4/25/25 Des Moines Food News: The Lilac Edition
I. Friggin. Love. Lilacs. Des Moines.
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Before I start, have y’all heard of cash mobs?
Love: Des Moines Food and Restaurant News
☕ denotes additional thoughts in The Chai below
Openings, Closings, and Such
A food truck called Half Breed Tacos is now operating in Indianola.☕
Grems Pit Happens BBQ is a mobile food trailer based out of De Soto.
I wouldn’t normally include De Soto, but have trailer, will travel. I assume you’ll see this one venture beyond De Soto’s limits, but I could be wrong.
Little Buns Bakery is now Cake Studio DSM. 💚
Events
April
Saturday, April 26
Musa’s Lemonade x Simply Samone pop-up at Platinum Kutz in Dogtown
Spring Up! Supper Club from Savor the Rise and Crafted Food Services
Pancake breakfast at Wakonda Christian Church
I dislike sharing events at Christian churches. I shared this because it’s close to free (just a donation). But I may not do this anymore. And don’t say I’m discriminating. When Christian privilege is dismantled, then we can chat.
Sunday, April 27: Captain Roy’s holds their Hello Spring Fest
May
Thursday, May 1
ici Cinco de Mayo Gourmet Dinner (reservation request form)
Friday, May 2: ¡FIESTA! at Rollins Mansion
Saturday, May 3
Thursday, May 8: Spring Rosé Dinner at Centro
Saturday, May 24: The Hello Kitty food truck returns
Thursday, May 29: Ashes and Diamonds Wine Dinner at Oak Park
Friday, May 30: Live, Laugh, Lamb from Crafted Food Services💚
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News
WIC Iowa has a site with Farmer’s Market listings, but I’m not sure if they’re current. Still, I always advocate that folks visit the smaller markets.
Speaking of farmer’s markets, the Oak Park market is returning (Reg).
Unexpected licorice? I mean, I guess?
Lilacs are blooming! I dusted off some of my photos from Ewing Park to share with a friend who can only enjoy flowers from afar. He was complimentary of the photos, so I thought I’d share here too. Flowers make for very easy subjects.
Where Food and Politics Intersect
Drake University’s Zimpleman Business for Good Summit is Friday, May 2nd. BLK & Bold’s 💚 Pernell Cezar will speak along with folks from Musa’s Lemonade and Big Grove Brewery (and their Big Grove for Good program). The event is free.
Donuts: I don’t trust people who hate donuts.
A friend inspired me to break out our inherited china. Drinking from this is strangely delightful. I’m not that into the pattern, but it’s still neat.
Where’s This?
Last week was Lachele’s Highland Park! 💚 Very much the same vibe as Ingersoll, but less narrow.
How about this week? This one requires hints. If this looks grainy, it’s because it was taken in 2007. This is cream soda. It was memorable because of the color. The restaurant is now closed, but it was downtown. So, let’s see who’s got a good memory. Where WAS this electric blue cream soda served?
Did you know this exists?
Basil Prosperi has been on the 3rd floor of 801 Grand for, if my research is correct, 30 years. They’re only open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, but they also cater. They serve standard Italian fare.
And I know almost no one who has ever heard of it. I’ve only been once when I worked downtown probably 20 years ago. Have you?
What’s Coming Up
A couple of readers voted for Dumpling House for my next visit, so it’s on the calendar for early May!
Book Nook
Central Iowa Independent Bookstore Day is this weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a non-Meta link, so use this at your own privacy peril.
Storyhouse Bookpub 💚 and Raygun 💚 are partnering for a Book Banning Resistance Party on Saturday.
I’m bouncing around in Emergent Strategies. The writing style isn’t my fave, but there’s some nuggets of wonderful in it. Like the ideas that chaos is “essential” and sharing information is “fundamental.” I also like this from the author adrienne maree brown, “Facilitation is the art of making things easy, making it easier for humans to work together and get things done.” To me, that’s at the root of why I do 90% of what I do. I want life to be easier for everyone, so we can reduce suffering.
Life in General
NGL I kinda want this salad pod.
So, you can have sex toys and lube delivered through DoorDash now.
Is agri-venturing a thing? I feel like Greater DSM Partnership made this up. Still. It’s interesting stuff. I’ve been curious about Edge of the Woods Raspberry Farm for a minute.
Below this line, paid subscribers get The Chai ☕, a section spilling tea and calling out dumb shit. Like the continuing idiocy of St. Kilda.
☕ The Chai
It’s annoying how some restaurants consistently have somewhat high health code violations yet never improve. And still can stay in business.
St. Kilda Collective had 8 violations in their most recent inspection. That was the second highest number in Polk County this month. It’s also a pattern for all St. Kilda-related locations. I don’t know how many times I need to stress not to eat at St. Kilda or Franka Pizzeria. It’s dirty. It’s run by a (alleged) predator who really does not need more money. And, frankly, it has done nothing to improve the city.
Only Beaver Tap had more at 12 violations. I didn’t see anything about visible insects, but they had non-approved insect removal spray (a.k.a. Raid) in restaurant. That doesn’t bode well on a few levels. This is sad because they have all-day breakfast, and I’d heard good things.
Half Breed Tacos?!
☕ You’re joking with that name, right? There’s something extremely uncomfortable to me about a guy named Brian Johnston opening a taco truck called Half Breed. I assume he’s half Latino. Otherwise, I got questions.
Hy-Vee
Oh, Hy-Vee. Your priorities. They’re so fucked. Why continually scrub those from social media? It’s not like it’s gonna be a secret. FFS. Someone commented that it’s the bakeries closing, but ShortCuts and the Fresh Commissary are also mentioned. My understanding is those are where the fresh vegetables are prepped/cut and where prepared meals are made. Within the linked Reddit thread, someone asked, “Are they getting rid of the armed guards first?” I chuckled.
Trader Joe’s
Hy-Vee news reminds me that, no, we are not part of the Trader Joe’s expansion. Fuck you, Trader Joe’s. Between your ableist policies of not delivering or having online ordering and your intentionally shitty parking lots, I’m breaking up with you. Haven’t been there for the better part of a year anyway.
Recs!
I learned this week that Nadia’s French Bakery does delivery for items over $50. I’d have zero issue ordering that much from her. These croissants are from when she was still operating out of her apartment. Despite her storefront being so close to me, I’ve only been twice. I need to fix that.
Wini reviewed Istanbul Grill, and I wanna go! But so many things I can’t eat!
LILACS!
I’m gonna tell you this, but you have to promise not to tell the rest of the city. If you love lilacs, yes, Ewing Park is a lovely place to go. However, everyone and their disc-golf-loving bro knows about it now, and parking is impossible when the lilacs are blooming like now.
So, if you need your lilac fix (and I ALWAYS do), drive slowly and with your windows down along Rollins Avenue between 35th and 39th (Open Street Maps). We drove by Wednesday night, and oh my god. So fucking perfect! There are white lilacs as well. But please be respectful. That is a quiet, residential street. I want it to remain a secret and not piss off the residents.
By the way, anyone figure out what 💚 denotes?
Until next time . . .
If you ever give MN a try again (I know, I know) they have a whole lilac area at the MN Arboretum...so many kinds, smells so amazing. 😍