Month: May 2013

  • ‘Burbs drool over PepperJax

     
    From a bird’s eye perspective, the great story of 20th century Iowa was the movement of people from farms all over the state to a few cities and many suburbs. One seventh of the way through the 21st century, nothing brings out suburban Iowa’s inner farm child like the opening of a franchise restaurant‘s first local store. An Olive Garden in Ankeny and an Outback Steakhouse in Clive have been amongst those chain’s most successful outlets. In West Des Moines, people waited in line for hours, and even camped out overnight, to taste Chick-Fil-A sandwiches before their neighbors. Huge weekend crowds forced Cheesecake Factory to take on extra personnel when it opened a store in Jordan Creek. 
    Yet, I’ve never heard from anyone living within Des Moines’ city limits who was excited about such openings.  Have the saliva glands of suburbanites been reprogrammed by their proximity to malls full of national brand names? Should Iowa’s university sociologists and behavioral scientists study this? Currently, such professors are researching quilters in Iceland and bear hunters in Japan, so I ventured out to observe the latest suburban, fast food phenomenon. 
    Readers had reported lines forming beyond the doors of PepperJax Grill, an Omaha based chain that opened its first area stores recently in both Clive and Ankeny. According to company literature, founder Gary Rohwer worked “for years” with University of Nebraska meat scientists to develop a “new steak” for making Philly steak sandwiches in just 40 seconds. He patented his method of “vertically slicing” sirloin, named it Steak-EZE and turned it into the industry’s highest selling Philly steak brand. (You can find Steak-EZE at Costco and Sam’s Club.) He later opened PepperJax in Omaha to bring “America’s best Philly” to the “quick casual restaurant” genre. 
    The Clive outlet operated like Chipotle-Panchero’s-Qdoba, etc. I waited in a cafeteria style line and ordered directly from a sandwich- rice bowl-salad-wrap maker. Fresh baked rolls slid down a conveyor belt as my sandwich maker cooked seasoned beef with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. Those were stored so close to the grill that their pans had blackened unappetizingly. My chef had numerous burns and blisters on her arms. After expressing sympathy to her, another chef rolled up his sleeves to reveal even more burns. These may be badges of honor but normally chain restaurants figure out such worker safety problems before expanding.
    Fresh baked, ten inch rolls slid down a conveyor. My cook neatly pressed mine over its filling, with a soft white cheese, and turned that over spilling nothing. I proceeded to an undersized condiment bar and waited in line to add my choices from some seven sauces and ten dressings. Dorothy Lynch, better known as “the orange French dressing in central Iowa,” was surprisingly included. 
    Rice bowls and salads came with the same grill work. Any order could be cooked in jalapeno juices. Chicken and shrimp could be substituted for steak. “Vegetarian” versions were available. However, vegetables were cooked on the same grill space as meat. Shrimp were cooked on the same area as everything else, even after a guy with shrimp allergies objected. Those shrimp were super tiny and extraordinarily salty and chewy. Steak fries should have been hotter. 
    Beans and rice did not compare well to those at Chipotle, etc. Ceramic tableware and real silverware were an upgrade from such chains’ disposable products. Tables were actually bussed. Music from the 1960’s painfully played through speakers from the 1950’s.      
    Were these “the best Philly steak” sandwiches ever? They were the saltiest I ever tasted. Their soft buns were superb, perfect for absorbing au jus. Still, I have no idea what mushrooms, let alone Dorothy Lynch, have to do with Philly steak sandwiches.  
    PepperJax Grill 
    9901 University Ave, Clive,  226-1936 (also at 2010 SE Delaware Ave. in Ankeny)
    Sun. – Thurs. 11 a.m. — 9 p.m., Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 
    Side Dishes 
    India Market opened at 80th and Douglas in Urbandale, with groceries and prepared foods… Food Depot in Grimes expanded to include a full-service bar & grill. 

  • Mandarin Grilland Sushi Bar

    “An Authentic Bite of China”

    Yijie Du 

    Yijie Du is an exchange student from theSichuan International Studies University in Southwestern China. She isfinishing a year of study at Drake University in Des Moines. 

