Tag: Dinner

  • Waterfront Seafood Market (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Waterfront Seafood Market (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/13/2023 Waterfront Seafood Market (515) 223-5106

    We had friends visiting from France and when asked what type of food they wanted for dinner, they suggested seafood – so we thought a return trip to Waterfront would be just the ticket!

    For an appetizer, my wife ordered the Mini Chuck Roll and Mini Godzilla Roll (see picture) on the waiter’s recommendation – and really liked both of them. My wife ordered the Seafood Scallops (see picture) with New England Clam Chowder (see picture). I sampled both and we each thought they were both delicious. I ordered the Rock Shrimp Basket Dinner to save a few dollars for our friends who were paying and although it was a more typical mass market-type fried food dish, I found the rock shrimp to be quite tender and tasty and also thought the sweet potato fries were very good.

    Our friends ordered the Halibut Basket Dinner (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp Dinner (see picture) – and they enjoyed both of them (although it was way more food quantity-wise than they are used to eating in France).

    If you are looking for a solid seafood restaurant with a lengthy ‘fresh-catch’ Market Entrees list in the Des Moines area, you will enjoy a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market.

    2/26/2022

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Our neighbors suggested this place and took us there last night…and oh what a treat it was!  If you enjoy good, fresh seafood – you’ll love this place, with your biggest challenge being figuring out which dish to order.  As a bonus, you can also buy fresh seafood to take home at the adjoining market – or watch your sushi being made in another area.

    Our dinner started with the complimentary sourdough bread and butter – served warm with whipped butter, smelled and tasted great.  Next, on the recommendation of our waiter, we shared an order of Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops.  As you might expect with these two great food items combined – they were delicious and I highly recommend them.

    Next, my wife enjoyed the Creole Seafood Gumbo, while I opted for the New England Clam Chowder so that we could try both.  The menu says the Clam Chowder was voted the Best Soup in Des Moines and while I haven’t tried enough soup to confirm that – I can tell you that it was some of the best Clam Chowder that I’ve ever had.

    For the main course, my wife ordered the Shrimp and Scallops, while I opted for the cajun Halibut and Salmon.  We thoroughly enjoyed everything, with my lone exception to the 5* rating being the preparation of the salmon – as it was overcooked to my liking and was rather dry as opposed to soft and moist when it is cooked less.  It was definitely a great experience for my wife and I and I highly recommend it for the lively atmosphere, fresh seafood and great service.

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  • Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    09/12/2023 Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop (515) 287-4742

    My wife and I had stopped here several years ago after moving to the area given its history as the original king tenderloin. This time I had just picked up friends from France at the airport, they were hungry and they wanted to eat something unique to Iowa.

    I ordered the Breaded Tenderloin (see picture) and we shared some Onion Rings (see picture). The food and atmosphere were each average with the tenderloin served on a common high volume commercial bakery bun and the building showing its age. The flavor of the tenderloins was good and I liked that it was not greasy. The breading seemed quite dry, almost as if it wasn’t even fried at all…or was re-breaded after frying. There wasn’t much substance to the onion rings as is shown in the picture – they were very thin and had minimal breading.

    The food and ambiance reminded me of many of the small town ice cream shops I frequented as a teenager. If you are looking for value and a small-town diner experience, you will enjoy a stop at Smitty’s.

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  • RoCA (Des Moines, IA) Review

    RoCA (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    08/31/2023 RoCA

    This place was recommended by a co-worker who knew about my love for good food and my food review website, so we took the opportunity to go there with our neighbors. Admittedly, the front door looked a little rough on the outside (see pictures) – but once inside, the decor was beautiful and the service was better.

    We started with drinks – which were unique and very tasty! My wife went with the El Chapo (see picture) – which had a nice bite of jalapeno. Our neighbor opted for the Smoking Gun (see the pouring video from the smoke-filled bottle below) and I chose the Smoked Margarita (see the “kit’ picture and pouring video below). I really enjoy smoked drinks and smoking my own at home and these were not only very good, but the presentation in a smoke-filled bottle was impressive to see!

