered. The salmon was slightly overcooked, but not to the point that it was overly dry and the mashed potatoes seemed a little bland (didn’t taste much butter or seasoning). The blue cheese on the chopped salad was delicious as was the shrimp (other than having to pay $5 more for the shrimp vs. chicken and only having 8 on the salad).
Lastly, I knocked the Value down to below average not only due to the shrimp add-on mentioned above, but also because we found a 3% CSC (assume customer service charge as a result of using a credit card). I almost never carry cash anymore – doing everything with credit and am disappointed with any restaurant that charges extra for the use of a credit card. That is a business decision on their part, but they need to keep in mind that rather than get cash to go back next time, I likely will select another place instead…so I’m not sure they come out ahead in the end.
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Walked by this place on numerous occasions and finally took the chance to stop for dinner tonight. Nothing super fancy as far as the atmosphere, but the food was top notch and our server (Ethan) was also excellent.
We started with a Cafe Sua Cheese Foam hot drink – mostly because we hadn’t had one before and wanted to try something different. Boy was it delicious – best way I can describe it is a great cappuccino with a foam that has a wonderful salted caramel flavor to it that feels wonderful in your mouth! If you haven’t tried one of these before, I highly recommend that you give it a try.
For an appetizer, my wife and I shared a Banh Mi sandwich (see picture) that was one of the best that we’ve had – I would have been happy to have that for my meal. For our dinner, I ordered the Pho Special (see picture) and my wife ordered the Broken Rice (see picture). We weren’t exactly sure what broken rice was, but Ethan described it as rice topped with an egg – and it was every bit as good as his recommendation. As is our standard, we shared our plates and both of us thoroughly enjoyed both dishes.
If you are looking for some great Vietnamese Pho or an excellent hot or cold Asian drink in downtown Des Moines, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Pho Real. We definitely won’t hesitate to stop by again, even if only for a drink – as there are so many more to try!
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Saw that this place won best Burger in town (specifically recommending the Smashburger) in Cityview, so asked our neighbors to join us and ventured downtown for dinner after the big snowstorm. Given the name, I was expecting a fairly high-end and expensive place – so was a little surprised when we walked in to see a colorful retro-diner decor.
While one of the servers shared that a previous reviewer had made disparaging remarks about the workers appearance, I’ve shared in my online profiles that I enjoy servers with some character, opinions on the food and a story to tell. I found the atmosphere to be quite inviting with friendly and professional workers looking for ways to be of service to their customers.
Given the award and recommendation for smashburgers, I ordered the Uncle Denny (see picture). I loved the soft, moist bun and found the Duke’s mayo & pepper jelly to be the perfect level of spice to complement the smashburger and bun. The included fries were also very good – great combination of crispiness on the outside, yet soft inside.
My wife ordered The Big Gym with Tots (see picture) and also enjoyed it – commenting especially on how good the tots were. She liked the fact that the tots were nice and crispy on the outside and not soft / soggy. Our neighbor ordered the The Chili Charles (see picture) open-faced chili burger on Texas Toast and also enjoyed it. Admittedly, it looked so good that I think that is what I will try on our next visit.
The pricing, including $5 tap beers, seemed reasonable and the burgers were top-notch. A great retro-diner experience that you will want to try!
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The Uncle Denny SmashburgerThe Big Gym SmashburgerThe Chili Charles
I stopped by before an appointment to check out the menu and prices and decided a return trip was definitely warranted. I ended up meeting my wife here for Happy Hour food and drinks just a week later and we both really enjoyed the visit.
We started with the Cosa Nostra wood-fired pizza and Bitter Melon Mojito shared drink – both recommendations from our waitress and both delicious. I wasn’t familiar with the shared drink concept before this, but think of it like getting a pitcher of the drink along with glasses to share.
Next, we were still a little hungry so went for the Stuffed Mushrooms (again at our waitress’ suggestion) – and found them to be cheese-covered deliciousness!
Lastly, and might I say best of all given my sweet tooth, we ordered a piece of Tiramisu to share. Do NOT leave without trying a piece – smooth, fresh, delicious, light and possibly the best I’ve ever had!
