Des Moines HARBINGER hits the jackpot again! (7-6-25)

 I have returned to Des Moines regularly for the Des Moines Metro Opera festival every July and we try to keep one night free to eat at Harbinger as it is so innovative and tasty.

Last night I went over there after the matinee, took a seat at the bar (as I was alone) and decided to splurge on the $150 tasting menu; boy was it worth every cent!

Garrett at the bar poured a glass of Erbaluce di Caluso from Bruno Giacometti which was a mineral-intense white that I loved. It was great with the Amuse of Beef fat brushed potato topped with A-5 Wagyu tartare, scallions and a black garlic aioli. It was mean and lean and spicy too from a Kosho powder that I loved (apparently $40 a bottle!).

Next came the Spicy Scallop Crudo Onigiri with nectarine, carrot, ginger all wrapped in a rice which was coated with Furikake spice on one side. OMG, it just kept getting better with every bite. I switched whites as Devon, who was helping at the bar, let me taste the Teutonic 2023 Gewürztraminer from Corw Valley Vineyard in Oregon. This tasted like no other white and paired wonderfully as well with all the dishes. 

Squash Blossoms were next stuffed with Blue Prawns in Chili Vinegar, Salted Cucumber and flowering cilantro (which I thought at first was fennel!). Again, the spice was just right with all the food flavors melding into a great bite and mouth feel. Green Curry Spring Peas followed with superb tasting fresh peas in a coconut emulsion, a lite curry and a squid ink tuile on top for crunch and fun.

The Potatoes (mash & crispy slices) were with a rich Iowa Tama Miso made from the leftover poached whey from homemade cheese and mixed with buttermilk making it extremely rich and decadent. I was grateful for a rest (the meal took almost 3 hours) and decided to switch to a Ver Sacrum GSM blend from Argentina which was a full-bodied red that I also loved. 

Halibut came wrapped in Summer Squash on a crispy tasty, charred zucchini cake with zombie tomatoes(dehydrated and rehydrated), a red curry emulsion and tomato oil. A truly fabulous delicate fish treated with great respect.

The "main" was Sakura Family Wagyu Bavette that was rare and just salted and divine. Blistered red onions on the side tasted almost pickled and there was a Strawberry Soubise with Bicycle Radish, turnips and turnip puree. 

The dessert was a great combination of different things on one small plate. Strawberry Shortcake from Chef Jordan's grandmother's recipe with his own twist came with Compte, peppercorn bavarois and meringue. 

Every bite all night was a treat and that is another reason that Des Moines is on our list every summer(besides the fab opera festival!).

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Brooklyn's COLONIA VERDE in Ft. Greene -you have to go (6-13-25)

 I had one night in Brooklyn's Ft. Greene neighborhood attending an opera (which was WOW!!) and chose Colonia Verde which is an unassuming spot several steps off the main drag with some outdoor seats in the front, a bar and front room and then a cooler back space with a glass ceiling and behind it a garden dining are surrounded by park and trees. I had no clue I was anywhere near the city!

There are lots of choices and I knew I had an opera so kept it simple starting with the Trout Ceviche with Leche de tigre, crispy quinoa and cilantro. My server suggested the tostadas for the ceviche which was a genius move. They really should come with it, but the kick-ass spice was ideal, and the tostadas were crunchy and tasty with the amazing local Hudson River trout! A glass of Domaine Migot Cotes de Toul Vin Gris Rose from Lorriane 2024 made from Pinot Noir & Gamay was a super dry rose.

I could not resist the Duck Confit Tacos which were gorgeous tortillas filles with moist confit, chihuahua cheese, avocado, cilantro and pickled onions. The super spicy habanero creamy salsa was divine. At this point a child at the other end of the room had decided it was time for an aversion and the screaming was crazy until one parent took them out. There were lots of families with kids as well as so many different types of diners across the board as this neighborhood is so varied and welcoming., but loud kids are not for me.

I loved the blonde knotted wood tables and brick floors and the great service and huge wine list as well. This was a place I could come to ALL THE TIME.

I was not quite full so got a great cup of coffee and the "Little Piece of Brazil" a fab dessert of yucca/coconut cake with coconut cream, whipped cream on top and lime zest that was so superbly refreshing. 

I have no clue when I might be back in this 'hood, but Colonia Verde is on my radar.