    For our dinner, each of us couples ordered 3 small plates and we shared them all. We went with the Grilled Broccolini, Grilled Ribeye Skewers, Chicken Pesto Flatbread, Seared Scallops, De Burgo Toast and Ribeye Nachos (see all pictures below). While there were varying opinions of the ‘Best’ rankings, the Grilled Ribeye Skewers, Seared Scallops and Ribeye Nachos were my personal favorites. With that said, I’d highly recommend all of them, as we found all of them to be very good!

    I love the small plates concept to sample several dishes – and the food and service were fantastic! Say ‘Hi’ to Ricardo R. when you go – his service was great and we really appreciated his recommendations.

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    Smoked Margarita Pouring
    Smoking Gun Pouring

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  • District 36 Wine Bar & Grille (Ankeny, IA) Review

    District 36 Wine Bar & Grille (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    08/30/2023 District 36

    We hadn’t heard much about this place, but met some great new friends from Brazil here when they recommended it. The building was quite impressive as we walked up and the inside lived up to the promises on the building’s exterior – this was truly a memorable dinner!

    We started with drinks and some wine – see the attached menu pictures and you’ll understand how difficult of decision that in itself proved to be in the end! We then ordered appetizers to share – the Soppresatta Pizza (see picture) and Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture). The pizza was excellent and similar in taste to pepperoni and the spinach and artichoke dip was also very good.

    For our dinners, my wife ordered the Lemon Garlic Shrimp (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon BLT (see picture). Our friends ordered the Italian Stuffed Tenderloin (see picture) and the Frutti Di Mare (see picture). We shared tastes of the dishes and all of us really liked all of these dishes – I’d highly recommend them all. My wife also ordered the Seafood Bisque (see picture) as she had heard some great things about it from her coworkers – and it also lived up to the hype.

    This is a top-notch wine bar and restaurant in our area and although you might find it a bit pricey, our experience tells me that you will leave happy customers. If you go – say ‘Hi’ to Jacob S. from The Food and Drink Guy – he was a fantastic server, so consider yourself lucky if he is your server also!

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  • Smokey D’s BBQ (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Smokey D’s BBQ (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    08/24/2023 Smokey D’s BBQ

    This place has been on my Want to Go since sampling their catering in a factory near their north Des Moines location. The BBQ is top-notch and in my opinion in the top tier in the Des Moines area. The atmosphere, value and service are all above average and worthy of a stop to try for yourself.

    We had a beer at the bar before dinner and ended up staying there to eat our dinner. I really like their snowy/ice rail to set your tap beer on – as it does do a great job of helping to keep your beer colder! A friend and myself shared the BBQ Sampler Platter (see picture) with brisket, burnt ends and chicken – and really enjoyed all 3 of them along with the ribs.

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  • El Barco Mexican Restaurant (Urbandale, IA) Review

    El Barco Mexican Restaurant (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    9/12/2021 El Barco Mexican Restaurant

    We stopped here for dinner after reading positive reviews and enjoyed our meal.  The chips and salsa were good and plentiful (an expectation at Mexican restaurants) and the Margarita was very good.

    I ordered the white fish Ceviche and found it to be some of my favorite in the area.  I really like a strong lime flavor and this definitely had that.  The white fish was firm and tasted great.

    The only negative was the service.  We wanted to order a 2nd margarita, but couldn’t get the waiter’s attention – and an attempt to ask another server to have him stop by was also unsuccessful.

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  • Sully’s Irish Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Sully’s Irish Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    08/21/2023 Sully’s Irish Pub

    I picked up my wife here after a post-work party and have since wanted to stop back to try some of their food. I got the chance while doing some ‘R&D’ for HappyHourDesMoines.com recently and found it to be a solid stop for Happy Hour.

    Since they advertised $3 Guinness pints and I enjoy Guinness, I started with a pint while perusing their food menu. Since it was Monday and their Daily Special was $12 Appetizers, I settled on an order of wings (see picture). I opted for half Jalapeno Honey Lime Sriracha and half Mango Habanero and would recommend both of them – moist, juicy wings with just the right amount of ‘kick’.

    While nothing stood out as outstanding enough to warrant a 5* rating in any of my categories, all aspects of my visit were well above average and deserving of 4*s across the board. As far as my experiences with Irish Pubs, this is in the upper tier and worthy of a stop when you are in the mood for a Pint and some solid bar food.

