EAT part 2 : Alba

First day of Des Moines Restaurant Week 2010! I started by trying the East Village restaurant Alba. My three courses were as follows - carrot and mint soup, pork cheeks, and apricot clafloutis. The highlight for me was the carrot and mint soup and I was lucky enough to get the last bowl. The carrot and mint complemanted each other and were a refreshing combination. Neither of the main ingredients overwhelmed the other. The pork cheek was quite yummy as well and came with a lovely succotash. The dessert was good but I wasn't wowed by it and the presentation wasn't as pretty as the other courses.

My guest had the salmon tartar with homemade crackers which was very enjoyable. The only downside was that the dish came with a small jar of pickled veggies which were apparently too sour and absolutely dreadful. I would recommend the dish as long as you don't eat you vegatables.

All in all though, I'd go back for the soup alone. I don't think this will be my favorite stop during restaurant week though.

EAT Part 1 : The Iowa State Fair

Ah, the Iowa State Fair - golden fried indulgence at its best. In fact if you asked anyone what there favorite part of the fair is they would probably start listing of forms of junk food of the fried on a stick persuasion. The worst/most life threatening thing I ate was the deep-fried candybar. I actually ate the whole thing this year. Most years I can only get through about a third before I have to stop. I'm crediting this to the fact that I had been fasting on cold cereal the two previous days in anticipation of my gluttony.

Other than the fried candybar of death, I also had a turkey wrap, lamb walking taco, pancakes, and chocolate milk. I also enjoyed an assortment of samples. I can't want for A&E's chocolate banana milk and sea salt cottage cheese to hit the stands.

I, of course, had to make several stops by the Butter Cow. Who could resist looking upon a cow sculpted entirely out of butter. Food as art!

Eat, Pray, Love for the Underprivileged

Unless you've been seriously not paying attention, you know that the new Julia Roberts film Eat, Pray, Love just opened in theaters. I have not seen the movie yet or read the best selling novel it is based on although I plan on at least doing one or the other. I have however read articles in Entertainment Weekly as well as online reviews and critiques. So that's basically where my expertise in this subject lies.

After being slammed with numerous ads, trailers, teasers, and promotions (and getting that awesome Florence + The Machine song stuck in my head), I decided to check out what others were saying about the phenomenon. This "journey" of mine lead me to an article from Bitch Magazine called Eat, Pray, Spend, Priv-lit and the new, enlightened American dream which criticizes the novel as being part of the costly enlightenment industry which for the most part seems to be focused towards women. Having of course not read the novel yet, I'm not sure if it does indeed deserve this criticism or not however I'm inclined to think that the Bitch does have a point. I would love to spend a year traveling to Italy, Indonesia, and India but alas I can't afford it.

So, I'm going to do this staycation style and over a shorter time frame...

EAT

My new journey to enlightenment will begin of course with Eat and I have have to say this is all perfect timing for the Iowa State Fair and Des Moines Restaurant Week are upon us. Last night I made my first stop at Stam Chocolaterie on Ingersoll. For those who don't know, this European candy store does have a hidden night life on the weekends. The patio/garden on the side on the shop has a stage for live music which is played every Friday and Saturday and there is a full wine menu which features Sangria's and wine and chocolate flights (samples of four different wines paired with four different types of chocolate). I tried the Chocolaty Dutchman - wine with Picket Fence Creamery chocolate milk garnished with a dark chocolate medallion. This sexy drink is as good as it sounds. I paired it with a small bag of chocolates. Not the best dinner but I not ashamed to say that it was very satisfying:)

To Be Continued...

My Top Movies of 2009 (in no particular order)

Yes, like many bloggers before me, I am blogging about my favorite movies of 2009. I usually try not to do this not because of the "movie blogger cliche" but because I can only watch so many movies in the theater during the year because unfortunately I don't get paid to watch movies and by the time January comes along and all the critics are sharing their top ten lists and I am looking through these lists thinking to myself "that's not on video yet but I really want to see that" and...I'll just stop my rambling now. Long story short with some help from Blockbuster and a month delay, here is my list of favorite films for 2009. Hope you enjoy!

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox - "Here, put this bandit hat on." I love stop motion animation and the book Fantastic Mr. Fox and this movie is a wonderful representation of both. It is adorable, humorous, fun, and a cussing good time. Anyone other than Wes Anderson would have cussed it up.

2. Is Anybody There? - "I remember looking up at the stars and thinking what a great big universe this is. Now it's very very small." A movie about death set in a retirement home doesn't seem like something that would be appealing. But the story of the friendship that develops between an old magician and death-obsessed 10 year old is touching and uplifting.

3. (500) Days of Summer - "This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story." This quirky non-love story made me both laugh and cry (damn Regina Spektor song). Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel are perfect as anti-Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan. And props for best use of a split screen since Carrie.

