I spent the last two weekends traveling for work. The first weekend was spent in Des Moines for the Iowa RV show. The second weekend was spent in Orlando, Florida, for the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention.
This blog is going to be all about food.
Monday, Feb. 1
Rube's Steakhouse
Waukee, Iowa
I wasn't expecting to have the best steak of my life when I walked into this place. But the cut of meat -- a 16 oz. filet -- and the rare preparation made for the best steak I've ever had. It was medium on the outside and rare in the middle. It was stringy and tender. Incredible flavor. And the coolest thing about the meal was that I cooked the steak myself!
Thursday, Feb. 4
Court Avenue Brewing Company
Downtown Des Moines
This meal was okay. I had the seared scallop pasta and it was decent. The two beers I had were pretty good but not up to Sam Adams standards. Basically, it was a nice place to eat and probably a great place to enjoy happy hour but not an overly impressive meal.
Friday, Feb. 5
Centro
Downtown Des Moines
Best restaurant in Iowa as far as I'm concerned. I started off with a Pisco Sour cocktail and it was very well done -- not as good as in Peru but hey, they did a good job. Our appetizers were Centro onion rings and a meat and cheese platter. The onion rings were very good and the Italian meat and cheese platter included the best quality of meats and cheeses that I've had in Iowa. It was prosciutto, mortadella and something similar to chorizo. The cheeses were soft and buttery. And even the fruit was of a high quality for being the dead of winter in Iowa.
My meal consisted of two antipasti dishes. Sweetbreads (the thymus or neck gland of a cow) with Chianti demi glace, prosciutto, red onions, wild mushrooms and an egg with garlic bread. This dish was rustic and a pure delight. The sweetbreads were not chewy at all and the sauce was to die for.
The other dish I had was a classic. Steamed mussels with prosciutto, white wine, tomato, basil and butter. Perfectly prepared and a huge portion for only $10. I ended up eating the sauce with a spoon after all the mussels were gone.
I enjoyed some Chianti with my meal and even got to try a lot of the other dishes that were ordered. All fantastic. Great Italian pizza. Homemade pasta of the highest quality. Every sauce complex.
Centro is a restaurant in Iowa that is not overly priced, has great ambiance but more importantly, the food is outstanding.
Ultimately, what cemented their status as best restaurant in Iowa was a description for a sandwich that I didn't even order.
"Kill-Bill Pork Tenderloin: The Five Pointed Palm Exploding Heart Sandwich."
If you haven't seen the Kill Bill movies, go rent them right now.
Saturday, Feb. 6
Splash
Downtown Des Moines
Splash is a staple for any RV show that we go to in Des Moines. It never disappoints. Simply the best seafood that I've had in the midwest (outside of sushi places).
We had raw oysters that were as good as Boston's. The wine menu is confusingly wonderful. The crab Louis salad had a great peppery dressing. And my seared tuna was very good (even though the rest of that dish was mediocre at best).
Our waiter, Jeff, really knew his stuff. He suggested the best oysters. Picked out a great dessert wine. And answered all of our naive questions with true expertise.
Splash is expensive but it's worth going to at least once a year.
Thursday, Feb. 11
Everglades
Orlando, Florida
This was the first meal I've had that included 9 pieces of silverware and 3 glasses to start the meal. The prix fixe menu, for me, included shrimp cocktail with a great cocktail sauce and large shrimp. Gator chowder which was more like a chili but still outstanding. The fish I had was overcooked but the rest of the meal was very good.
The place was incredibly pretentious, probably overpriced and too formal. But the service was exemplary and it was a fun experience.
Friday, Feb. 12
Bongos Cuban Cafe
Downtown Disney
This place is fun! I had been here once before and suggested it to our group. We had to wait for an hour to get a table (the $20 trick didn't work) but we downed a couple of awesome mojitos while we waited and the fresh mint and good rum made the hour pass quickly.
My seafood concoction was awesome for only $30. It included lobster, squid, octopus and shrimp in a red, spicy broth. We also ordered the ceviche for a starter and it was surprisingly good. Once again, no where near the quality of Peru, but good nonetheless.
Saturday, Feb. 13
Hanamizuki
A Strip Mall outside Orlando, Florida
Best sushi I've ever had. This place was authentic as all get out. We sat next to a Japanese couple that looked like judges from Iron Chef Japan. The menu included $100 kobe beef and other delicacies that you don't normally see at your average Japanese place.
I had a wonderful miso soup and a plate of sashimi that was delicate and fresh. I could have had $100 worth of sushi in no time at all.
I will go to this place again in my lifetime. It is authentic Japanese without all the stupid glitz and glam of so many Japanese-American sushi joints in the U.S. Hanamizuki is all about the food.
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Find me a restaurant that unpretentiously serves quality, fresh food and goes balls to the wall with new ways of preparing it or perfects the old-world ways of great cuisine, and I'll show you a happy Josh Damm.
Enjoy the ride (and the raw fish),
Damm
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