Mothers Day Brunch with the Grudge Monster

When you think of culinary hot spots, you might automatically think of New York City, or Chicago. Portland with it's food truck scene. California for health conscious fresh fare. Texas or Kansas City for barbeque. You might not immediately think of Des Moines, but times are changing friends! We are "on the map" so to speak and it's time to give some serious cred. Des Moines is home to a number of James Beard Award winning chefs. The culinary scene has exploded with downtown, the East Village, and western suburbs taking on a Disneyland-like quality for foodies. 

We have events throughout the year that peak interest in the food scene too- the Food Truck Showdown. Winefest. World Food and Music Festival. Italian American Festival. The Taco Festival. We have Greek food fairs, Baconfest, even a cheese curd festival. There is literally something for everyone in the city. I just can't get enough either. Every week I find something interesting to attend, or taste. New restaurants pop up and it's hard to even get in the door with all the buzz. That was the case with St. Kilda. Nestled in the Harbach Lofts building on the southern edge of downtown, St. Kilda is owned by Alexander Hall, who brings his culinary vision all the way from Australia. 

My Grudge Monster knew I'd been wanting to go to St. Kilda for a long time so her Mothers Day treat for me was a beautiful brunch. I was so excited to finally get to go! The restaurant space is just gorgeous. Industrial with soaring ceilings, exposed ductwork and brick, but flooded with sunlight and sprinkled with elegant and modern seating and fixtures, the dining room pays tribute to the loft building it's situated in. The menu is so creative, and surprising. Portion sizes are perfect- just perfect for your meal, without needing a to go box. This might seem a bit "light" to some people but honestly, in the U.S. portion sizes have gotten out of control anyway. St. Kilda's philosophy is to provide you with a perfectly sized meal you will eat NOW while freshly prepared. Every dish is beautifully plated and garnished and flavors are best described as- FRESH.

We started with beverages, and they have the perfect cup of black coffee. Single origin fair trade coffee is roasted dark, and brews a beautiful strong cup with the perfect hint of oil on top. No cream or sugar added, this cup was warming and happy.

We shared a bowl of the housemade granola and yogurt. Big crunchy nuts, seeds and perfectly toasted oats filled one side of the bowl while Greek yogurt dotted with chia seed filled the other. Local honey drizzled over all, and fresh berries and peach slices were scattered on top, along with a sprinkling of beautiful microgreens. It was perfectly sweet without being overly so, and loaded with flavors and textures.

We each chose a toast for our entree. Grudgie ordered the Mushroom Toast, which was a big slab of toasted crusty sourdough, spread with a truffled cheese spread, and topped with roasted maitake, bunapi, and bunashime mushrooms, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with microgreens. She added a perfectly poached egg. The bread is just....... yum. Crunchy crust, thickly sliced, perfectly toasted, and piled with the mushrooms, it was so savory and delicious.

I went hipster style with the Avocado Toast. This plate is a serious contender for Best Thing I Ever Ate. That same slab of wonderful sourdough is covered in fresh avocado- just smashed just enough. A dollop of salsa, fresh sliced cucumber, feta cheese, a healthy sprinkling of roasted corn and pickled red onions on top- absolute food heaven. I added a scrambled egg to mine, and I don't know HOW they did it, but somehow they managed to absolutely flawlessly duplicate my grandmother's buttery perfect scrambled eggs. Done exactly as I love them, NO brown spots, not too soft, not too overdone. I ate every kernel of corn, every pickled onion ring, every crumb of bread. 

I can't wait to go back, and you better believe I will be. St. Kilda also serves some very creative cocktails, beer and wine, a nice selection of coffee and espresso beverages, handmade bakery items and recently started serving dinner. I. Can't. Wait. To. Go. Back.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Foodie Field Trip- Culinary Food Fight 2017

Once again, it's all about who you know!! Or in this case- who you are related to! Once again I got to enjoy the fun and excitement of culinary competition as a spectator, not a frazzled contestant, at the most recent installment of Culinary Fight Night, Des Moines. How? Well, let me explain. See.....I have told you guys before about my younger daughter, Laurie- the restaurant general manager. As is often the case when you know someone "in the scene" she would often invite me to different food events and a couple years ago she invited me to a Culinary Fight Night, the first of it's kind in Des Moines. You can get all the details by clicking HERE, but briefly- boxing rink, two chefs, six course, loads of great food, one winner. This time around, she is not only in the scene, her chef is one of the competitors, and she is helping in the kitchen! Talk about exciting! Since Laurie would be in the kitchen for this event, my other daughter Debbee joined me for this fun evening of sampling some of the best dishes Des Moines has to offer. Laurie's restaurant, Magnolia Wine Kitchen, was represented by their very own Chef Nico Ebtinger.

