Kesha is the closing act on the 80/35 main stage Saturday evening.

SUMMER ROLLS ON: 80/35 FRIDAY, SATURDAY

Arts Fest, check. "Hamilton," check. So it's time for summer's Next Big Deal: 80/35, the annual two-day music festival, will rock the block at Western Gateway Park on Friday and Saturday, July 6 and 7. 

Des Moines Music Coalition, the event's organizer, estimates the annual crowd at 30,000 people, drawn by headliners at the pay-to-see main stage and additional acts at nearby free stages. Hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday. Main-stage tickets are $52 for one day, $85 for both days.

Friday highlights: Phantogram, Atmosphere, Phoebe Bridgers, Pink Neighbor, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Remo Drive, Jeff Rosenstock, Closed Format, Da Younger, Matthew James & the Rust Belt Union, Closed Witch, and Elizabeth Moen.

Saturday includes: Kesha, Courtney Barnett, Car Seat Headrest, Vagabon, Honycreeper, Naked Giants, Sawyer Fredericks, Ratboys, Zeshan B, Soccer Mommy, Ratboys, Pricilla Renea, Comandante, Starry Nights, Foxholes, Karen Meat, the Host Country, Extravision, and Telekinetic.

For tickets and more information, including a full list of performers and schedules, visit 80-35.com or Facebook. 

Empanadas, Latin American pastry pockets, can contain any combination of ingredients. These are chicken and tomato, served with lime crema and avocado.

SHE'S PLEASED WITH PLATED, AND HERE'S WHY

By Wini Moranville

Although meal kit delivery services took off a few years ago, they never really snagged my interest. But after a friend sent me a free box from Plated, I realized that these kits—which deliver ingredients and recipes for meals to cook at home—aren’t just for novice cooks or harried families.

Here’s why I’m happy to spend $55 a week for two dinners for two:

• I’m officially out of my rut: Sure, I’ve authored three cookbooks and have worked as an editor or feature writer on dozens more. And yet sometimes I grow weary of my own style of cooking (French, Italian and classic American). Plated has nudged me to cook Cuban empanadas, Vietnamese caramel chicken and other dishes that aren’t generally in my wheelhouse.

• I trust these recipes: As someone who writes and edits recipes as part of her métier, I’ve been impressed by how accurate, practical and straightforward the recipes are. Out of eight recipes, I’ve only found one questionable timing, and that was easily fixed by just a little more time in the oven.

• I admire the ingredients: With the minor exception of an unripe tomato, all ingredients—from produce to meats and seasonings—have arrived fresh and in great condition.

• There’s no waste: Have you ever bought some obscure condiment or a fresh herb, used a bit of it for a recipe, and had the remainder go forgotten and unused for the rest of its life span? Plated gives you just the amount you need of everything you need, except salt, pepper and cooking oil.

• I avoid dining out by default: When I’m in the mood to dine out, there’s no other place I’d rather be than in a local restaurant. But if I just wander into a place because I haven’t thought ahead, I usually leave annoyed at myself. These kits stay fresh for two to four days. That makes it easier to avoid spending $12 for a glass of wine in a restaurant those times when I would have been just as happy with a glass from a $12 bottle at home.

Find out more about Plated at plated.com.

A tender moment surrounded by hip-hop, political debates, duels and war: Shoba Narayan and Joseph Morales in "Hamilton."

LONG-AWAITED 'HAMILTON' DELIVERS

Review by Michael Morain

It’s a shame the new show at the Des Moines Civic Center didn’t sneak into town unannounced, like Paul Revere, to catch us off guard. It could have under-promised and over-delivered.

Instead it marched in like the redcoats—"The British are coming! The British are coming!"—and threatened to blow us all away. With such fanfare, it’s fair to wonder if the show is a new take on "The Emperor’s New Clothes."

But let me tell you: The clothes are resplendent.

After the house lights dim, after all your Facebook friends post their #Hamilton selfies, after the first piano chords drop and the cast starts snapping and a spotlight catches the title character at center stage, the audience finally releases the pent-up applause they’ve been waiting to let loose ever since Des Moines Performing Arts announced more than two years ago that "Hamilton" was coming to town. And along with it: 65,000 ticket-buyers from 48 states and Guam. (Guam, people. Guam!)

So it’s fortunate the show is actually good, as well constructed and finely embroidered as the red satin waistcoat and breeches of King George III (played by His Ridiculous Highness Jon Patrick Walker).

The show is even greater than the sum of its great parts, all of which could stand alone. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s words pack a punch on the printed page, as his Tony and Pulitzer honors attest. His hip-hop score is smart and catchy. The choreography would be fascinating even in silence. The costumes would be lovely on mannequins in a museum. The rotating set and dramatic lighting conjure everything from a hurricane to a cannon-blasted battle.

But it’s the actors who bring the story to life. Joseph Morales’ Hamilton has so much verve and swagger. Nik Walker’s Aaron Burr is sly and ambitious. Shoba Narayan and Ta’Rea Campbell’s Schuyler sisters are a force to be reckoned with, and Kyle Scatliffe’s flamboyant Thomas Jefferson tears up the stage like James Brown.

Over and over again, we see characters we studied in grade school jump out of their dusty textbooks and behave in relatable ways, with love and hope and grief and petty vengeance. Over and over again, we see infant America grapple with challenges that still trouble us in our country’s unruly adolescence or weary middle age—inequality, sexism, political dysfunction. On Thursday night, the line "Immigrants get the job done" sparked a quick burst of applause.

I could go on—as Hamilton himself surely would—but the world doesn’t need another "Hamilton" review. By this point, the number of glowing essays you can find online might outnumber even the Federalist Papers.

But I’ll add my voice to the national chorus. Like the man who inspired it, "Hamilton" promises big and delivers.

"Hamilton" runs through July 15 at the Des Moines Civic Center, and some tickets are still up for grabs—either at face value or through a $10 daily lottery. dmpa.org

Sometimes wine is just a beverage, other times it's an experience. Five local sites have been honored for celebrating the difference.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS CITED FOR WINE EXCELLENCE

Congratulations to five local restaurants honored for their wine programs by Wine Spectator magazine, including three first-time honorees. Table 128, RoCA and Splash join perennial choices 801 Chophouse and Fleming's among recipients of awards listed in the magazine's July issue.

Table 128, RoCA and Splash receive the magazine's "Award of Excellence," indicating that they typically offer at least 90 selections and feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. 801 Chophouse has once again received the "Best of Award of Excellence" designation, indicating that they typically offer 350 or more selections and are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team.

Prairie Meadows Racing Club is back for a second season, offering a fun and easy way to experience racehorse ownership. Members pay a one-time fee of $300 to enjoy some of the excitement and perks of being owners. Last month, the club purchased an impressive thoroughbred, Runarounddancing, for the 2018 racing reason.

"Runarounddancing has been competing very consistently at Prairie Meadows, often placing in the top three—that’s what initially intrigued me about this horse," says Club trainer Kelly Von Hemel. "He ran well in his debut race as the club horse on June 23, and I hope we will have a successful season with a few wins."

Prairie Meadows Racing Club offers exclusive benefits including special events, viewings of the horse’s workout sessions, priority valet parking, special accommodations on race days, and more. The racing season may have already begun, but the club is still accepting members. For additional information, click here.