dsmWeekly: March 12, 2019

It's hard to imagine the immigration experience of a bygone era, but the Des Moines Symphony will inspire such thoughts this weekend.

SYMPHONY CELEBRATES SPIRIT OF IMMIGRATION

Imagine the hopeful, anxious, emotional arrival of so many of our forebears as the Des Moines Symphony continues its 81st season with Ellis Island / The New World at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Experience Dvorak’s "Ninth Symphony" in a concert celebrating the journey to the New World. First, our nation’s immigrant heritage is brought to vivid life on Ellis Island: "The Dream of America," an ambitious new work that blends theater, narration, historical images and music to portray immigrants in their quest for a new and better life. Next, pianist Anne-Marie McDermott plays Gershwin’s uniquely American, jazz-infused Concerto in F. Finally, Dvorak’s famed "New World Symphony" features the evocative sounds of his own American journey.

The symphony's program notes tell more about the pieces to be performed. For unique insights, a free talk begins in the east lobby 45 minutes prior to these performances.

Tickets are $15-$68 and are available online here (up until two hours prior to performances) and at the Civic Center ticket office.

It may take a little extra time to travel to Earlham for pizza, but the cooking time is super quick at The Hare + The Hound.

THIS JUST IN: HAPPENINGS ON THE DINING FRONT

By Wini Moranville

Here are a few items of note on the dining scene.

• Time for a Trip to Earlham?
Sara Hill has opened The Hare + The Hound, a new restaurant located in the historic Bricker-Price building in Earlham. Fast-fired pizza, cooked for 1 minute and 45 seconds in a pizza oven imported from Italy, is a specialty.

Hill is best known as the co-owner and front-of-the-house virtuoso at Baru 66, but when asked who the chef was for this new venue, she said, "I am!" She explained that while her husband (chef David Baruthio) obtained the equipment, she mastered the doughs and toppings and figured out how to fire them up just right.

At this point, Hill says she’s experimenting with a few other menu items, including smoked ribs, slow-roasted pork shoulder, and lemon-thyme chicken. The venue has a full bar with some craft beer and wine selections.

While The Hare + The Hound opened last month, Hill kept it on the low-down. "I wanted to get my staff up to speed before people drove 20 to 30 minutes to give us a try," she says.

The Hare + The Hound is at 105 S. Chestnut Ave., Earlham. No phone number. Find them on Facebook: @harehoundearlham.

• Aaron Holt Leaving RoCA
Esteemed local chef Aaron Holt, who was awarded Chef of the Year from the Iowa Restaurant Association last year, is leaving RoCA to begin a position as culinary consultant for Sysco Foods. He also plans to build up his business, Doolittle Farm LLC, a 53-acre farm where he grows organic fruits, vegetables, micro greens and edible flowers. At some point, he plans to offer chef dinners in the farmhouse built by his great-grandfather in 1905. His five-year plan is to renovate the century-old barn for special events.

A replacement for Holt at RoCA has not yet been named. Holt plans to stay on at RoCA for a few months to ensure a smooth transition.

• Culinary Affair on April 7
The Iowa Restaurant Association is holding its annual Culinary Affair. This year’s gourmet wine dinner features seven courses, each prepared by a different local chef and paired with fine wine from E. & J. Gallo Winery. Tickets are $125 per person, with sponsorship packages available. Find more information here.

Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.

The familiar sight of a bus rolling out of DART's Central Station will have a different look tomorrow.

UNUSUAL UNVEILING TOMORROW FOR 9TH ART BUS

A local bus will once again be wrapped in artwork, to be unveiled in dramatic fashion at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow at the DART Central Station, 620 Cherry St.

Featuring the work of Wisconsin artist Marianne Fairbanks, this is the ninth "art bus" project by the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation and the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority. Organizers hint that this will be an unveiling like none before. We're planning to be there.

Broadway comes to Des Moines once again, in the touring shows presented by Des Moines Performing Arts.

CIVIC CENTER SHOWS TO BE REVEALED THURSDAY

Des Moines Performing Arts will announce the new season of Civic Center productions at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 14, on its website, DMPA.org. After recent seasons that included "Hamilton" and "Dear Evan Hansen," we're eager to see what they come up with next. Broadway Series season ticket packages will go on sale after the announcement.

Downtown Des Moines' festive St. Patrick's Day parade starts at noon Saturday.

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY PARADE SATURDAY

Well, here's a big "go figure"—Des Moines ranks 29th among America's 200 largest cities in ... (ready?) best places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Folks at the website WalletHub mostly focus on economic topics. But recently they surveyed the best cities for celebrating Irish-American heritage, "across 17 key metrics, ranging from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to weather forecast."

No. 1? Chicago. Des Moines scores just behind San Francisco and ahead of Denver. Feeling proud?

Between now and the weekend's festivities, including the parade on Saturday, consider these fun facts:

819%: Increase in Guinness consumption on St. Patrick’s Day compared with the rest of the year (152.5% more beer is sold overall).

$1.3 million: Market value of a leprechaun’s pot of gold, by WalletHub's mysterious calculation.
$5.6 billion: Amount that will be spent on St. Patrick’s Day 2019 ($40 per person celebrating).
32.6 million: Number of Americans who claim Irish ancestry, second only to German and seven times the population of Ireland.

After 45 years of rock, George Thorogood and the Destroyers are ready for an engagement at Hoyt Sherman Place.

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD . . .

George Thorogood and the Destroyers are coming to Hoyt Sherman Place April 28. For other fun opportunities, explore a pair of easy-to-use online calendars. We at dsm magazine and the Business Record maintain this calendar with handy filters so you can see just the types of events you're searching for. For even more categories, check Catch Des Moines.