DC's PAPPE is perfect for fiery Indian (6/2/25)

 We were down near Thomas Circle for an event last Monday and wanted to grab a bite afterwards, so chose PAPPE, which has been there for ages apparently, but I had never heard of. This small Indian spot has a bar and comfy tables with a muted and calm atmosphere. The service from Victor and the staff was attentive and helpful in deciding what to eat. If you ask for spicy, you WILL get it that way for sure!

Sam & I tried the PINKY UP with Blackleaf Vodka, Elderleaf Liqueur, Cucumber, Pomegranate and Lemon which was a delicious refreshing choice that was not sweet at all.

The wine list is short and reasonable, and I loved the Messanges Cabernet Franc from Domaine de Pallus 2002 which worked well with the spicy food.

We started with Samosas which came with both mint & chutney sauces underneath and were very good. The Gobi Manchurian Indo-Chinese Cauliflower (what a geographical mouthful) was nice and spicy and came with scallions and sesame seeds (which Victor put on the side since I can't eat them).

The Garlic Na'an was delish and indeed VERY garlicky. Sam loved it with his Zucchini Kofta Curry which was also a spicy fried zucchini ball with a besan/yogurt sauce/mustard seeds/ ginger and green chili--great for mopping up with na'an!

The Wild Shrimp Coconut Curry had large head on Carolina Shrimp in Black Mustard, Ginger, Green Chili, and a tamarind broth that was superb. The mains came with rice which sopped up the fabulous sauce. The Fiery Lamb Vindaloo was VERY fiery with Loamb Goan in a rich thick sauce.

No room for dessert, but a great meal had by all!!

James Beard Chef MASAKO MORISHITO cooks it up with her Mom at PERRY'S in DC(5-30-25)

 As soon as I got the invite from RESY offering seatings at their "Dream Team" dinner at Perry's I had to sing up. The program organized by RESY asks chefs across the country who they would like to cook with and then offers limited seatings of chef's dinner with the Dream Teams! I had been reading about Chef MASAKO MORISHITA and her amazing rise and then her James Beard Award last year but had not had the time get myself to Perry's. This event nailed that, and boy will I be back again! Chef Morishita chose her own mother, Ryoko Morishita, whom Resy flew in from Japan for the week to create this magnificent meal.

I was at the 630pm seating (another was at 830pm) and the restaurant was only 1/4 full with about 24 diners. Video cameras, photographers and folks with microphones and such were all over as the two chefs were introduced and Chef Morishita spoke about how her mom would always make her feel great when she was down and that was with her comfort food cooking at home; she was in tears and we all choked up, but then sat down to an amazing meal!

Each course was paired with a sake, and they were all fab starting with Hakkaisan Clear Sparkling "Awa White Koji" Nigata that came with three "amuses:"

1)a simple raw Hokkaido scallop was sliced and served with kombu so that the creamy rich scallop shined

2)Petite Ganmodoki was a fried tofu cake with scallop, Japanese Yam, Seasonal vegetables and ginger soy sauce that was super tasty and loaded with flavors, but my only regret was that it was a tad hard to eat in one bite with chopsticks!

3)Gyu Suji Nikomi was a stew of Wagyu tendons in Sake Soy Glaze which was also a delicious cut even if there were some small fatty pieces mixed in that I simply tried to avoid (one must watch one's figure).

Probably my favorite dish of the evening was TAKARABUKURO which was a Tofu Skin "Treasure Bag" filled with chicken, seasonal vegetables (carrots, gingko beans, lotus and more) in Morishita's House Dashi, which simply alone had to be the best dashi ever.

Gozensho Omachi Bodaimoto "1859" Junmai Okoyama sake was another treat.

Wagyu Yaki Shabu was next with a super tender Kagoshima A5 Ribeye in Warishita (a tamari-style sauce, but more Umami) Sauce and Jidori Egg. The barely cooked meat was sliced like carpaccio, topped with gold leaf and accompanied by fried tofu topped with black truffles as an added treat! Kiki Masamune Taru Junmai Hyogo was the paired sake.

Madai Goma Chazuke was a superb Japanese Sea Bream (also known as Black Porgie) with sesame, Koshihikari Rice, Dashi & Fresh Wasabi. The rice was so rich that I was happy to have the pickled celery and carrot to offset it! Who knew rice could be so fabulous and rich, yet so simple. There was a hint of sweetness to the dashi and the paired Dewazakura Junmai Ginjo Omachi "Jewel Brocade" Yamagata was a perfect foil.

