dsm Dish - August 22, 2025

It’s been 30 years since Nevres Sehic and his family moved to Des Moines to start new lives in America after the Bosnian War. They initially moved into an apartment at 35th Street and Grand Avenue. It was close to Ingersoll Wine & Spirits, so Sehic walked in and asked for a job stocking shelves as a teenager.

Each day, he learned more about the bottles on the shelves and often met sales reps and producers traveling across the country to promote their brands. Over the years, his curiosity and continuing education led to industry trips to California and France. Now, he serves as the wine director for Gateway Market & Café.

In the last five years or so, Sehic has noticed a growing interest in wines from Eastern Europe. Greek and Slovenian offerings became popular enough that he decided to bring in a few labels at Gateway Market, which also stocks at least three wines from his Bosnian homeland.

Farmers have made wine in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina since at least the 13th century, but the region’s political history may be the reason why you haven’t heard much about it. Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the former Yugoslavia (along with Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro). Under communist rule for more than a half-century, wine producers could sell their grapes only to government-run operations. Furthermore, when wars for independence broke out in the 1990s, much of the country was destroyed, including many vineyards and wineries. After the war ended in 1995, those vineyards and wineries reverted to private hands and sparked a real wine renaissance in that part of the world.

Here are three Bosnian wines from Vinogradi Nuic that you can find right now at Gateway Market (on your way to this weekend’s World Food & Music Festival):

Zilavka (white): This grape is indigenous to Bosnia and tastes like a Spanish Albarino. It’s “clean, crisp and refreshing with notes of green apple,” Sehic said. It’s ideal with seafood and chicken pasta dishes. $20.

Blatina (red): Also indigenous to Bosnia, this wine is similar to a Tuscan red. It’s aged for 12 months in French barriques (small barrels). “It’s a complex and Old World wine, full-bodied and robust with smooth tannins and oak notes,” Sehic explained. It pairs well with prosciutto, duck and aged cheeses. $32.

Trnjak (red): This grape originated in Croatia but is widely grown in Bosnia and Montenegro. It’s aged in French barriques for 13 months and has a robust, full-bodied flavor with rich notes of blackberries, coffee, chocolate and tobacco. Sehic said it “tastes like a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel — smooth with a pleasant texture.” It’s ideal for steak and roasted lamb. $40.

Sehic recommends opening the red wines to breathe for a half hour or so before serving, ideally at 55-60 degrees. Then raise a glass for a toast: Zivjeli! (ZHEE-vye-lee)

Contributing writer Chris Diebel is a public affairs consultant and founding partner of Bubba - Southern Comforts.

Quick Bites

dsm Restaurant Week continues! Diners can enjoy deals on prix fixe menus at nearly 40 restaurants through Sunday. In case you need some recommendations, our editors curated lists of participating restaurants perfect for all your dining needs. Find guides to the best patios, date night spots, comfort food favorites, gluten free places, and great cocktails all on our dsm Instagram.

Americana announced it will close after Sept. 7. The restaurant that helped reboot the Western Gateway posted on Facebook: “When we opened in 2011, our goal was to add vibrancy to downtown — and thanks to you, our loyal guests and supporters, it has been an incredible journey.”

Ten Iowa State Fair vendors donated nearly 6,000 pounds of surplus food to the Food Bank of Iowa at the close of this year’s fair — about the same as last year. The food bank has been collecting unsold fair food since 2018. Because some of the food is perishable and needed to be consumed quickly, half was delivered to metro partners on Monday. The remainder will go on inventory for distribution through the food bank’s locations across 55 Iowa counties.

The Melting Pot, a Florida-based fondue restaurant, is exploring space in the Des Moines metro as it looks to expand to Iowa, and could have a franchise partner in place by the end of the year. Once a site is selected, construction would take about six months. Read more from the Business Record.

Events

Today through Sunday: The World Food & Music Festival at Western Gateway Park is a multisensory feast that regularly ranks among USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Check out the full list of vendors.

Sept. 5 & 7: The Plant Life Pizza Picnic offers seasonal wood-fired pizzas in the expertly grown gardens of Plant Life Designs. Chef Jacob Schroeder of Crafted Food Services will be manning the pizza oven, turning out personal pizzas all evening.