You won’t go wrong stopping here for a meal…especially if you take advantage of the Happy Hour!
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Update: We stopped back again last night with our son and again enjoyed the experience. I’m also happy to report that they made improvements following my initial review regarding poor lighting (and clutter) in the restaurant. The lighting was much better, enabling me to take some better-quality pictures (see below). From this, I increased the Atmosphere rating to a 4*.
We ordered Lamb Curry (see picture), Chef Special Grill Platter (see picture) and Coconut Chicken Curry (see picture) along with Garlic & Butter Naan (see picture). We really enjoyed all of them – with the Chef Special Grill Platter providing the most food (including full chicken drumsticks) and the Coconut Chicken Curry having the best flavor (even though it my son ordered mild and I prefer spicy). I ordered the Lamb Curry as Hot on the spicy level and my wife ordered the Chef Special Grill Platter as Medium…but I’m suspicious that they mixed those two up, as hers was the spiciest at the table and I ordered extra spice for the Lamb Curry.
Service was good for drink orders and food orders as well as a follow up shortly after we were served to check on spice level (and bring more spice…). Following that though, we ran out of rice and wanted another bowl but after unsuccessfully waiting for our server, I walked over to the kitchen area and asked for another bowl.
Overall was still a very good experience and we really liked all of the food, so I wouldn’t hesitate to return and would recommend it as one of the better Indian / Himalayan restaurants where I’ve eaten.
11/09/2022
My wife and I stopped here for dinner to give it a try and are sure glad that we did. While the service and atmosphere were average, the food was all delicious!
We ordered plenty of food, expecting to take the extra home with us for later meals at home…so enjoyed several meals. For the main course, we ordered Coconut Chicken Curry, Lamb Biryani & Shrimp Fried Rice (see pictures of each…poorer quality due to lighting). For sides, we ordered Tandoori Roti (found it to be dry), Cheese Naan & Raita along with Rasmalai for dessert (pictures of each attached).
We ordered each of the main dishes medium to medium-hot spiciness and really enjoyed all of them! Don’t leave without trying the Rasmalai for dessert – described as cheesecake soaked in a sweet milk, it was delicious and not overly sweet! We will definitely be back!
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My wife’s co-worker recommended this place, so we stopped for a quick drink after our dinner on the way out of the area to check it out and gather information for happyhourdesmoines.com.
We liked the atmosphere and the value for the drinks seemed in line with other similar locations. The service at the bar was average but the Salty Pretzel (see picture) was good, although a bit salty. We will have to stop back to try the food sometime.
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This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and finally got to try it last night. My wife was quite hungry, so we thought we would quickly resolve that and try out some $5 apps during Happy Hour. While the first external impression was a little negative (store front came across as a fast-foodish), we immediately felt better after stepping inside – very nice atmosphere and bustling with activity.
Long story short…we arrived just before 6pm on a Friday, didn’t have a reservation, were told it would be “5 minutes” – then proceeded to wait 50 minutes before we were seated. We thought we would help the time pass by enjoying a cocktail, so asked the primary server about ordering a drink (behind the bar seating area is food preparation only and no bartender). He said he would be back “in a second” to take our order, but never did return.
Other than cooking, bussing tables and table clean up, he was the only one doing everything else in the service area of the restaurant. While he was very friendly, pleasant and apologetic – he clearly could not keep up with all of the demands of the customers and made some mistakes. If he would have help on the service side, they clearly could move more people through (all told, we spent 2 hours and 20 minutes there) and increase their revenues while providing better service.
Now onto the good part – the food and drinks were FANTASTIC (see pictures for menus and food / drinks)! I did make one mission trip to Peru that was quite enjoyable and introduced me to ceviche and pisco sours – but have not have the opportunity to sample a lot of their cuisine.
For starters, I ordered a Pisco Sour (see picture) and it was delicious – very foamy egg white on top and the cinnamon / presentation was great! For appetizers, we ordered Chicharron de Pescado and Causa de Pollo (see pictures). I absolutely loved the Causa mashed potato / chicken salad / avocado stack and the Pescado was also very good.