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  • The Black Pelican (Wyndmere, ND) Review

    The Black Pelican (Wyndmere, ND) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    08/10/2023 The Black Pelican

    We have stopped here a few times during visits to the family lake cabin on Lake Elsie near Hankinson, ND. Each time we have thoroughly enjoyed our stop, with great food, reasonable prices and good service. They seem to continue to grow year after year, as each time we visit it seems the place is more busy – even on weeknights.

    For this visit, we started with beers (there is a good selection of tap beers – both craft and standard domestics). For our meal my wife and I ordered the Peanut Buddy (Peanut Butter Zing, Pepperoni, Bacon, Jalapenos – topped with Peanut Butter Zing – see picture). While it might sound odd, we absolutely loved the flavor – a great combination of spicy (but not much) tempered by the sweetness of the Peanut Butter Zing.

    Our friends (she is gluten sensitive) ordered the Chicken Bacon Ranch with a gluten-free crust (see picture). My wife and I each tried a piece to see what the gluten-free crust tasted like and while we don’t prefer it as much as their regular crust, we really appreciated that they offered this option so our friends could enjoy some great pizza also.

    This is an exceptional place for a small town in North Dakota – with food quality and selection rivaling options in much bigger cities. Great food, good value and friendly service come together at this increasingly popular local favorite.

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  • Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Prairie City, IA) Review

    Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Prairie City, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    5.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    08/06/2023 Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe

    We liked this place so much, we made an extra 20 minute drive the next day after a meal with our neighbors for some ice cream dessert! This time we shared a Banana Split (see picture) while our neighbors shared a Butterslinger (see picture). As expected, both of them were absolutely delicious (and plenty for us to eat).

    08/05/2023

    My wife loves buffalo and saw a Free Bison Day Family Festival at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, IA so we took in the event. Coincidentally (and given my passion for all things ice cream…) I noticed an Ice Cream shoppe prominently showing in the middle of Prairie City, so had to stop and try it out on the way home. Boy, was it a find – I loved the open atmosphere, extremely friendly service from the moment you walked in the door and selection of delicious ice cream desserts!

    We decided to split the Peanut Butter Panic (see picture). Vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, peanut butter cups and Butterfinger – WOW was it delicious!! We were glad that we decided to share the medium…as that was plenty for the both of us to enjoy. Lastly, we saw the signs of them winning Iowa’s Best Breaded Tenderloin from the Iowa Pork Producers in 2009 – so now we need to plan another trip for a meal and give it a try.

    If you are in the area make sure you stop for delicious ice cream treats – there are so many great options including some with a piece of pie blended into the ice cream!

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  • E 25th Pub & Grub (Des Moines, IA) Review

    E 25th Pub & Grub (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    08/06/2023 E 25th Pub & Grub

    This place’s Italian Beef was highly recommended by a reviewer on another site and finally got the chance to try it today. This is definitely a neighborhood bar – as several other patrons / regulars asked us how we liked our drinks and dinners. Granted, the area looks a little on the rough side as you pull up but the service and food were both great – all handled by one lady behind the bar.

    On the recommendation of another patron, we started out with Bloody Marys with pickle vodka and I highly recommend them – not too salty or thick. For our meals, my wife ordered the Italian Beef (see picture) and I went with the Chicago Dog (see picture). As always, we each shared tastes and found both dishes to be very good. Our neighbors ordered the Italian Beef with Cheese (see picture) and Chili Dog (see picture) – and both of them thought they tasted great, commenting especially about how good the chili was.

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  • Hessen Haus (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Hessen Haus (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    08/03/2023 Hessen Haus

    Stopped back with friends to have Armadillo Eggs (see picture) and Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and while they were still good, both were over-cooked and fried to a crispy dark brown color. As such, I reduced the food rating to 4*. This time we also enjoyed the Rouladen Rolls (see picture) and found them to also be very good. A solid stop for appetizers and a great selection of German beers.

    06/16/2023

    We have stopped here for biers and appetizers several times while downtown and this most recent stop added another item to the ‘must try’ appetizer list. They have an extensive tap and bottled bier selection – many of which are from Germany, so are pretty unique for the area.

