dsm Dish - January 31, 2025

Introducing . . . the Restaurant Radar!

So where do you want to eat?

Here at dsm Dish, we’re always looking for new answers to that question. That's why we've created a handy online tool to keep track of local eateries that recently opened or plan to soon.

Future openings

Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Supper Club, 301 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines
Opening today at the Val Air Ballroom

Cooper’s Central Table and Cocktails, 1400 Chatham Ave., Norwalk
Opening Feb. 5

Black Cat Ice Cream, 134 Fifth St. in West Des Moines
Opening in Valley Junction on Feb. 14 or the following week

Lachele’s Fine Foods, 3619 Sixth Ave.
Opening in Highland Park on Feb. 20

The Rook Room Game Lounge & Cafe, 300 S.W. Fifth St.
Opening in March

30Hop, 1535 S.W. Market St., Ankeny
Moving in March or April to a new location in The District at Prairie Trail

Tribute Eatery & Bar, 1615 S.W. Main St., Ankeny
Opening in June or July

Recent openings

Check out the Restaurant Radar at dsmdish.com to see no fewer than 28 restaurants that opened during the last year.

So, really, where do you want to eat? If you have tips, please send them to editors@bpcdm.com.

Quick Bites

Lucky Lotus is now a special Lunar New Year menu to celebrate the Year of the Snake. The dishes include wontons to symbolize wealth and prosperity, steamed buns to promote family harmony and togetherness, and noodles for long life and health.

Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor and U.S. secretary of agriculture, has been tapped to help lead the World Food Prize Foundation. In the newly created CEO role, he'll focus on organizational leadership and diplomacy and expand the foundation’s global network to address food insecurity. Read more from the Business Record.

A group of French chefs is at DMACC this week. It's the 40th annual teaching exchange with the community college's Iowa Culinary Institute. See the story from KCCI.

Winefest is accepting applications for its Grand Cru group for young professionals. Members get exclusive access to Winefest events, opportunities to meet industry leaders and support Winefest's mission to promote culinary access and build community.

Food Events

Feb. 8: I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa, the state’s flagship African American festival, features soul food, barbecue, a health and wellness expo, and more at the Horizon Events Center in Clive.

Feb. 28: A Gilded Soiree, presented by Winefest and the West Des Moines Historical Society, features an elegant dinner with wine pairings prepared by chef Jacob Schroeder at the historic Jordan House in West Des Moines.

Feb. 28: Carve & Sear: A Rollins Lodge Feast offers a delicious opportunity to learn how to prepare prime cuts of meats, guided by chef Jake Miller of the Artisanal Food Co.

March 7: The Wine, Food and Beer Showcase offers samples from more than 30 area restaurants, caterers, wineries, breweries and distilleries at the downtown Marriott. All proceeds from the event, which started in 1985, support the Des Moines Metro Opera’s statewide education and community engagement programs.

Dinner and a show: corn edition

By Michael Morain

I love a themed meal. Years ago, before a friend and I saw “The Sound of Music” at the Des Moines Playhouse, we made some of Maria’s favorite things — schnitzel with noodles and (sort of) crisp apple strudel.

So this week, before I reviewed “Shucked,” the shamelessly corny musical that runs through Sunday at the Des Moines Civic Center, we invited Mom and some friends over for a pre-show dinner: blue tortilla chips with corn and bean “cowboy caviar,” corn chowder, cornbread muffins, and caramel corn for dessert. We even had a pitcher of Panka’s chicha, a bright Peruvian drink made from lime juice and fermented purple corn.

The cornucopia reminded me of a dish that dsm once featured in a roundup of popular side dishes around town.

Vaso de elote
La Baja Cocina Mexicana, 1938 S.E. Sixth St.

Of all the authentic Mexican dishes on the menu at this locally owned restaurant on the southeast side, one of the crowd-pleasers is a simple cup of corn known as the vaso (“cup”) de elote (“corn cob”). The traditional street food version consists of grilled corn on the cob, slathered with mayo and salty cotija cheese, and a sprinkle of chili powder and lime juice. La Baja serves an easier-to-eat version of shelled corn in a bowl with the addition of sour cream, salsa and Tajín. The corn’s sweetness complements the Tajín’s spicy kick and the citrus acidity.

“It’s a traditional experience,” manager Claudia Ocampo said through her niece Fernanda Ocampo’s translation. “It’s a simple taste of Mexico.”

The new Val Air supper club officially opens in the basement today, before country star Ella Langley sings upstairs. Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Country Club pays tribute to the music venue’s original owner Tom Archer and will serve classics like relish trays, shrimp cocktails, chicken liver mousse, and spaghetti with meatballs. Chef Ryan Skinner even planned to track down the Steak de Burgo recipe from Johnny’s Vets Club, a Valley Junction mainstay that closed during the floods of ’93.

For the full back story, check out dsm contributor Kyle Munson’s history of the 101-year-old hot spot.