Sept. 13: Learn how to make sausage during a workshop at Whippoorwill Creek Farm. dsm went last summer and had a meaty, mighty fine time.

Sept. 14: Self-Help International’s farm-to-table dinner at Mohs Barn in Winterset features a three-course menu with sweet potatoes and corn — staple crops in Ghana and Nicaragua, where the Self-Help works to fight hunger. Proceeds from the dinner support the nonprofit’s programs in farming, women’s empowerment, clean water and education.

Sept. 21: Picnic Theater: “Agrimusic” at the Wallace Farm in Orient features a farm-fresh picnic and a concert by the local musician and Iowa historian Seth Hedquist.

Sept. 26: The Dahlias in Bloom Dinner at PepperHarrow offers five courses with wine pairings in the middle of the flower fields.

Eat better food for your brain, whether or not you're going back to school

By Karla Walsh

No single aspect of health — diet, exercise, sleep or anything else — can guarantee a longer life, so experts agree it’s best to take a holistic approach to keeping your brain and body healthy. Still, the dietitians and doctors we spoke to say that little decisions you make daily, like what you put on your plate, add up over time. In other words, that mango can be “medicine” for your brain.

“The brain is probably the most sensitive organ in our body to nutrients, oxygen and chemicals in our environment,” said Dr. Andrew D. Nish, the medical director for the John Stoddard Cancer Center at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines.

The brain makes up about 2% of our body weight but it consumes 30% to 50% of the “metabolic demand,” he explained. That means it needs a lot of calories — and the right kind of calories.

“I like to explain the brain as the ‘Ferrari of organs,’’’ Nish said. “It depends on a consistent supply of energy. In the standard American diet, 60% of our calories come from ultra-processed foods that are convenient but don’t resemble anything real.

Scientists are also learning more about how gut hormones and health are connected to cognition. The gut microbiome is made up of 100 trillion bacteria, so when your gut health suffers, your whole health suffers, Nish explained.

So how can you best feed your brain?

“Aim for a blend of slow-digesting carbohydrates, protein and fat in your meals and snacks to prevent spikes in your blood sugar,” said Jennifer DeWall, a registered and licensed sports dietitian and the owner of Nutrition in Motion in West Des Moines.

The Mediterranean diet is an example that has been proven to improve overall health and longevity, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

“Eat nutritionally dense foods and you’ll naturally feel more satiated and will cut down on the amount of food you need,” Nish said. “But it’s not just about calories in and out. It’s about the mix of micronutrients. You need 30-plus micronutrients, and one isn’t better than others. Our brain is complex and it needs all of the nutrients.”

That said, some standout nutrients are particularly important to incorporate into your diet for optimal cognitive functioning, said DeWall. These include:

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts.
Curcumin, found in turmeric.
Vitamin D, found in fatty fish, mushrooms, fortified cereals, milk, yogurt.
B vitamins, found in leafy greens, legumes, salmon, tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, nuts.
Folate, found in spinach, asparagus, beef liver, fortified cereals.

“Eat seven to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day and you should be well on your way,” DeWall recommended.

Also think about deleting certain items from your diet. Remove refined carbohydrates and sugars, and replace them with whole foods that have more fiber. (For example, substitute sugary cereal with steel-cut oats.) Skip the pastries, processed snack foods and sugary drinks, and eat or drink a colorful variety of whole and unprocessed foods, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

This article has been updated from its original publication in our dsm September/October 2020.

Contributing writer Karla Walsh has written health, travel, food and dining stories for dozens of local and national publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, Allrecipes and more. You can find her on Substack, What's Good.

When you woke up this morning, did you realize it's National Bao Day? According to legend, the fluffy steamed bun was developed in the third century by the Chinese military strategist Zhuge Liang. In China, it's typically made with a dough of low-protein wheat flour and filled with ground meat, but newer versions have popped up across Asia and the West. For a modern take, try one (or several) at Harbinger or the Laotian stand Bubble Tea Kups at this weekend's World Food & Music Festival.