    We have had the Armadillo Eggs (see picture) appetizer several times and have really enjoyed it every time. How can you go wrong with jalapeno poppers inside a chicken breast – and wrapped in bacon! On this visit, we also tried the Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and also found them to be excellent – and the dipping sauce is a great complement.

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  • La Michoacana Ice Cream Shop (Delavan, WI) Review

    La Michoacana Ice Cream Shop (Delavan, WI) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    07/30/2023 La Michoacana Ice Cream Shop

    My personal radar is always scanning for Ice Cream or Gelato stops…so when the ‘OPEN’ sign turned on at noon after our brunch at Boxed and Burlap – I had to give it a try.

    The atmosphere is average but the ice cream selection and other unique and authentic Mexican sweet options were great! I ended up going with a scoop of Tequila Almond ice cream – sounded intriguing and the taste was great! My wife went with Chocolate and friends opted for Pistachio – both of which were also delicious.

    For great ice cream and authentic Mexican sweets, you will enjoy a stop at La Michoacana Ice Cream Shop in Delavan, Wisconsin.

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  • Sopra Bistro (Lake Geneva, WI) Review

    Sopra Bistro (Lake Geneva, WI) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    07/29/2023 Sopra Bistro

    Our friends made reservations to enjoy this place during our annual trek to visit them near Lake Geneva. Boy, do they know how to pick restaurants to impress us during our visits (we never want to go home…)! From the moment that we were seated until we left (and introducing us to the owner in between), Scot took fantastic care of us! The portions are on the small side and the prices above average…but that worked for us, as it left room for an Ice Cream stop after dinner!

    We started with a round of drinks – my wife going for the Cassandra (see picture) and myself going with the Smoke Break (see picture – a Kentucky beer and a shot of Mezcal). We both tasted each others drinks and both found the Cassandra to be delicious. I ordered the Smoke Break because it came with Mezcal and if you follow my posts or see the recipe on my site – I LOVE Mezcal Palomas in the summertime. I’m not a huge fan of sipping straight alcohol though (like it mixed so I can drink instead) and didn’t find anything special about the beer…so wouldn’t order it again, especially given the price.

    The Table Bread (see picture) was delicious along with the spread. For starters, our friends ordered the Brussels (see picture) and my wife and I shared the Beets Me (see picture). Both of these salads were unique, fresh and delicious – so I’d highly recommend them.

    For our dinners, our friends ordered the Sausage & Peppers (see picture), my wife ordered the Greatest Of All Time (see picture) and I ordered the NOLA (see picture). We all shared tastes of each others dishes and I assure you that there was a lot of “that’s delicious” after each bite! You absolutely won’t go wrong with any of these dishes!

    We had our hearts set on Ice Cream up the street for dessert and Scot even had a good recommendation for a new gelato store just 2 blocks away (the next review…). You will love a stop here for dinner – just make sure that you make reservations…and say ‘Hi’ to Scot!

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  • Ruby Tuesday (Urbandale) Review

    Ruby Tuesday (Urbandale) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    07/24/2023 Ruby Tuesday

    A co-worker visiting Des Moines was hungry for a salad bar and asked about Ruby Tuesday. He got me thinking about the salad bar, so I enjoyed that (way too much actually…left stuffed) along with a $3 Margarita (see picture). I absolutely love the dark bread buttery toasted croutons – especially when they have just been brought out and are warm! There aren’t as many salad bars around anymore, but this place has one of the best.

    My friend had the Jalapeno Bacon Queso Burger (see picture) along with the salad bar. He loved the salad bar, but preferred his bacon more crispy and found the bun to be a little on the soggy side (possibly due to the queso).

    It is tough to beat this place for value and it has a decent selection at the salad bar – all of which I found to be fresh. This is a solid stop for your budget, especially if you go with the Daily Specials.

    12/2021

    Met a friend for lunch just as they opened for the day and ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with grilled zucchini.  The food was fresh, hot and tasted great, but was a little disappointed in how long it took to get it for after we ordered (about 15 minutes).

    Overall, is very convenient to my work location and I will likely return – so don’t hesitate to recommend it.