Dessert was as simple and fun and comfort-y as it gets: Midori Cream Soda was Vanilla gelato in Soda with Midori (melon liqueur) and so light and fun it was impossible not to finish it! 

Kudos to the whole team and my server Devon who kept making sure I was happy. I WAS!

What great fun indeed! Can't wait to get back to Perry's!

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CADENCE in NYC will conquer you with veggies (5-17-25)

 I wanted to do a special dinner with Samuel in NYC and that means vegetarian, so I asked a friend at the James Beard House and he suggested Cadence, on the lower eact side (E 7th St) which is part of a vegetarian restaurant group, and the previous chef here even got a Beard nomination! It was IDEAL!

The space is small and cozy with a funky feel (tables are not very spaced, so while comfy it is a tad crowded). We got the wonderful corner booth of pink velvet banquettes which were great for my back! There is a cute tin ceiling, and the decor is funky albeit I could have done without the fake hydrangea over my head. The small bar has white leather stools, and the staff is very helpful with the menu as it had many options.  Cocktails sounded fun and Sam tried the Raspberry Beret with Cocchi Rosa, Lemon, mint and raspberry with sparkling wine. There is a wine and beer list, but no hard liquor, but the bartender does miracles with the ingredients. My "Roberta Flack Peach Cobbler Manhattan" sounded sweet but indeed was not with Cocchi Rosa, Chenin Blanc, Smoked Peach, Orange bitters, vanilla and Serrano maple. It was smokey and had a huge spicy aftertaste which increased after I dunked in the half serrano pepper that was atop the drink. I wanted another, but moved onto wine instead, pf which there are many choices as well.

We perused the menu and made some choices as the plates are meant to be shared. In the end we chose 5 which was about one too many, but we loved them all.

Fresh Mustard Greens Salad with collards, pumpkin seeds, onion rings and blood orange vinaigrette was a super tasty salad, and the onion rings were super crispy ti boot. I only wish they had four, not three so we could share. There was some fennel (not on the menu), but it was quite mild and worked superbly. Indeed, we noticed that some of the dishes tend to come in odd amounts (the dumplings were 5). 

FRIED ESQUITES DUMPLINGS was a cross between Mexican Street Corn and southwestern fried dumplings! They had a corn filling with cashew crema (vegan dishes abound too) and sat on a kicky Red Chile Barbecue Sauce. The Chef, Haley Duren, hails from New Mexico and the spices she used were clearly from her home state!

COWBOY CAVIAR TOAST may have been our favorite dish and was a huge piece of (sourdough, I think) toast with blackened butter and a black-eyed pea hummus spread on top with cactus jam. Chili threads on top gave the dish a real punchy taste and some jalapenos were mixed in the hummus to boot. We loved it.

I had started with a glass of Wade Cellars Pinot Noir from Sonoma County 2022 as it was a rose which worked well with the spicy dishes, then moved on to a Brunia Pinot Noir from Sondagskloof in South Africa 2022 which had nice body and some fruit. It was ideal with the GREEN CHILE MACC rich with lager-infused bechamel sauce and white cheddar cheese but loaded with flavorful New Mexico roasted green Hatch chiles!

CAJUN GRITS was just too much as the dishes tend to be heavy and we should have stopped at four choices! It had a huge fried banana blossom with yummy, blackened okra and a sage and rosemary butter and a crumb crust. 

Credits to the servers for giving us ample time between the dishes as we saw many folks come and go during our 2 hour 40-minute stay! At the start, we were told to order all the dishes and dessert, and I did not like this. I like to set the pace, not the kitchen. Later on, the manager said that was silly and I am glad we did not order the entire meal up front as we may have been too rushed. I would suggest you order several dishes and then move on!

While full, it was the beginning of my weekend-birthday celebration and I had to have the CADENCE COBBLER which was a strawberry-rhubarb on Saturday with seasonal fruit and an oat crumble, and Earl Gray Ice Cream. the piece de resistance was the basil-caramel compote on the bottom. Samuel said he would have a bite, but indeed we both could not resist this excellent dessert and a small glass of Bodkin Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from lake Country California was perfect to send us home happy.

NYC's Osteria al Doge--getting dodgy? (5-16-25)

 We had the best meal at Osterai Al Doge back in March and Sam & I decided to return last Friday night before attending a super performance of OLS FRIENDS on Broadway!

Sadly, the food was not as good, although Sam loved his superb Pizza Napolitana(without the anchovies, of course).