     

     

     

    The interior of Mandarin Grill and Sushi Bar 

    In a small city like Des Moines, where only 4percent of the population is of Asian descent, I didn’t expect to find realChinese food like I might in Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco. However,Mandarin Grill and Sushi Bar in Clive turned out to be a delightful jolt of FarEast culinary tradition as well as a savor journey back home.

    Hidden in a strip mall, the restaurantpresents a deceptively modest outward appearance. Once inside, you’ll find a fairlyroomy space with more than 20 tables and booths and a six-seat sushi bar. The décoris modern, with touches of traditional Chinese elements. Dim lighting casts aserene glow on glossy rosewood furniture.

    At 6 on a Monday evening recently, the boothswere all occupied. A waitress brought us glasses of ice water and two separatemenus. One menu caters to the American appetite with dishes like pot stickers,Mongolian beef and General Tso’s chicken.

    My interest is in the second menu, whichfeatures traditional Chinese recipes with a family history. Chef and ownerKevin Liu took over the locally established Mandarin (originally located in theBeaverdale neighborhood) from his mother, a first-generation Chinese immigrant.

     

    It’s my third trip to Mandarin, and I still can’tresist the strong temptation for Tza Djang Mien: boiled noodles in a rich meatsauce, mixed with black bean paste ($10). Topped with shredded cucumbers,onions, shrimps, sea cucumbers, squid rings and a dark brown sauce, it is asavory celebration of meat, seafood, veggies and grain. Plentiful sauce makesMandarin’s version even better than home for me. But the seafood in the noodlesis an odd extra that breaks with tradition.

     

     

    Mapo Tofu from Mandarin Grill and Sushi Bar

    Another mouth-watering entree I am obsessedwith is Mapo Tofu, a regular Szechuan cuisine ($10). Served with green beans,scallions, hot chilies, water chestnuts, chopped pork and tofu, the dish glistenswith a bright blend of colors: green, red and white. Each bite offers a perfectmingling of textures with the crisp chestnuts, the delicate tofu, the spicysauce, and the savory meat. The only thing missing is a seasoning of Szechuanpeppercorn.

    I also recommend Yushang Eggplant (Eggplantin garlic sauce, $10). Mandarin does a solid job on this distinctive Szechuancuisine with the peculiar “fishy flavor” tradition. The eggplant peel may be abit tough but it doesn’t disturb the sweet and spicy joy.

     

    If you like spicy food, choose La Ja Gi (hotand spicy chicken, $12). The crisp crust and the tender meat wrap around yourtongue tip with a sharp twist. Turn up the heat by requesting the dish done “Kevinstyle.”

    What makes the Mandarin stand out amongChinese restaurants in Des Moines is its authentic flavor. Every dish is madefrom scratch with fresh ingredients and thoughtful cooking. Bright colors,appetizing smells and tangy tastes create a perfect harmony—the sheer beauty ofChinese cuisine. 

