Des Moines, what’s the best ice cream in the metro? Find the comments section and drop your thoughts!
Welcome back to Foodie 515!
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Des Moines Openings, Closings, and Such
- Closing
- Gazali’s has closed.
- Now Open
- Zaika Indian Restaurant is now open (I think) in Bondurant. They describe their eats as “authentic Punjabi flavor,” so I guess I better get my Punjabi ass to The B-Rant. I’m kidding. I know almost nothing about Punjabi food, despite my ancestry. They do have a variety of roti, so I’m in.
- Open for the Season
- Classic Frozen Custard has re-opened for the season! They’re always the first to re-open. More about them in the recs.
- Coming Soon
- `85 Bar is expanding to Waukee.
- An herb garden called The Grounding Garden is opening on the northeast side. I’m keeping an eye on that one.
- Hi-Fi Brew Lounge is, seemingly, opening in Valley Junction. It’s brought to you by Fox Brewing.
- Bits and Bobs
- I saw a few recommendations for Mo’z Mediterranean Grill, which I passed a few weeks ago and failed to research. It used to be 60th Market International Groceries, so it has been open since January of 2018. However, they’ve changed names and formats a few times. Might be worth a visit.
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Recs! Recs! Recs!
- Not Edible
- My sister’s GoFundMe for her medical bills is inching closer to being one-quarter funded. Please donate and share! If you’re in Johnston, she’s the vice president of your school board, so we want to keep her focused on the kiddos, not worried about medical debt.
- You can find free Plan B pills any time at Iowa Harm Reduction partners around the metro. You can also get them here.
- I’m now an affiliate for Scholastic Books, which I’m far too excited about!
- If you’re not familiar with GIVEdsm, it’s a cool fundraising platform for local projects, especially for non-profits.
- Memorial Kum & Go t-shirts are coming by the end of March. There will be a limited first run of 24 shirts. More news as we get closer!
- I’ve had huge opportunities come my way lately. I want to say thank you to those folks who’ve made those happen!
- Edible
- Monica from eatwithmo.dsm dined at the recently opened chain Hokkaido Ramen House, and she had happy things to say.
- I’m curating a foodie fodder reading list! I’m still adding stuff, so bookmark that one, please.
- Harbinger absolutely deserves this accolade (via Susan Stapleton).
- Go here and search for ice cream and tell me what’s worth buying, please.
- Classic Frozen Custard is one of those must-try places that you’ve passed a million times. It looks sketchy AF. But holy shit, is it good. Their portion sizes are stupid big. Sometimes, I question the cleanliness. I’ve seen things. That said, I’ll still go there any time. Plus, I’m immature, and their slogan makes me giggle.
WTF, Des Moines?
- Black Iowa News shared something that is definitely worth discussion. I know which eatery it is, and honestly, it’s not hard to figure out. But I want y’all to weigh in on this. You can see my take in the comments on FB.
- This Reddit thread about Paws and Pints is eye-opening. I’d heard not great stuff before. Please be careful with your doggos and yourselves, if you go there.
- The brand new Popeye’s in Ankeny caught fire. Oops.
- We recently tried a popular pop-up bakery, and neither of us were impressed. I’m sad because I’ve heard nothing but good things. Mediocre baked goods are one of the saddest things ever. But this makes me want to get to Nadia’s even more. Probably next week.
- If you have a long-standing, loyal customer base in the city, don’t move to the burbs. Just sayin’.
- Food Safety Thoughts
- Eight food safety violations for a high-end eatery are too many.
- Eleven (!) violations for a local hotel with a pricey, trendy restaurant are unacceptable. Y’all know who you are. Get your shit together.
- A long-standing Asian eatery on the southside had yet another inspection with a high number of violations. That’s two in two years. I have a lot of questions about that one. I’m not convinced it’s all on the eatery.
Food Fights
- What’s the best (truly local) ice cream in the metro?
- For me, it’s Pints by Beth on flavors, but price and texture both give me pause. Outstanding hard-pack ice cream is hard to find in DSM. We have decent options, but I have objections about each one. This is why I find myself still craving Baskin-Robbins, which is far from perfect in its own way. But nostalgia.
- What’s your take?