Chef Nico comes to Magnolia Wine Kitchen with a pretty impressive resume. Before joining Magnolia as a chef he was the executive chef at Prime Land and Sea in West Des Moines, the sous chef at Pricci and chef de partie at Cherokee Town and Country Club, and cooked at Bistro Nikki in Atlanta, GA. He attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta. Chef Hailey Dixon is the chef at the new West Des Moines brunch spot, Eggs and Jam Brunch Cafe. The restaurant boasts a fun hp hp theme and creative dishes with clever names such as Slim Shady, Flava Flav Flatbread, Rumpshaker, and Ludabiscuits. It's brand new on the culinary scene and lots of people are talking about it.

Of course, I would be a terrible mother if I didn't boast about my daughter, Laurie. She, as you know, is the general manager of Magnolia Wine Kitchen, the fantastic downtown restaurant and wine bar that provides the total girlie dining experience and even lets you bring the guys if you must. The restaurant is gorgeous, the menu very chick-centric. Beautiful ingredients and interesting combinations dominate the menu. Charcuterie and cheese plates are all the rage and Magnolia features some wonderful selections. The salad combinations are some of the most creative I have seen in years, the lobster roll- oh man, HUGE chunks of lobster, and the dinner menu is just stunning. Anyway, Chef Nico is in the ring and Laurie is supporting him in the kitchen, prepping foods, preparing sauces, and plating the courses. Laurie made the lemon picatta sauce for the salmon entree and it was heavenly- you better believe she is going to be teaching Mom how to make that sauce at home!

Now, let's get down to business- the fight and the food. The appetizer round always starts off the event and this time we sampled two dishes that were somewhat similar in flavor, but totally different presentations. Chef Nico prepared a beautiful panzanella salad with big chunks of chewy focaccia, lovely baby lettuces, heirloom tomatoes, bright red sweet pepper, cucumbers finished with a cherry vinaigrette and balsamic. The salad was a gorgeous plate. The colors of the vegetables were so vibrant, tip top freshness, and not overly dressed. The cubes of bread were dense and chewy, not like rock hard croutons, and were perfect for sopping up that delicious sweet and tangy vinaigrette.

Chef Hailey's appetizer was a favorite at our table, and a quick glance around the room, was a favorite of most people. She featured charred baby tomatoes, with the perfect kiss of flame and just perfect char marks, not enough to cook the tomatoes, just enough to give that hint of charred flavor, nestled alongside a scoop of creamy burrata, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic syrup. Perfectly crispy croustades alongside made this the perfect bite- a little smear of the cheese, a chunk of tomato, and that crispy crunchy toasted baguette. So delicious. My daughter Debbee has never had burrata before- she was sold! This was a very delicious and creative take on caprese salad and something I'd love to eat every day.

In between the courses our host and organizer of the event, Walt Henderson,  brought members of the audience up to the ring for some fun and games and prizes. He held a blind tasting, a Name The Celebrity Chef, and Identify the Herb contests, and drew for cash and gift card too.

The entree round was even better. This time the chefs went in very opposite directions. Chef Hailey created a Pistachio and Ricotta Raviolo, with Sauteed Shrimp, Golden Raisins and Brown Butter Cream Sauce. For me, Hailey won in creativity but fell down a little bit in execution. The flavors were fantastic. This dish was a textural masterpiece. The creamy ricotta filling was peppered with bits of crunchy pistachio and herbs. More pistachios adorned the top along with the surprise of golden raisins and sauteed shrimp, with a healthy drizzle of the browned butter sauce. The filling was delicious. It was not sweet, definitely savory, and the pistachios added a much needed texture. The pasta was a little too thick in spots, especially the edges, so it wasn't evenly cooked, and had some tougher spots. The butter sauce and raisins were an interesting addition but the shrimp seemed out of place. They were simply sauteed- nothing more, and perched atop the raviolo with a little garnish of micro greens. Stunning presentation though.

Everyone who knows me knows I HATE salmon. Hate it. Detest it. Except for raw in sushi, to me salmon looks, smells and tastes like cat food. Gross. I dreaded the salmon entree but Chef Nico totally changed my opinion with his entree- Roasted Faroe Island Salmon with jasmine rice, Haricot Verts and Lemon Caper Picatta. Was it the roasting that made the difference? Was it the type of salmon? I don't know what, or why, but I was in love at first bite. The salmon was perfectly cooked, flaky and tender. The haricots verts were roasted and some of them had crispy ends and those little touches make me so happy. The jasmine rice could have been a little more elevated but it was absolutely delicious, and my tablemates raved about it. I just could not get over that salmon! Nor could I put my fork down! We were served a very generous portion and we were getting full but I could not stop!!! Yes, it was THAT good. I really want to talk about the lemon sauce. It was phenomenal. Creamy and lemony and sprinkled with capers it was the perfect accent for that gorgeous piece of fish, and for dragging a forkful of rice through. Amazing, and so simple- nothing but freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Lots of butter. You can bet I'll be getting this chef's secret recipe and making this at home.