    Mandarin Grill and Sushi Bar

    1250 NW. 128th St. (just north of60th and University)

    http://mandaringrillandsushibar.com

  • Bar Food Goes Molecular at Gas Lamp

     
    Not too many years ago, Des Moines scrapped its motto ‘the surprising place.” At the time, people complained that outsiders would swallow it with a spoonful of sarcasm. In the culinary realm, it‘s been a long battle to convince national, even regional, media that we have surprising things to offer beyond state fair junk food, bacon orgies and sandwiches that pack a week’s worth of calories between slices of Whirl-slathered bread. After nearly a decade of impressive honors in the James Beard Awards, the tide of that battle’s tide is turning. Last week, Andrew Zimmern devoted his hour long, “Sweeps Week” show on the Travel Channel to the surprising, quality foods of Iowa. There was barely any allusion to stereotypes about overeating. Like Grant at Vicksburg, proud local culinarians celebrated with bottles of rye whiskey. 
    I found Des Moines’  latest food surprise at Gas Lamp, a bar and music club that no one has ever confused with a gastropub. In fact the kitchen is so small that its called Hole in the Wall. Zach Gutweiler is no traditional chef either. A rollerblading phenom, he grew up in Texas and Louisiana before moving to Denver for its superior skating scene. He moved to Des Moines for a girl. 
    His food was both as traditional as his roots and as current as the latest skating video. Gumbo was made with smoked chicken, herbed rice, okra, and a mahogany roux that he said he cooked for 15 hours. That’s 14 hours longer than is typical for that Cajun style emulsifier. It departed a sweet nutty flavor to the stock. 
    A piece of crisply fried chicken skin topped the bowl. Deviled eggs were paired with micro kale, garlic chives and “cayenne caviar.” That latter ingredient represents an eureka moment in food history – the original “spherification” experiment in which Feran Adria invented modern molecular gastronomy by using sodium alginate and calcium chloronate to create little balls that looked like caviar. Gutweiler’s had the appearance and texture of caviar but barely popped their inner liquids. 
    Chicken sandwiches could have stood in for chicken pizza. Made on naan that was baked in a conventional oven, they had the crusty texture of good pies. Their chicken had been brined in lemon juice and salt before smoking. It was served with crunchy jicama- apple slaw and basil yogurt. 
    Watermelon salad delivered melon wedges and arugula with goat cheese and a mostarda of pumpkin seeds candied in molasses. 
    A plate of pork ribs had been cured 24 hours, smoked and covered with a sweet Templeton Rye glaze. They were served with Brussels sprouts, fried kale chips, more jicama slaw, and a darling little pear tart. Divine house made pickles had been preserved in a miso and mustard brine. “PB &J” was made with homemade almond butter, homemade aroniaberry jam, macerated apples, and goat cheese on La Mie bread. Cheese biscuits and gravy were made with smoked pork shoulder gravy, lemon braised kale and garlic micro chips. Mac & cheese used smoked Provolone, caramelized onions and brioche crumbs. 
    For now, food is served at Gas Lamp on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. That could expand soon and plans are in motion to also place Gutweiler in a larger restaurant. 
     
     
    Gas Lamp
    1501 Grand Ave., 280-3778
    Kitchen open Tues., Thurs. and Sat. nights

  • Mi Mexico

    One Hispanic restaurant owner, who is also active in community endeavors, tells about a pet peeve. “Time after time I will meet someone at an event and they will ask me what I do. I say that I own my own restaurant. They say they never heard of it and then tell me about their favorite Mexican restaurant, invariably adding “It’s so clean.’ Remember how blacks felt when white people said they liked Barack Obama because he was so articulate? I’d rather have someone insinuate I less than articulate than filthy.” 
     Many folks tell me that Mi Mexico is their favorite Hispanic restaurant. Some add that it’s “really clean,” and “so colorful.” Most praise its margaritas. The place recently made long time Des Moines Register dining critic Wini Moranville’s list of the top 25 restaurants in Central Iowa, ahead of some personal favorites like Café di Scala, Sbrocco and The King & I, plus most of my favorite Hispanic joints. Previously, I thought it was indistinguishable from several other large Mexican cafés with gargantuan menus, mild salsas and margarita specials.  
    I revisited recently, once with a friend from the restaurant industry who, being frequently inspected, is expert about what “really clean” means. She pointed out that paint was chipping off floor tiles, that plastic flowers on our table were covered in dust, that the carpet was speckled with numerous crumbs of food, and that the baby changing table in the bathroom was “down and dirty.” Before our two hour visit ended, the carpet was vacuumed and the baby table was closed. 
    A peach margarita, ordered “on the rocks,” was served blended, without additional ice, and without a salted rim or any garnish. A strawberry margarita also lacked a salted rim or any garnish. One expects those things, even at places that charge considerably less than $6 for a margarita. At Tacqueria Sonora, a choice of tequilas is usually offered too. 
    The menu offered a few things I don’t remember seeing in other suburban Mexican cafés: a chicken Poblano that is made with fresh apples, chocolate and chilies; and a chicken mole that is made with a peanut butter base. A third innovation took us by surprise. All the carnitas I have previously eaten around town were made by braising well marbled cuts of pork, usually shoulders and hams. Some also finish them by crisping at high heat. Usually they are garnished with chopped onion radishes and lime wedges. At Mi Mexico, an order of carnitas looked identical to an order of fajitas. I asked if there had been a mistake. No, I was told that Mi Mexico’s carnitas is “just like their beef fajitas” only with a different seasoning and served on plate rather than on an iron platter. Cole slaw, guacamole, beans and rice accompanied extremely lean strips of well cooked beef, bell peppers and onions.
    Chicken fajitas did not sizzle when served. Like other chicken dishes on the menu, they were made with skinless breast meat. Accompanied by bell pepper strips, caramelized onions, and tomatoes, they weren’t even very hot. Steak “torero” delivered sirloin cooked well done despite being ordered “medium rare,” with more grilled bell peppers and onion strips. No one ever asked if I wanted corn or flour tortillas and once tortillas were withheld until requested. Corn husk tamales were stuffed with shredded pork but lacked needed salsa. Chiles rellenos delivered stem-on pasilas stuffed with real Jack cheese and covered in mild red salsa. 
    Bargain priced ($2 – $3.25) desserts resembled one another. An apple chimichanga (stuffed fried flour tortillas) was served with whipped cream, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. 
    Sopapillas (fried flour tortillas) were coated with honey, sugar and cinnamon and served with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. Flan also was surprisingly served drenched in strawberry sauce with whipped cream.  
     
