dsmWeekly: January 24, 2024

Pretzel bread and cheddar are a popular combo at the Melting Pot's 93 locations across North America. Photo: Melting Pot

FOOD & DINING

Say cheese: The Melting Pot may open in Iowa

Writer: Michael Morain

OK, show of hands: Who likes melted cheese?

Apparently, a lot of us do. A representative from the Melting Pot, a chain of fondue restaurants, was in town this week to scout out potential spots to open a new franchise in Central Iowa. Both Ankeny and West Des Moines are on the company’s short list, based on demographic factors like wealth, education and, no doubt, lactose tolerance.

The first Melting Pot opened near Orlando in 1975, a decade or so after the Swiss national dish caught on in American kitchens and shag-carpeted dining rooms. Melting Pot franchises bubbled up across Florida and then nationwide. The Tampa-based empire now comprises 93 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada, with plans to open 15 more in time for its 50th anniversary.

The company’s original three menu options — hot oil, Swiss cheese, chocolate — have expanded over the years to include more traditional entrees and salads. The latest addition is something the website touts as an “ultimate 5-course experience,” which ends with a “Chocolate Explosion Fondue [that] arrives in a spectacle of fire and sparkles.”

The Melting Pot has explored Central Iowa at least once before, in 2014, according to a note in the Des Moines Register. A different fondue restaurant, Crave, opened in 2006 in West Glen but closed after a relatively short run.

But fondue’s dip may be done. The Melting Pot reports that 74 of its restaurants broke sales records in 2022 and 2023, when diners returned to restaurants after the pandemic.

The new spot in Central Iowa could open in mid-2025, according to Collin Benyo, the company’s franchise growth strategist. He lives in Sarasota, Florida, and flew in to meet with local business leaders and explore properties around the metro. In January. After a blizzard.

It’s a no-brainer, he said. “If I can sell melted cheese in Tampa, I can sell it in Des Moines.”

Cheers: A ticket to the wine-and-cheese event includes a commemorative glass. Photo: In Any Event

BEST BET

Two nights of indulgence

Indulge, the annual “wine, cheese and chocolate affair,” returns 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday downtown at West End Architectural Salvage, where you’ll find unlimited, full-size samples of specialties from Iowa and beyond. Reds and whites? Check. Brie and blue? Check. Toffee and truffles? Check and check.

Local musicians Mike Aceto and Jenna Huston perform on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Week Ahead

Two art shows in Grinnell, (opening Thursday): The Grinnell College Museum of Art opens “Myths and Migrations” (through March 31) with more than 50 paintings, collages and velour cutouts by Rome Prize winner William Villalongo, whose work delves into “the absurdity, beauty and vulnerability” of the Black experience through history. A second show, “Not One Without Water” (through May 20), borrows its title from W.H. Auden’s poem “First Things First” and draws from the museum’s permanent collection to explore the nature of water.

Za Ga Zig Shrine Circus (7 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m., 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday; noon and 5 p.m. Sunday): Between this weekend’s performances by all types of aerial artists and dare-devil acts, ride a camel or get your face painted at the Richard Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Demetri Martin, (8 p.m. Saturday): The Comedy Central star known for his stream-of-consciousness humor brings his “Joke Machine” tour for some laughs at Hoyt Sherman Place.

“The Film Lounge,” (1 p.m. Sunday): The annual Iowa PBS series that showcases Iowa filmmakers premieres on television at 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29. But if that’s past your bedtime, head to the Sunday afternoon screening at the Varsity Cinema, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

“Paddling with Polar Bears,” (7:30 p.m. Tuesday): Take a vicarious trip around the world at the Des Moines Civic Center when Mike Libecki, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, uses multimedia tools to recount his treks to all seven continents. His motto: “The time is now. Why ration passion? Dream big and climb those dreams.”

ARTS & CULTURE
Movie date: If you’re hungry for a foodie film, visit the Varsity Cinema on Feb. 16 for “The Taste of Things,” perfect for a Valentine’s date. The French film that won a 2023 Oscar nomination serves up a juicy tale about a French chef and his assistant as they navigate 20 years of gastronomy and love. At the Varsity, the team from La Mie will provide a pre-show glass of sparkling wine and some post-show nibbles. Reserve your tickets online.

FOOD & DINING
Summer snacking: The Greater Des Moines Partnership has announced the dates for three upcoming series:
The Downtown Farmers Market opens every Saturday, May 4 through Oct. 26, on and around Court Avenue.
The World Food & Music Festival returns Aug. 23-25 to Western Gateway Park.
The Out to Lunch steers its food trucks every Wednesday from May 15 through June 26 to various locations around downtown.
By the way, vendor applications for all three events are due Feb. 25.

The famous neon sign has drawn generations of music fans to dance at the ballroom in West Des Moines, first under the stars and later under a ceiling spangled with lights.

COMMUNITY

A new Val Era: The ballroom reopens on Leap Day

Writer: Kyle Munson

Sam Summers co-owns Wooly’s in the East Village and founded the annual Hinterland Music Festival in St. Charles in 2015. He’s the mastermind behind this year’s three-day festival lineup that went viral on TikTok and Instagram for including Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Noah Kahan as headliners. As one TikTok commenter wondered, “Why is one of the best music festival lineups of the year in a town of population 647? What is going on in Iowa, bro?”

Thanks to Summers, what isn’t going on in Iowa?

Up next: The Val Air ballroom is set to reopen on Leap Day, Feb. 29. The venue, which Summers purchased in January 2022 for $1.9 million, will kick off its new life with a week of high-profile concerts.

Summers hopes the Val Air will help him expand his clientele among a broad range of music fans in the streaming economy. He can introduce younger acts at Wooly’s, divert them to the Val Air after they’re more established and then feature them at Hinterland when they mature into headline stars.

The venue overhaul’s price tag shot up to $15 million in the post-pandemic economy. Work in the basement alone added as much as $4 million. “It’s like an archeological dig down here,” Summers said last spring while standing on the dirt floor of a 5,500-square-foot basement, which will eventually accommodate a supper club.

Val Air veterans will spot familiar features, such as the centerpiece 72-by-140-foot maple dance floor and the giant flashy disco ball dangling high above. Best of all, the iconic outdoor neon sign that hangs on the front brick facade has been restored.

Read the full story about the Val Air revival and its future in our latest issue.