Your New dsmWeekly!

A New Year, a New Newsletter

Welcome to the launch of the refreshed dsmWeekly! We’ve given the newsletter—which now publishes on Wednesdays—a makeover to better serve you. In addition to covering local dining, shopping, arts and culture, we’ll also help you plan your weekend by highlighting the best shows and events happening around town. If you have news or ideas to share, email us at dsmeditor@bpcdm.com. And if you have friends who want to stay in the know, they can sign up to have dsmWeekly delivered to their inbox here. We look forward to hearing from you! —Christine Riccelli, editor-in-chief, dsm magazine

The hearty Beet Salad with Salmon at Django stars multicolored beets, goat cheese, tangy pickled onion and more. The salmon turns it into a main dish. Photo: Duane Tinkey

FOOD AND DRINK
3 Restaurant Salads That Will Actually Fill You Up

Writer: Karla Walsh

If you think all salads are either starters before a meat and potatoes meal or simply “rabbit food,” I have three pieces of evidence that will convince you otherwise. So if you’re looking to turn over a new leaf this January, order any or all of my current favorite filling and flavorful salads.

Beet Salad with Salmon at Django. With a little peppery arugula and a lot of hearty roasted multicolored beets, this is more like a ridiculously filling side dish than a salad—especially when you get a forkful that includes salty goat cheese crumbles, tangy pickled onion and crunchy sunflower seeds. Add a filet of crispy seared salmon for a well-balanced meal that will keep you satisfied for hours. ($15.99 for a regular, $22.49 for a large)

Chicken Shawarma Salad at Gazali’s. Across the metro on the west end of Clive, the spice is right at this Mediterranean cafe. Warm, peppery and mildly spicy at once, Gazali’s shawarma chicken steals the show in this colorful salad. Underneath, you’ll find a bed of mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, pickles (don’t knock it till you try it!), Kalamata olives and feta. Add their fluffy pita on the side and prepare to transport your taste buds to the Mediterranean. ($17)

Fall Squash Salad at Fresko. Even though it’s officially winter, this autumnal blend isn’t out of style. One of the newest additions to the menu at the downtown restaurant, the vegetarian entree eats like a real meal thanks to hearty pumpernickel croutons, candied pecans and plenty of blue cheese in the leafy green mix. It all comes together with a honey verjus vinaigrette. ($13)

You have eight chances to see Max Wellman's "Come Fly With Me" this month and in February. Photo: Ben Easter

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Max Wellman and His Big Band Swing With Sinatra

You can still snag tickets for jazz vocalist Max Wellman’s Friday concert at Noce featuring the music of Frank Sinatra. The popular show, “Come Fly With Me,” has been revamped for 2022, with Wellman and his 17-piece big band covering everything from Sinatra’s early hits such as “All or Nothing at All” through songs from his later concept albums. There are two showtimes, at 7 and 9 p.m.; tickets range from $10 to $50.

Can’t make it this Friday? No worries; Wellman and his band also will present two shows each evening on Jan. 21, Feb. 11 and Feb. 25. (Note: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from the previous 48 hours is required for entry.)

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Des Moines Art Center Tour (5 p.m. Friday): Get an inside look at some of the Art Center’s newly acquired works on a tour led by Jeff Fleming, the museum’s director. Gather at 5 p.m.; the tour starts at 5:30.

First Friday (5-8 p.m. Friday): Mainframe Studios is urging you to “Keep it Mellow” for this month’s event, during which the artists will host open studios. Food and drink also will be available.

No Sleep: Stand-Up Comedy (8 p.m. Saturday): Nine Iowa comedians will perform at Wooly’s in the state’s biggest independent stand-up comedy show.

Botanical Blues (1 and 3 p.m. Sunday): Listen to acoustic versions of well-known blues standards when Major Blues and the Mugshots take the stage at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. The two shows each last one hour.

ARTS AND CULTURE
Better with Beethoven: You’ll experience Beethoven in a new, unexpected way when the Des Moines Symphony presents “Immortal Beloved” Jan. 29-30 at the Des Moines Civic Center. In addition to a musical performance, the concert will feature several actors, one who plays Beethoven (fun fact: his 250th birthday was Dec. 16). The first half of the program focuses on the narrative, with music accompanying. The second half stars renowned pianist Lisa DeLasalle performing Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto.

When Madison Ray got back into music, "I thought, 'Oh, my God, this is my purpose.' There was such joy. I was all in." Photo: Duane Tinkey

SNEAK PEEK
Madison Ray: Creating a World Within His Music

Writer: Luke Manderfeld

This story will appear in the January/February issue of dsm magazine, which will be published Jan. 18.

In the early 2000s Madison Ray was attending college at Soka University of America in California, studying philosophy and literature. But he felt something was missing in his life.

As he confided in a friend, she suggested he get back into music. After all, the Des Moines native had been involved in music throughout his childhood—his parents still play tapes of him dancing and singing to Paula Abdul songs when he was 3. As a teen, Ray participated in choir and theater at Roosevelt High School.

“I realized I needed to get music back into my life. It was such a no-brainer, now that I look back on it,” says Ray, who is now 35. “When I finally got back into it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is my purpose.’ There was such joy. I was all in.”

Ray finished college in 2004 with a degree in philosophy and moved to Japan to hone his craft and explore more of the world, performing in Tokyo nightclubs and festivals. Still, he watched as Des Moines was transforming—the recently built Wells Fargo Arena was drawing nationally touring musicians, for example—and decided to move back in 2008. He wanted to be a part of the city’s growing energy. Read more.