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Cooking
claire_de_luna

There's some mighty tasty food in Iowa! A Review...

17 years ago

I have this...um...corny love affair with the state of Iowa. Although it might not be most people's idea of a ''go-to destination'', I always look forward to being there. We spent two days in Des Moines, and I got to taste some of Iowa's delicious foods; I'm already looking forward to going back.

There's an incredible French bakery there, La Mie. Oh MY. Their egg sandwiches are very French in the best sense, and their breads and pastries are divine. (I don't know about you, but a perfectly cooked egg is sometimes hard to find.) The eggs were farm fresh (I used to raise chickens so I know) and breakfast was a real treat. They seem to do a huge business catering lunches, and after seeing their sandwiches, it's not hard to figure out why. Of course I had to buy a loaf of their Cinnamon Raisin Bread to bring home. I live in a much larger city and we don't have anything close to remotely compare this bakery to. It was a HUGE hit for me.

The local Iowa burger chain that reminds me of California's In-N-Out Burgers is called B Bop. The burgers are charbroiled with lots of fresh ingredients, and it's delicious fast food you can really sink your teeth into when you've gotta' have a burger.

We also found a local place with many locations called Tasty Tacos. It's family owned and run and they have a flour taco that is truly Tasty. The ''taco'' is served on a type of fry bread, which is a little different but also very ''midwestern'' in a way; really delicious and more than worthy of the $2.40 it cost me.

I took a drive out to the Maytag Dairy in Newton, and bought a 5 pound box of blue cheese crumbles, so I could make Linda's incredible blue cheese dressing. While there, I also bought some swiss and sharp cheddar cheese, and am looking forward to trying them all. Along with the cheese, were specific instructions on where to find the freshest picked sweet corn stand, before we left the area. The farmer was describing how he plants corn every four days, in order to keep enough for the season. He and his wife were very good at what they do, and Of Course I had to buy a dozen ears. I've heard (from Iowan's naturally) that they have the best sweet corn, and now I can wholeheartedly agree.

We only had one bad meal experience. I wanted to try the local favorite, Steak DeBurgo, at a popular Italian steakhouse. Unfortunately, there was too much raw garlic on everything, and the oil used for cooking was old. The butter, garlic sauce that is park of this dish, didn't have time to develop any flavor the way it was cooked, and the raw garlic was much too strong for me. Now I love garlic, but I do prefer it cooked, just a little. Sadly, it was our most $ meal, and not one that would make me want to try again.

Before leaving town, we picked up 6 lbs. of Graziano sausage. When I'd heard about it, I wondered if Iowans were overly proud of their local sausage makers. After tasting it last night (with an ear of fresh sweet corn fixed on the grill), I'd say they have every right to be proud! I only wish I'd bought more. As one person said, ''Graziano's sausage is worth moving to Des Moines for.'' Now I know what he meant.

I can't wait to go back. From what I understand, their Farmers Market is one of best, and I'd really love to experience it. After what I saw, I can believe it. I'm just happy I've embraced the cooler bag, as I filled two for the trek home. If you get a chance to taste some great midwest flavor, make Iowa a destination. I'd consider it a well-known secret...depending of course on who you know!

Comments (19)

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