In spite of all that salmon and me being unable to stop eating it, we had to save room for dessert. Chef Nico's dessert, Bourbon Apple Crepe Flambe with Jack Daniels Chantilly Cream and Honeycrisp Apple Compote was the ultimate autumn dessert. The apple compote was amazing. The apples were bathed in bourbon, you could taste it without any icky boozy taste- just the woody warm bourbon and a kiss of honey. The chantilly cream again, the essence of Jack Daniels but not a whiff of harsh boozy edge. But that crepe though! It was thin and light and perfectly cooked, just perfect. I have made more than my fair share of crepes and this one was flawless.

Chef Hailey present us with a crispy Lemon Shortbread cookie with White Chocolate Mousse and Blueberry Compote. Everyone at our table raved about the mousse. It was very good. Not perfect, but very good considering it was made for a crowd. Kudos to Chef Hailey for that. The blueberry compote was a much needed touch but not truly special. Could have been kicked up with some limoncello or Gran Marnier or something. The lemon shortbread was delicious and lemony and buttery. The ladies at our table went crazy over the cookie. Hailey's dessert was good but it didn't have the wow factor for me or Debbee like Chef Nico's did.

The judges completed their scoring, the audience filled out their People's Choice ballots and the winner...... by the tiniest of margins....... was Chef Hailey. Our host Walt presented her with the Culinary Fight Night Championship belt as the crowd cheered. It was a great food fight, and we, the audience, got the real prize- all those delicious courses. The food fighting doesn't end here. November will host another round of courses with two different chefs, and the two winners, Chef Hailey and whoever wins the next bout will compete in the third Culinary Food Fight for a grand prize. I am looking forward to these events- and you should too. Keep watching my blog and social media for a chance to grab your tickets!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

My Night Out On The Town With My Grudge Monster

I can hear you all asking "Grudge Monster?.......what the heck is she talking about?" It's a long story. My daughter Laura, who you have heard about on the blog a couple times, is of mixed ethnicity. Being part Korean she likes to embrace her Asian heritage. When the movie The Grudge hit the theater Laura became a master at recreating that bizarre noise the Grudge "monster"makes, and there were times the monster looked oddly like her......so......nickname was created and the rest is history. What does that have to do with my story? Absolutely nothing. It's just who we are.

Surely you see the resemblance......

So anyway, a few days ago my phone ran. A quick glance showed Grudge Monster was calling me so I knew something fun was in the works. She invited me to attend the Des Moines CityView Best Of Awards and dinner before the show. Yay!!! Hanging out with Laurie is always a good time, getting to me interesting restaurant people and enjoying fun and exciting events. This was no exception.  

Grudge Monster, with Chef Tom McKern from Zombie Burger

Before the awards show we went to one of Des Moines' most popular and successful restaurants, Centro. Centro is also a George Formaro restaurant and, well, I already knew I'd love it even before the first bite. George knows his stuff. For an appetizer we had fried Brussels sprouts with truffle aioli. Holy buckets. If you haven't tried fried Brussels sprouts you are missing out! Some of the leaves come off and get super crispy like chips, while the halved sprouts stay crisp tender and don't have that stinky boiled smell. I want to make this at home!

Laurie chose the ricotta gnocchi for her entree. The little pasta pillows were airy and soft and one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted in my entire life. Tossed in a spicy red sauce they were such a fantastic and different pasta option. My dinner was the Chicken Francese. Two perfectly breaded and sauteed chicken breasts were stacked on top of perfectly cooked fettuccine and draped in a lemony sauce with fresh herbs. The chicken as tender and juicy, crispy on the edges, with the most delicious sauce. We finished dinner with an Italian hazelnut pudding that was so creamy, delicious and surprisingly light- the perfect finish to our dinner. In case you're wondering where the food pics are, I did not take pictures of our dishes. I was there to have some daughter/mom time and enjoy Laurie's company so pictures were not in the plan.