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  • Sol Agave (Grimes, IA) Restaurant Review

    Sol Agave (Grimes, IA) Restaurant Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    07/23/2023 Sol Agave

    We have driven past this place many times and thought about stopping, but had usually already eaten and were driving home. This afternoon we had the chance and decided we’d give it a try over our old standby Hacienda Vieja just up the road a block. The thing that stood out the most was the lengthy food and bar menus (see pictures) – making it hard to make a decision on what to order.

    We started with drinks and that ended up being a little frustrating, possibly attributable to a language / communications challenge. We asked several times if they served Mezcal, since we love it and finally the server said he would go ask at the bar. He returned and said that they didn’t serve Mezcal, so I ordered a Michelada instead. While walking to the bathroom I walked by the bar and checked out the liquor behind the bar and saw a bottle of Mezcal, so pointed it out to our server who happened to be standing there (later seeing that they show at least 5 different kinds in their bar menu – see pictures). With that information, I asked our server to change my order to a Mezcal Paloma (see picture) and my wife got a Watermelon Basil Shaker (see picture). The Watermelon Basil Shaker was very good and there was a generous quantity served, although we didn’t taste or see any basil in the drink.

    The complimentary chips and salsa (see picture) were average – they tasted good but were very typical / standard for what you get at many Mexican restaurants. For our meals, we ordered the Pollo Mango Street Tacos (see picture) and Ceviche Al Gusto Mixed (see picture). The Ceviche was very good and while we received standard chips instead of the plantain chips mentioned in the menu, we really enjoyed it. The Pollo Mango Tacos were a little bland to both of our tastes, as we each commented about it and looked for hot sauce to give it some kick, but otherwise were hot, moist and tender.

    Even though we were both very full from all of this food, I couldn’t help myself once I saw Tres Leches and Limoncello Cakes on the menu. We asked the server for a recommendation between the two and he suggested the Tres Leches Cake, so we ordered it and asked him to put it in a container to go (see picture). Of course we did have to open it in the restaurant and have a couple of bites – it was delicious. A little on the sweet side, but very spongy, moist and flavorful – definitely a great addition to finish your meal!

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  • Truman’s KC Pizza Tavern (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Truman’s KC Pizza Tavern (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    07/21/2023 Truman’s KC Pizza Tavern

    Several people have recommended Truman’s for lunch and we finally got a chance to stop by as a part of the Summer Stir in Des Moines. The first thing you see is that it is an old house that has been remodeled into a restaurant. You have to look closer at the sign to see the next item of significance – “KC” in the name of the restaurant. If you are a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you will love this place – especially, I’m told, during football season.

    For our meal, we ended up sharing a Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (see picture) on the suggestion of the bartender as we weren’t that hungry and had eaten some at one of the other stops on the Summer Stir. As the bartender suggested, the Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich was very good – moist, quality bun surrounding juicy flavorful pulled pork. The french fries were undercooked to my taste – barely crispy on the outside and mushy inside, but I kept the food at a 4* due to the sandwich.

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  • Purveyor (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Purveyor (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    07/21/2023 Purveyor

    We had not heard of this place and only stopped in because it was one of the stops on the Summer Stir. Other than the crowd caused by the Summer Stir though, we found this place to be quite unique and ended up staying for a bite to eat and a cookie.

    We saw a large pan of paella cooking outside on the sidewalk and saw the signs that Friday is their Summer Paella Night. Given how much we like paella, we ordered a serving. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture, but it was served in a cardboard box for carryout and tasted very good. I should point out that other orders in the restaurant were served on nice plates with silverware so the cardboard was unique to the paella and to go.

    After seeing the cookies in the display case by the front door, I couldn’t leave without trying at least one of them. I ended up ordering an Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookie (see picture) and shared it with my wife. I’m a sucker for sweets…and when you combine espresso, chocolate and sea salt sprinkled on the top – you can’t go wrong. It is delicious and I highly recommend that you stop by and try one yourself!

