dsmWeekly: February 12, 2019

Members of the versatile dance company Malpaso, coming to Des Moines next week. Photo: Anja Beutler.

CUBAN DANCE TROUPE COMING TO CIVIC CENTER

Originating in Cuba, Malpaso is a passionate contemporary dance ensemble that works to bring Cuban dance into the 21st century by collaborating with top international choreographers. The troupe makes its Des Moines premiere on the Civic Center stage Tuesday, Feb. 19, with choreography by Osnel Delgado, Aszure Barton and Ohad Naharin.

"Watching the choreography of Aszure Barton is like watching the physical unfurling of the human psyche" — Rebecca Gross, NEA Arts Magazine.

Ticket prices for the 7:30 p.m. program range from $16 to $61 at dmpa.org or the Civic Center box office.

Fried, yet light and crisp—nobody does tempura vegetables better than Miyabi. 9.

HUNGRY FOR SOME FRESH TASTES? GO GLOBAL

By Wini Moranville

Given the extensive menus at many ethnic restaurants, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some can’t-miss dishes at a few of our favorite globally focused spots.

Empanadas at Mi Patria: Empanadas—savory hand-held pastries filled with meat or cheese—are a signature snack in Central and South America. Every meal at this casual Ecuadoran venue should start off with an order of the warmly spiced, blistery-crisp half-moons. But share ’em—they’re huge.
Green Curry at Thai Flavors: The amazing-ness of this coconut-milk-laced, aromatically spiced, sweet-salty-spicy-nutty curry is hardly breaking news. Indeed, loving this dish is almost like loving the medley on the B-side of "Abbey Road." Who doesn’t? Still, it never gets old.
Pork and Egg Roll Bùn at Aroy Dee: This vermicelli rice-based dish is a study in contrasts: Savor warm, chewy-in-a-good-way pork with cool and crunchy vegetables and soft and slippery white noodles, with chopped egg rolls for yet another crisp and savory dimension.
Tacos at Fernando’s Mexican Grill: Here, they wait until you order to press the dough balls into tortilla disks—how fresh is that? Top them with moist, seasoned steak bits, pico de gallo, salsa verde and cilantro-flecked red onions for taco-truck-fresh, killer-good tacos that you can enjoy indoors, all year round.
Vegetable Tempura at Miyabi 9: Forget all the lackluster versions of tempura you’ve ever endured, because here’s your new gold standard (pictured, above). The off-the-beaten-path mix of vegetables (which can include such wild cards as okra, Japanese lotus and kohlrabi) arrives with a heavenly fried coating that’s generously dappled yet impossibly light and crisp.

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

The one on the left? Or on the right? Your vote will help choose wines for Winefest's Battle of the Bottles Wine Flight on March 28.

NEW WINEFEST CHALLENGE IS UNDERWAY

Winefest has added a new kind of challenge to their schedule of events. When you dine at any of eight select restaurants, you can get two glasses of wine for $17 in celebration of Winefest’s 17th year. Then visit Winefest’s website and vote for which wine was your favorite. The eight favorite wines will be served at the first round of the "Battle of the Bottles Wine Flight" on March 28.

Visit more than two restaurants and you can be entered to win:

Two tickets to the "Battle of the Bottles" Wine Flight.
Four VIP tickets to the Willis Grand Tasting on June 8.

Participating restaurants include Alba, Aposto, Bubba, the Cheese Shop and Cheese Bar (the same wines will be poured at both), Splash, Table 128, and Teddy Maroon's.

Check out the Winefest website periodically for more details and updates about this year's Winefest events.

The Des Moines Symphony's guest conductor, Gerald Schwarz, was music director of the Seattle Symphony from 1985 to 2011.

SYMPHONY PRESENTS MASTERWORKS 4

Celebrated conductor Gerard Schwarz will handle the baton for the Des Moines Symphony's Masterworks 4 concert at the Civic Center this weekend—7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17.

Schwarz, who has led many of the world’s greatest orchestras and opera companies, replaces John Nelson, previously announced guest conductor, who withdrew for health reasons. Schwarz made his Des Moines Symphony debut in 2016, conducting Brahms' Fourth Symphony. Now at the invitation of Joseph Giunta, Schwarz returns to lead the orchestra in a concert that features the Des Moines debut of Israeli pianist Roman Rabinovich. The program includes Prokofiev’s jazz-infused, lyrical Third Piano Concerto, Bernstein’s witty "Divertimento," a celebration of American dance dedicated to the Boston Symphony, and Schumann’s expressive Symphony No. 2.

Tickets are $15-$68 and are available online through dmsymphony.org and at the Civic Center ticket office. Click here for more information, including student discount pricing.

A print is gently peeled from the block for evaluation by artists Tim Dooley and Aaron Wilson. Working together, they explore a creative process that is complex and experimental. They'll demonstrate and discuss their work Friday at Moberg Gallery.

'ARTIST TALK' AT MOBERG FEATURES PRINTMAKERS

Collaborative printmakers Aaron Wilson and Tim Dooley will present a screenprint demonstration and artist talk featuring a pop-up exhibition of freshly pressed creations and recent favorites from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Moberg Gallery, 2921 Ingersoll Ave.

Wilson and Dooley, who both teach at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, have been collaborating for over a decade. Primarily known for experimenting within the printmaking medium, including sculptural applications and installations, they have exhibited work across the U.S. and have been featured in a number of publications, including this article from a 2017 issue of our sister publication, ia magazine.

West Des Moines painter Leslie Leavenworth placed first in the professional category at last year's show with "Cows at Rest."

WOMEN'S CLUB PRESENTS 111th ART SHOW

The Des Moines Women's Club's 111th art show will open with a public reception and awards recognition at Hoyt Sherman Place on Sunday, Feb. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. The exhibition's Gallery Night with refreshments will be Friday, Feb. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Dozens of professional and amateur painters will have their work displayed through Feb. 24. From oils to watercolors, portraits to landscapes, the show includes a broad range of artistry. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.