For our dinner, my wife and I shared Cremoso Ceviche (see picture) and Arroz Norteno (see picture). As our 5* rating implies, we loved both of them – as the name implies, the ceviche sauce was a bit creamy and the Arroz dish was fresh and very tasty. If you read my reviews, you know I love sweets – so the meal wasn’t complete without Alfajores Peruanos (see picture) for dessert. Again, it is highly recommended – the soursop ice cream is best described as unique (the first word used by both my wife and myself) and the caramel cookies were great – caramelly, yet not too sweet.
Do not go here unless you have reservations (the place was packed and stayed so until less than an hour before closing when we were there) or go during a less-busy time. If you do that and are patient with the service, you will definitely not be disappointed with the food! As the pictures show, the presentation is fantastic and it tastes every bit as good as it looks – I highly recommend the food and cocktails! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
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Pisco SourCausa de PolloChicharron de PescadoCremoso CevicheArroz NortenoAlfajores Peruanos
My wife was hungry for chicken wings and found an article stating that Wig and Pen had some of the best, so we came back to try their wings while in the area. We started with a Bloody Mary (see picture) since it was on special for the day and really enjoyed it – good flavor and not to spicy or salty.
For an appetizer, we ordered Breaded Mushrooms (see picture) – a solid offering if you like them but nothing super special. For the meal, we ordered Wing Zings (see picture) with Big Ben sauce. The Big Ben sauce was good, but we found the wings to be awfully salty with a very thick, crunchy breading / crust. For us, they were again solid, but not what we would put in the upper echelon of wings that we’ve eaten.
If you are hungry for wings I wouldn’t pick this place first, but if you are looking for deep-dish, really cheesy pizza, this is still one of my favorites!
12/04/2022
We stopped here with our son and daughter-in-law after watching the Christmas Tree Lighting at the District. This place had been recommended to us, so we were anxious to give it a try. While we were seated within about 15 minutes, we were warned that the wait for the deep dish pizzas would be at least 30 minutes and the menu also pointed out that the wait would be 30-50+ minutes.
We first stopped at the bar (see picture) and ordered a beer (see tap selection picture). We were called to be seated before finishing our drinks and given the wait for the pizzas, we ordered Cheese Balls (see picture) and Garlic Cheese Bread (see picture). If you don’t like cheese…this isn’t your place – as both the cheese bread and pizzas (described later) had LOTS of cheese. In my book, that made them Oh So Delicious!
Last came the pizzas (see pictures) and yes, they tasted as good as they look. Based on our waitress’ recommendation, we went with their specialty Flying Tomato style for both. As the pictures show, for this style you have no idea what kind of pizza it is since there is SO much cheese on the top…and both were covered with slices of tomatoes. The pizza was SO good – while I’m often not a huge crust fan…I found this crust to be delicious and didn’t hesitate to eat all of it.
The only negative that I can come up with is that both my son and I like to use our forks to cut the pizza. The provided forks were very thin (cheap?), and both of us commented how much they hurt our fingers to use. Other than that, if you love pizza – you will definitely enjoy a stop here!
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We have recommended this place and brought other couples for their first experience here on numerous occasions (several of whom brought other friends later after enjoying the stop). We had always enjoyed the unique cocktails and atmosphere – and even though they were pricey, justified it since we only were having one.
Last night started the same, in that we were heading home from my wife’s work holiday party (appetizers and 2 drink tickets), so suggested to 2 other ladies to join us at Pots and Shots. My wife was disappointed with the new drink menu – as she had a favorite that contained cilantro from our earlier visits that was no longer available, so she ordered something else. I was driving, so ordered one tap beer and passed on a refill.
That is when things got weird. Another lady at our table was at the bar and was told that they would not serve her any more alcohol. That is their choice and responsibility as a business serving alcohol, so I understand. However, what happened next was what was the most confusing.
Another lady at our table ordered a glass of wine and when my wife was going to order another drink, we were told that no one at the table would be served any more alcohol. This other lady went to talk with the manager one-on-one to explain that I was driving and understand why others at the table couldn’t have any more drinks. She never really received a clear answer beyond fear that someone might trip and fall on the way out of the business, even if I was driving.