    Mi Mexico
    11407 Forest Ave., Clive, 222-6933
    Mon. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 
     
    Side Dishes 
    Carl Blake, the Iowa pig farmer we first wrote about here two years ago, is on a roll. In February, he was featured on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods and in a New York Times video. He has a big time agent now and six different networks are bidding to host a TV series about his porcine adventures. He’s scheduled for six minutes on The Colbert Report March 27. That show is flying Carl and one of his pigs to New York

  • Wings and ambiance star at Gerri’s

     
    The old fashioned bar and grill has become an endangered species in Iowa. After industrialized farming changed the state’s demographics (most Iowa counties peaked in population more than 100 years ago), towns became too small to support stand alone restaurants. So taverns added flat top grills, deep fryers and sometimes full kitchens to replace them. These became surrogate community centers until many towns eventually became too small to support even bar and grills. Today one can generally gage the vitality of an Iowa town by its per capita number of bar and grills. In cities, suburban sprawl and industrial restaurants threatened this genre with economies of scale. Full Court Press revived the spirit of the bar and grill at High Life Lounge, Shorty’s Somewhat Fancy Bar, and The Library. In a more modern fashion, so did the Saint’s-Beaver Tap-Maverick’s crew. Otherwise, it’s a mostly East European genre in Des Moines with one big, geographic exception – the eastside. 
    Befitting a defiant part of town that proclaims “Lee Township against the world,” our eastside supports a large, happy number of bar and grills where time stands still and folks from the ritzy suburbs fear to tread. As if oblivious to trends and health fads that mesmerize food fashionistas, East 14th Street Tavern, Kelly’s Little Nipper, Maingate, Norwood, Johnny Mac’s, Highland Park Country Club, Gill T’s and others have been providing hot meals and cold libations to loyal customers for decades. Some open as early as 6 a.m., a habit the honors the blue collar, triple shift factories that have pretty much disappeared from other parts of the metro. 
    One of the most popular bar and grills in town, Gerri’s fits its eastside neighborhood like a biker’s glove. A pool table and walls proclaim the predominant cults and memes of its zip code – motorcycles, the tracks of NASCAR, Dale Junior and Clint Eastwood (from his “Man with No Name” period). Ken Zylla prints harken a lost America of small towns. Literature on the bar provided news of things that matter here including the entire lineup for this year’s Hog Wild Rodeo, and a list of biker friendly bars, restaurants, insurance companies, gun and ammo dealers, and tattoo parlors in Iowa. Whenever I’ve been in Gerri‘s, the juke box remained loyal to another century with Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and Willie Nelson classics dominating. On a recent visit, several high definition, large screen televisions were all tuned to Hawkeye basketball, even during a NASCAR race! 
    The menu features bar and grill all stars. Breaded cauliflower and gizzards joined more traditional deep fried appetizers such as onion rings, mushrooms, poppers and French fries. Onion rings were a cut above ubiquitous frozen products around town. So were burgers, tenderloins and grinders, all looking hand made and served on upscale buns. Gerri’s also offered daily lunch specials and Wednesday evening $10 steak dinners. These though were all diversions from the main mission that brings most folks to Gerri’s. 
    Their chicken wings are famous enough to start arguments and even fights in other parts of town. They are served in two versions, an eight wing plate for $8.75 and a larger platter that included a pitcher of beer for $35. On a recent Saturday afternoon, almost every table in the joint had ordered the latter. Wings came with celery and cups of ranch dressing that had obviously been upgraded by adding sour cream. The chicken appeared to have been fried without breading and tossed in a mild version of wing sauce. 
    Gerri’s 
    232 E 30th St., 265-8383
    Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
    Side Dishes 
    Hostess Brands sold their snack foods to two investment firms who announced that Twinkies could return from the dead by summer… Toad’s began offering a $2 biscuits and gravy with hash browns special every second Thursday… McDonald’s finally gave up trying to sell fruit & walnut salads to their customers.  