After dinner we headed over to Beer Can Alley (now there is something I never thought I'd actually say..... with BCA being a country bar) for the CityView Best Of Awards. CityView is a local magazine that has an annual survey of everything you ca think of- best burger, best spa, best dog groomer, best margarita, best plastic surgeon- seriously Best Everything Under The Sun. With all of George's businesses nominated in many many categories I knew there would be some celebrating going on. Laurie's restaurant, Malo, also owned by George, was nominated for several categories including Best Taco and Best Brunch. We arrive at the bar and join George and his wife Sheila Formaro, members of their family, and several other friends and colleagues from Gateway Market and Zombie Burger. 

Yes....we had the Proud Mama Needs A Photo Moment

Watching the crowd I got the who's who in the local restaurant scene. New restaurant owners like the two guys who own Lurra Cocina. Local chefs like Tom McKern from Zombie Burger. Local television personalities like Lou Sipolt and Cynthia Fodor. Lots and lots of local restaurant people.

Needless to say George cleaned up at the awards- many Best Of categories were awarded to George and his restaurants. Malo snagged Runner Up in several categories as well. 

Younkers' Famous Rarebit Burger Gets a Makeover

As a kid growing up in Des Moines in the seventies downtown was the place to be. Malls weren't a thing yet, and downtown all the big department stores had huge fortress-like buildings. The streets were lined with shops and interesting places, big stores, small stores and lunch counters. The big department store in Des Moines was Younkers, and their flagship store was right in the heart of downtown.

photo from Wikipedia Commons

My mom never drove a car, so going downtown to go shopping was quite an event. We'd wait patiently for the taxi to arrive, and back in the old days taxis were built by Checker Taxi and were big! The backseat area was quite spacious and had kid seats that were round and folded down into the floor. 

photo from Wikipedia Commons

We would make the trip from our home to downtown and hit all the big stores. Sometimes we would have lunch at the King Ying Low Chinese restaurant, sometimes it would be a lunch counter and sometimes we would eat at the Younkers Tea Room.

photo from Pinterest- owner unknown

Younkers was quite an amazing place. The original dry goods store was opened in 1874 in Keokuk and later moved to downtown Des Moines in 1912. The Tea Room was opened in 1913 and became somewhat of a destination restaurant. Many many weddings, receptions and corporate events were held in that beautiful tearoom, with its gorgeous architecture and crystal chandelier. Famous for their sticky rolls and chicken salad, their real claim to fame had to be the Rarebit Burger. The Rarebit Burger was introduced to the world sometime in the 1940s and has been much loved ever since. The recipe is fairly simple- a savory cheesy rarebit sauce is ladled over a hamburger making it a rich and decadent fork and knife sandwich. Rarebit itself is a very old recipe, commonly served over toast for a lighter meal. Some brilliant chef at Younkers decided to go one big step forward and top a burger and created one of the best-loved regional foods.

You can prepare your burger however you like, but for this
recipe nothing beats a cast iron skillet.

Younkers' Famous Rarebit Sauce

1/3 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 cup shredded American cheese

Place the oil in a saucepan, Stir together the flour, paprika, salt and mustard. Add to the oil and cook while stirring for one minute. Add the milk all at once. Continue cooking and stirring until sauce is thickened. Add remaining ingredients;  remove from heat and stir until cheese melts. Pour over prepared hamburger and bun. Makes 2 cups sauce.

Sadly, the downtown Younkers store closed in 2005 and the building was destroyed by fire in 2014, meaning the Tea Room and it's beautiful interior was lost forever. 

photo from The Des Moines Register

Now that we've talked about the rarebit sauce and burger, it's time to talk about MY version. Plain cheese sauce over a burger doesn't do much for me, and over bun top and bottom is a bit much, so I like to kick mine up with the addition of salsa and taco seasonings, changing the Rarebit Burger into a Queso Burger! 

Double-stacked cheesy spicy happiness

To make the queso sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over and whisk over medium heat for a minute. Add 2 cups milk all at once, and continue whisking. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and add at least a cup of shredded cheese. Mild cheddar, Colby Jack, or even pepperjack cheese are all delicious. Stir until melted.

Spoon the hot queso sauce over the burger. I made double
burgers with queso between and on top of the patties.

Drain most of the liquid from 1 cup of salsa. Add to the cheese sauce and return to low heat until heated through. Use whatever heat level you like in your salsa.

Cook your burger to desired doneness and place on toasted bun bottom on a place. I made two thin burgers for each sandwich, placing one on the bun, topping with sauce, and repeating. Pour the queso sauce over and garnish with your favorite taco toppings. Toast the bun top and place it on the burger. I like to top mine with sour cream, guacamole, sliced black olives, sliced scallions and a bit more salsa. Sometimes I add a few slices of jalapeno.

You'll still need a knife and fork for this one!