Clearly a disappointing close to our evening and unfortunate first visit for our new friend from downtown (who didn’t even want to finish her wine). I still left a 15% tip, as it wasn’t the server’s fault – but clearly left disappointed after this most recent visit.
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We stopped here as a compromise central location to meet our son and his wife – and really enjoyed our stop.
I ordered the Cajun Tuna and really liked it – seared perfectly and the Cajun flavoring was delicious. My wife ordered the Firehouse Philly and thought it was average…but both after eating in the restaurant and some leftovers at home thought she got a stomach ache, so threw the rest away.
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We had heard about this place, driven by it several times and wanted to try it, so were looking forward to it when asked by friends to meet them there. We started with a Margarita (see picture) based on a recommendation and it turned out to be the highlight of the evening. It was not only a generous serving (separate shaker as shown in picture to refill your glass), but it tasted great – not too tart and not too sweet.
For our meal, we started with a Greek Salad (another highlight) – the salad and the dressing were great! For our meal, we ordered a 10″ double crust Pepperoni (see picture), a 10″ double crust Bacon Cheeseburger (see picture) and a 14″ House Special (see picture). I ended up disappointed in the pizza (heavy, dense crust with little flavor that wasn’t my favorite) as well as the value ($19 for the Cheeseburger and $26 for the House Special – and both were relatively small).
If you are looking for a great Margarita (who would have thought in an Italian restaurant…), I think that you will love your stop here. However, as to the pizza (their namesake specialty), I really can’t recommend it based on the value as well as the crust. In my opinion, it is in the lower tier of pizzas that we’ve had in the area.
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Stopped here to meet a friend after work this week and was impressed with the beers and the atmosphere. If that isn’t enough to capture your attention, they also have an attached arcade area with lots of fun entertainment.
The beer selection is good, it is served cold – and if you like sampling different beers, their beer Flight is a pretty good value (5 samples for $9). This place is definitely worth a stop after work or for a casual stop out before or after dinner. The have a pretty good selection of ‘Bytes’…so will have to try the food during a future stop.
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We stopped here primarily to use our Pub Pass for a free beer, then ended up utilizing their $2 Off Iowa beer special instead and ordered some food. The beer selection is good and the Pork Quesadilla (see picture) that we ordered was better than we expected – it was very good.
While it is a very casual, open and loud atmosphere adjacent to the movie theater in the mall, the beer and food are better than average and I’d recommend it for a stop after work or a casual night out.
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We planned on going to another place in the mall for a beer and food, but were intrigued by some good reviews. We stopped at Gameday for a beer and food and left impressed. The atmosphere was modern and clean – and both the service and value were very good. And if you have kids that you want to keep entertained, the attached video game area can keep them busy for hours.
The beer was cold and since we still wanted to use our Pub Pass at another location in the mall, we decided to share a Cincinnati Chili (see picture). While it was definitely different than the Skyline Chili that we both love – it was very unique and tasted great in its own right.
This place seems to be a well-run establishment that is modern, clean and a decent value – I recommend it for a stop after work or a casual evening out.
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We stopped here for lunch while in the area as we had stopped before but hadn’t eaten – just had taps. An initial disappointment was learning that they no longer were a part of the Pub Pass in 2023 (as they were in 2022), so we wouldn’t be able to enjoy a complimentary tap.
Even without the Pub Pass, we ordered a Bloody Mary (see picture) and Tip the Cow w/ Vanilla (see picture) as a starter…and enjoyed both of them a lot. For our meals, my wife ordered the Steak Sandwich (see picture) and I ordered the Cubano (see picture). My wife enjoyed the cheesy Steak Sandwich and having just returned from Tampa and some great Cuban sandwiches, this one here in Ankeny held its own – quite authentic with the pork, mustard and great bread. Maybe the best part though was the french fries – I really liked the thick, crunchy coating and they were fried to perfection (see picture).
While I found it to be a bit on the pricey side with $16 sandwiches, the food taste and quality were good and worthy of a recommendation.
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