  • Fast Food Wars Get Sexual

    Fish Wars Get Sexual 
    Recent news from the fast food wars came with a measure of shock if not awe. After surviving ten years of economic booms and bust without a single decrease in monthly sales, McDonald’s suddenly experienced declines in three of the last six months. Wendy’s and Burger King took significant territory in market share battles. McD’s responded by announcing a new strategy – to launch larger and more frequent “new product” offensives. Wendy’s plotted to increase its gains by re enforcing two fronts: by advertising its “superior ingredients,” and by promising to remodel stores with upscale amenities such as fireplaces. By partnering with Seattle’s Best on a new upscale coffee line, Burger King attacked one of McDonald’s strongest profit centers. In the fast food industry, wars may be fought with advertisements but they are won in the mouths of young men and women. 
    So Cityview dispatched this humble correspondent to observe how the latest tactics are playing on the frontlines. Probably the fiercest recent battles have been maritime. Trying to tap into the lucrative “healthy choice” market, four locally represented national chains launched brave new fish dishes. They are brave because seafood initiatives inevitably come with cross contamination issues that frighten corporate lawyers (who do not bill by the hour). That’s probably why Taco Bell has no fish tacos. 
    Taco John’s though is now promoting their version. I tried one that stuffed a flour tortilla with a deep-fried, cornmeal battered whitefish stick, plus lettuce, cheese, sour cream and a lime wedge. The fish stick flaked like unadulterated fish.
    Wendy’s has been making some noise on this front with its Northern Pacific cod sandwich, heavily advertised as an upscale product hand cut from whole filets for flakiness and breaded in Panko for crunch. The one I was served delivered a beautiful looking piece of golden fish on a toasted white bun with tartar sauce and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. Looks were deceiving. My fish was so tough and fibrous I ended up spitting out all but the center of the filet. It had no flakiness whatsoever. From my experiences, this only happens when cooked fish spends too much time hanging around heat lamps. I suspect my experience was a bad mistake but I won’t bother going back to verify. Sea salt fries did not taste any fresher than the fish sandwich. Still, Wendy’s did not provide the worst fish experience I found. 
    In one of its heaviest advertising blitzes since the introduction of their “extra value” menu, McDonald’s countered Wendy’s success with their own new McFish Bites. These were advertised as Alaskan pollock, as if that was a good thing. A cynical teenaged friend described them as “the bastard offspring of Ore-Ida tater tots and Van de Kamp’s fish sticks.” For comparison sake, I ordered a Filet-O-Fish sandwich, a product that McD’s has been serving since 1962. That older product tasted more like fresh fish and less like breading. Even its tartar sauce tasted less like salt and pickle brine. 
    Back in the “looks are deceiving” department, the best tasting new fish product I found, by far, came with burnt edges and what looked like excessive seasoning. 
    To counter its lack of pulchritude, Hardee’s launched their new char broiled Atlantic cod sandwich with a sexually suggestive Super Bowl ad in which Danish bikini model Nina Agdal touts the orgasmic prowess of its 500 calories. Probably because it’s hard for food processors to mess up a naked piece of fish, this compared well to broiled fish sandwiches in full service restaurants. Unlike other fish sandwiches I tried, this one came with a slice of tomato.   
     Political Correctness & Fast Food 