On the last visit I fell in love with the fried artichoke salad special and was sad it was not on the menu, so I tried the Tomato Carpaccio special salad with greens and goat cheese. When serving heirloom tomatoes, it is mandatory to remove the hard stems and parts which are inedible, this was NOT done, making me have to carve up each slice like a surgeon. The dish was lackluster and truly a disappointment and at $23 a REAL RIP-OFF!
Samuel did better with his Burrata and beef salad, but neither would have won any third or fourth place prize even!

My main was Fegato alla Veneziana and the calf's liver came in small chunks, some of which were a tad chewy. The Grilled Polenta and Asparagus were nice, but after our March visit I must say that if I return, it will be for the pizza, unless they bring back that artichoke salad!

NYC's LOI ESTIATORIO is great Greek (5-15-25)

 I had seen multiple TV cooking shows with Greek Chef Maria Loi who always exudes great joy in whatever she does. I knew she had a bistro in NYC and was feeling Greek and knew the veggie options would work for Samuel, so we headed there last night. I was greeted at the door with a beyond fabulous welcome by Nicole who explained that while Chef Maria was away she was devoted to making everything perfect and truly Greek in this tiny narrow bistro. The space is warm and welcoming with leather booths on one side and tables opposite with a small curved bar at the center. The staff is attentive and concerned as Nicole immediately asked about my food allergies or issues and allayed any of my concerns. 

Sam and his friend Bia arrived and we decided to order the appetizer of spreads to share. We also ordered our own starters and mains, which was where we went wrong. We should have ordered one course at a time as the portions are HUGE! There were FOUR dips with a ton of cut pita: Eggplant, Hummus, Spicy Feta and Tzatiki as well as an extra warm spicy feta cheese dip added in. We loved them, although I wish Taramasalata was an option. Nicole explained that Chef Maria will not make it as the roe here in the states is not the same as that used in Greek and hence, not a truly real interpretation. I still missed it.

The starters were all quite large with Sam's Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Lemon coming with Loi Meli Organic Honey which he loved. Bia's Calamari was charred and looked delish with a huge grilled lemon to squeeze over it and my excellent Octopus in red Wine came with Bell peppers, Capers and sat on a bed of fava Bean Puree with Pickled Onions on top.

I ordered a glass of the lesser priced Assyrtiko which they were out of, and they offered the other, which cost about $5-6/more a glass! It was crispy and refreshing and the pour was a hefty one as well.

Bia & Sam both ordered the Lentil Soup which while a huge bowl was a smart move, but I chose the monstrous portion of Seafood(shrimp,mussels and scallops) with tomato, onion, garlic and Greek pasta sprinkled with creamy feta which was superb, but I felt so bad I could barely eat half of it.

We chose to skip dessert, but Greek yogurt with honey was brought out and I could not even take a bite I was so full.

Lesson learned....but we will definitely go back for more, or maybe LESS next time!

NYC's WESTVILLE is worth a visit for veggies and more (4-1-25)

Our friend had told us about WESTVILLE in NYC which has several locations and that they specialized in veggie dishes, so we decided to try it prior to seeing Gypsy on Broadway last night as one location-WESTVILLE-is at 9th Ave @53rd St!

It is a simple setup with a varied menu that does include many veggie options as well as vegan and then some meat options as well. The booths have benches with cushions, but the iron chairs are none too comfy!

The wine list is simple with about 4 or 5 reds and whites each and a rose with a cocktail menu as well. Samuel tried the Hot Toddy with Jack Daniels and Apple, and we liked the simple light-bodied and fruity ERA Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. 

Onion Rings were crispy and a fun start with a BBQ Ranch dip, while Will loved his Turkey Chili. The portions are pretty large here and the Beef Burger came medium (Will never specified how to cook it) and the arugula salad was huge; alas the tomato was not anywhere near ripe. Sam's Impossible Burger was a hit with vegan smoked gouda on a vegan bun with homemade Russian sauce. He ordered Pesto Mashed Potatoes with it instead of fries and said that it was really more like plain mashed potatoes.

My Pozole with chicken was just perfect for a chilly night and had enough avocado and tortilla strips, but I would have loved a tad more spice in the soup. The hit was the choice of veggie sides, which offers up a dozen or more and we loved the Brussels Sprouts with Honey Dijon and the excellent Toasted Curried Cauliflower with Crispy Quinoa, herbs and a white sauce.

I would stick to the soups and chilis and especially the veggies if we return!