4. Inglourous Basterds - "You know somethin', Utivich? I think this might just be my masterpiece." How could one not love a spaghetti western revenge flick set in World War II? The tense opening scene is cinematic genius. Tarantino's dialog gets a little wording during the bar scene in the middle but I can forgive him for that.

5. The Proposal - "Do you prefer Margaret or "Satan's Mistress?' " This was just a fun movie to watch. Unlike a lot of recent romantic comedies, the cast is actually funny.

6. Sunshine Cleaning - "Um, we come into people's lives when they have experienced something profound - and sad. And they've lost somebody, you know? And um, the circumstances, they're always different. But that's the same. And we help. In some small way we, um, we help." There's nothing like finding a job that you are truly good at and can take pride in. And if that dream job happens to be cleaning up crime scenes, then so be it.

7. An Education - "I feel old. But not very wise." The young girl/older man plot has been done before and I thought this movie would fit into what has become the same basic plot. But this movie is different. The title actually refers to an education (the one with school books), the girl isn't naive or misunderstood (she's just young), and the man is charming without the creepy under tone that makes you wonder why nobody has mace him yet.

Eggs Benedict on a Budget

The McDonald's Egg McMuffin is essentially a variation of eggs benedict. It was created by Herb Peterson, a McDonald's franchisee, in 1972 as a "poor man's version" by replacing the hollandaise with a slice of American cheese. So if you are having a craving for eggs benedict, munching on the McMuffin in it's "natural" state is perfectly acceptable. However if you want a more traditional version of eggs benedict, just follow these easy steps.

1. Order the Egg McMuffin.
2. Ask for a small container of breakfast sauce (the sauce that they put on the bagel sandwiches - it's hollandaise) and a knife and fork
3. Find a booth and start assembling
4. Take the top off the sandwich
5. Pour/scoop the breakfast sauce onto the sandwich
6. Dash a little black pepper on top if desire
7. Eat and enjoy!

I love Eggs Benedict, I hate every other kind. - Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) from Runaway Bride

Got my insides out, and it feels all right.

I just got back from seeing Anni Rossi and Kaisercartel at the Vaudeville Mews! I was really excited that two of my favorite acts from 80/35's past were going to be playing together. Anni Rossi was great of course and the audience really liked her. She actually remember me from 80/35 which was cool.

It was a lot of fun to see Kaisercartel again. The duo formed of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel are best described as emo's with sunny dispositions. Their album march forth is one of my favorites. They have an indy/folk pop sound that is just makes you feel kind of good when you listen to it. Two of their songs - Inside Out and Favorite Song - are going to be on the new HBO show Bored To Death.

As well as the old favorites, they also played some songs from their new album Rock Island which will be out in October. It's available for pre-order on their website www.kaisercartel.com where you can also check out lots of band info.

Get Your Foodie On

It's the beginning of the second annual Des Moines Restaurant Week! It runs from August 21st to August 30th and is a good way to check out some of DSM's posh restaurants. For $25 you can either split a lunch with a friend or treat yourself to a three course dinner. You can check out a list of participating restaurants and get other info at DSM Magazine. To kick things off I made a list of some of my favorite eateries.

1. Simo's Cafistro in Valley Junction

Simo's serves wonderful Cajun food. The menu includes appetizers such as escargot w/crawfish and scallops served over mashed potatoes and main courses such as black beans and rice, etouffee, swordfish, and stuffed porkchop. My personal favorite is the sashimi tuna which is a common nightly special. There is live music on the weekends for you to enjoy with your sangaria.

2. Miyabi 9 in East Village

Miyabi 9 has the best sushi ever! My favorites are the Captain Crunch and the Miami Heat rolls. I also enjoy the sashimi plate and maki icecream. It has a bigger kitchen that dinning area so I recommend getting there a bit early to make sure to get a seat right away so that you don't have to wait.

3. La Mie on 42nd Street

Whether you just want to grab a pastry on your way to work or enjoy a meal, Le Mie always makes you feel a little bit special. Some of my favorite things at this French bakery are the chocolate pitachio rolls, carmel pecan rolls, and avocado tarrine.

4. Teacups and Tiaras in Valley Junction

This girly tearoom is a great place to visit when you're in the mood for a light lunch. Take your mom here when she visits...she'll love it. The Mediterranean quiche and almond soup are my favs and the owner is a delight.

5. Mezzodi's on Fleur Drive

Located near the Fleur Cinemas this is a great place to go if your in the mood for dinner and a movie. The homemade pasta dishes are fabulous. My picks are the pear and toasted walnut salad and the chicken piccata. The service here is also wonderful.

6. The Gateway Market on MLK

I love the soups and lobster roll sandwich. It's also one of my favorite brunch places. Hands down the best eggs benedict in Des Moines.

7. El Patio on 37th

This slightly hidden gem is my favorite Mexican restaurant. The high quality ingredients make this stand above chains such as Chi Chi's. I enjoy the chicken enchiladas, tacos, and chimichanga and the fried icecream is a perfect way to end any meal.