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  • Fleming’s at Jordan Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Fleming’s at Jordan Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    07/18/2023 Fleming’s at Jordan Creek

    I’ve always known Fleming’s to be a top-notch restaurant, have visited at least one other location and justified the cost by celebrating our wedding anniversary. Thinking we could save some money while gathering information for HappyHourDesMoines.com, we decided to go early and take in their Social Hour.

    For Social Hour cocktails, we enjoyed the Olive A Martini (Dirty – see picture), Time is Honey (see picture) and Tequila me Softly (see picture). All of them were very good, but the Olive A Martini (Dirty) is what we went back to for our final selections. In addition to the cocktails, we also ordered the Tuna Wontons (see picture) and REALLY liked them – delicious light guacamole topped with some raw tuna!

    For our dinner, we took advantage of the Taste for Tuesday 3-Course Menu for Two special with the Tomahawk option. The flavored butters that come with the table bread (see picture) are very tasty. We went with the Lobster Bisque (see picture) and Wedge Salad (see picture) for our salads, shared them and found both to be excellent. For our sides, we went with the Sauteed Mushrooms (see picture) and Fleming’s Potatoes (see picture) and both were quite the treat.

    Lastly (and most importantly for my sweet tooth), my wife ordered the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake (see picture) and I ordered the Olive Oil Cake (see picture). I don’t believe I’ve ever had an Olive Oil Cake before, but it was light, spongy and delicious. Of course we shared and it probably goes without saying given the name, but my wife really loved the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake and I agreed.

    Given the cost of dining here, this place will remain on our Special Occasions-Only list, but if you are looking to make an impression with an important person or group…this is the place to go!

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  • Tap 22 Grill & Bar (Silvis, IL) Review

    Tap 22 Grill & Bar (Silvis, IL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    07/08/2023 Tap 22 Grill & Bar

    Our son and daughter-in-law invited us to eat with them after the days events at the John Deere Classic and we ended up picking the Tap 22 Grill & Bar. It doesn’t look like much from the outside (a refurbished industrial / farm building – see picture), but the inside is quite another story (see pictures).

    They appeared to be short-staffed in the kitchen – possibly overwhelmed by the extra customers coming from the John Deere Classic. Tanya, did a great job keeping us informed on the order status and keeping our drinks full.

    I ordered the Tin Can Nachos (see picture) for my meal and to share with the table and another guest at our table ordered the Arizona Chicken Sandwich (see picture). The sandwich and fries were very good and the Nachos were likely the most unique delivery that I’ve ever seen. As the name implies, they come with all the ingredients layered in a tin can and then the server lifts off the top at the table (see picture) to leave a delicious stack of chips and toppings!

    I would definitely stop by on another trip when it isn’t so busy – and I highly recommend that you try the Tin Can Nachos when you go. Also, be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Tanya – she is a wonderful server!

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  • Miss Phay Cafe (Davenport, IA) Review

    Miss Phay Cafe (Davenport, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    07/07/2023 Miss Phay Cafe

    We were in town for the John Deere Classic and a coworker highly recommended Miss Phay Cafe, so we gave it a try for dinner on our arrival. What a great place! While the outside facia was modern and professional (see pictures), the inside was breathtaking (see pictures). Absolutely beautiful decorating everywhere that you looked, with seemingly no detail left to chance – with fantastic musical ambiance to top it off!

    My wife started with a Cucumber Smash and I went with the Saigon Mojito (see picture) – both on our wonderful server Cara’s suggestions and both were absolutely delicious! For an appetizer, Cara suggested the Crab Cheese Puffs (see picture) and they were like a little taste of Heaven! So soft, creamy and rich inside the crispy pastry crust – and the included homemade dipping sauce is also amazing (I might have eaten the rest of it with a spoon after the Puffs were gone…).

    For our meal, my wife ordered the Suko Thai Noodles (see picture) and I went with the Lemongrass Beef Noodle (see picture). Both again on Cara’s suggestions – but not until after pointing out that the alternative I was thinking about was not spicey (and I wanted something spicey). I like her opinions and directness!

    I am so glad that this place was recommended to us and I highly recommend that you stop and give it a try. When you stop, make sure to say ‘Hi’ to Cara – she is a fantastic server who is full of great detailed recommendations and has just the perfect amount of sassiness to make for an enjoyable experience.

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