Apologies for the lack of content over the last week. More on that after the goodies!
National Food Holidays
There aren’t any big food holidays this weekend, so I’ve no free food to pass on, but your local eateries might have deals for these celebrations:
- Today–National Panini Day . . . frankly, I’m disappointed in Panera for not having something
- Saturday, August 12–National Julienne Fries Day . . . oddly specific
- Sunday, August 13–National Filet Mignon Day
- Morton’s Steakhouse is celebrating at their bar with a couple bucks of filet sliders
- GTFO . . . no. I won’t apologize for my food snobbery. Maybe it’s delicious, but filet mignon is expensive. If I’m gonna make it at home, I’m not experimenting in an air fryer. Gimme the cast iron skillet and an oven.
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Des Moines, Iowa News
There’s an unfortunate food overlap this year, and I’m displeased with this small-ass city for not planning better.
Des Moines Restaurant Week–August 18th through August 27th
The menus are rolling in at their website, and I’m already seeing some standouts:
- Aura–A chilled corn bisque during sweet corn season? I hope they’re sourcing local because that sounds amazing
- Gastro Grub and Pub–I will eat the shit out of those baby carrots and hangar steak
- HoQ–Props to them for putting something on a stick; it’ll be like going to the Iowa State Fair but tastier and without Republicans shoving corn dogs in their holes. Speaking of the Fair . . .
- Proudfoot and Bird–This might be the only way I can afford P & B, and I respect their Fair-themed menu
- Harbinger–This is my favorite menu of the places I’m considering visiting. It’s a thing of beauty.
NOTE: Restaurant Week is heavy on places I won’t spend money at including Alba, Bar Nico, Franka, Splash, and St. Kilda. If you don’t know why I don’t patronize those places, the archives of my Patreon page contain the values-based reasons. Or you can search Reddit. These aren’t secrets.
World Food and Music Festival–August 25th through August 27th
This is my favorite annual food event. Unfortunately, it is a few weeks earlier than usual. I’m not sure why. Hence, the overlap between major food events. This overlap certainly limits where I’ll be eating for Restaurant Week. Maybe that was the plan, but that makes no sense. Regardless, I imagine there were some restaurateurs who were none too pleased about this overlap.
Sadly, for personal reasons, I can only briefly attend the World Food and Music Festival this year, so if you see me scarfing down samples and not stopping to talk to anyone, it’s because I’m trying to fit it all in (my schedule and my mouth).
Iowa State Fair–August 10th through August 20th
It is what it is. I’m not going. I’m over the Fair. I only get a corn dog, cotton candy, cheese curds, and funnel cake, and I’ve already found replacements for all of those:
- Corn dog–Whoever has Korean corn dogs (sometime DSM Ramen, Jenny Lee’s whenever she reopens, and Naughtea)
- Cotton candy
- Cheese curds
- Funnel cake (fries sundae)
Regardless, whose idea was it to put three of the metro’s biggest food events at the same fucking time?!
Cha(i)!
I’ve learned some things about my family’s background, and I really want to make this now.
Where have I been?
From June 14th to now, I’ve been so busy, then simply trying to recover. We went on our vacation to the UK, which was both wonderful and frustrating. When we returned, I tested positive for COVID. During that, a young friend of mine unexpectedly passed away. We’re talking healthy to dead in the manner of a few days. Then I had my carpal tunnel release surgery, which I got my stitches out on July 26th.
I knew I was busy and overwhelmed with so many emotions, but I don’t think I gave myself enough time to recover. Plus, I’ve only been able to type with both hands for about a week. Even then, I can only do so much. Like I’m gonna have to stop in about two minutes.
All of this came right when I decided to shift the focus of my business. But I couldn’t think straight to make plans. Throw in med changes and my brain simply wasn’t working in the way I needed it to work.
Fortunately, I can’t just see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can also feel it. I finally feel able to progress with the business pivot, and I hope you’ll enjoy the full launch when it starts.
WHICH STARTS MONDAY!