    America’s fast food industry behaves more like its network television industry every year. Both spend billions of dollars researching and launching new products. Then, despite all that investment, neither hesitates to dump a new production if audiences don’t immediately respond. Pizza Hut introduced their pizza sliders in February with Super Bowl advertisements. I found them perhaps the most edible products yet from that Yum Brands giant. I could order as few as three, for $5, and specify up to three different toppings on each, making them a decent cheap snack for three kids. Before March Madness had peaked though, Pizza Hut through them on the dung heap of fast food fiascos. “Nobody bought them,” explained my local Pizza Hut  worker. 
    Those pizza sliders were replaced by “crazy cheesy crust” (CCC) pies that pack over 50 percent more fat into each slice, compared to comparable regular crust pies. My CCC pie appeared to have 12 cheese-stuffed bread bowls grafted onto its trunk in an Americanized version of similar pizza served internationally. In Asia, Pizza Hut stuffs the bread bowls with hot dogs and in the Middle East with mini cheeseburgers. Their success is as mysterious as that of “The Big Bang Theory.” 
    CCC pizza are symptomatic of an industry-wide retreat from political correctness. In previous decades, social pressures enticed fast food giants into providing “healthy choices” that flailed in the marketplace. They allowed executives to sleep better but they pissed off their investors. After seeing their market share drop, industry leader McDonald’s threw stockholders a meatier bone last month and dumped their fruit & walnut salads. They were far behind the curve though. At the Coralville Steak ‘n Shake I recently discovered that company’s new “7×7” burger crammed  seven burger patties and seven pieces of American cheese between buns. Yum Brands’ Taco Bell, which was caught using horsemeat for beef in the UK, recently reported record sales for their new “Cool Ranch Doritos” tacos, which replaced fried tortillas with a much saltier, modified Doritos shell. 
    In the current millennium, no company has flaunted political correctness as successfully as Hardee’s. In 2001, at a time major fast food giants were introducing “healthy menus,” they launched their gut busting Thickburger. In advertising it, Hardee’s has consistently bullied the PC mindset. Thickburger’s first spokesperson was steroid supermodel Mark McGuire. Its most successful spokesperson was supermodel Padma Lakhsmi whose 2009 ad launched the “Western Thickburger.” Wearing spiked heals and sweating through a cleavage revealing dress pulled up to her crotch, Padma devoured a messy burger while licking spilled sauce from her legs and arms. Straight women and gay men both told me that ad made them question their sexuality. Hardee’s stuck with this format through a string of bikini supermodels. 
    This year’s new Thickburger launch though is more campy than sexy, featuring Heidi Klum as Mrs. Robinson from “The Graduate.” It flaunts PC thinking by introducing alcoholic brand loyalty to a younger generation. My “Jim Beam Bourbon Burger” came with crisply fried onion straws, pepper jack cheese, two slices of bacon, lettuce and tomato covered with Jim Beam bourbon-flavored sauce. At the new Hardee’s on Merle Hay, it was actually made to order and delivered to my table. “Charbroiling” was simulated. Hardee’s no longer uses coals. Both the burger patty and its honey wheat bun ranked above other fast food choices in town. The bourbon sauce was probably the sweetest BBQ sauce I ever tasted.    
    Side Dishes 
    Last year I wrote about state of the art, live bait vending machines. Recently I toured their manufacturing plant at The Wittern Group. That company designs vending machines for myriad distributors and private companies. Such machines include high security devices and both heating and cooling systems. They dispense $1 coins as change and accept all kinds of transaction cards. Data technologies alert vendors when machines need to be restocked. LED lights reduce their carbon footprints. Multiple barriers allow three different temperatures within a single machine. And they’re made right here in Clive.