5/9/25 Des Moines Food News: Yer Momma Edition
Rude, Des Moines.
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Love: Des Moines Food and Restaurant News
Openings, Closings, and Such
Cancun Grill and Cantina is expanding to Waukee.
Black Bagel Co. is getting a storefront at the Center at Sixth corridor (Reg).
Highland Underground is coming this summer and will have fondue.
Taco Casa opened a location in Ankeny on May 1. Same owners as Euclid’s.
Bali Bulay Indonesian Satay moves into the Mickle Center. I don’t know if this is connected to the Bali Satay House that was once in Ames.
El Presidente Bar opened in Ankeny this week and is primarily a bar. ☕
Kitchen Spaces has two new tenants:
Estilo Boricua, who I think have been around for a while.
Mama Africa, a Liberian-cuisine biz and part of Spark DSM (Reg).
Elevated Spreads is a new home-based charcuterie business.
The Breakfast Club’s fourth location will be in Waukee (Reg).
Chain news: Loli and Pops in Jordan Creek re-opened? Did it close?
Des Moines Food News and Events
Mother’s Day brunches and dinners galore this weekend, so be prepared.
Dinner Delights 💚is hosting The Next Course: Culinary Grief Therapy Group.
KCCI has an updated list of area farmers’ markets.
Work in Progress, Val Air Ballroom’s bar, now has food (Reg).
Prime and Providence is selling Japanese beef flights for $199 (Reg). ☕
Don’t forget to check Redditor limitedftogive’s weekly events list!
Plan ahead: DSM Magazine previewed some of this year’s food festivals.
May Events
Saturday, May 10: Crust and Crumb Bakery at AllSpice💚
Monday, May 12: Market at Oak Park
Thursday, May 15: Savor Moxie
Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24: Celebrasian
Thursday, May 29: Ashes and Diamonds Wine Dinner at Oak Park
Friday, May 30: Live, Laugh, Lamb from Crafted Food Services💚
Donuts: Are Churros Donuts?
I saw an article that counted churros as donuts. I ask you: Yes or no?
Did you know this exists?
Wilson’s Orchard and Farm💚 opened a location in Cumming last year. The expansive property has flowers, orchards, a shop, a killer patio, and a restaurant.
Where’s This?
Last week was Cheese Bar! Or Cheese Shop? Can’t remember. Cheese was involved. For this week, where’d this dish come from?! (You definitely want it.)
Professional Contrarian’s Classroom
Currently Reading: Emergent Strategies: Ooo this book is pushing me back to my values, and I’d LOVE for more of you to read it!
Last week’s edition was The Travel Edition. I never talked about travel. Derp.
☕ Spilling the Chai: Recs, Wrecks, and Fun ☕
This week, we’ve got Angry Goldfish, Blue Shark Ale House, and St. Kilda. Again.
Wrecks: The Spot
Remember the weird gas station and convenience store in Grimes that had an adult arcade and where the owner had written his own review? It’s closed. Like boarded-up-google-maps-entry-deleted closed. I. HAVE. QUESTIONS.
Wrecks: Angry Goldfish (and Dam Pub)
Angry Goldfish posted a photo of Joe Rogan with the caption, “Joe Rogan eats free tonight at Angry Goldfish if he happens to be in town,” followed by a facepalm and crying laughing emoji, and hashtags “just saying,” “Joe Rogan Experience,” “We Got You,” and “Humor.” I’m not sure why joking about inviting that piece of shit to your establishment is funny, but I say fucking gross.
Wrecks: Blue Shark Ale House
Blue Shark on Ingersoll rebranding as Perfect 10. Appears to be a “breastaurant.”
Wrecks: El Presidente
Everything about that place screams Suburb Wine Mom Gone Wild. Plus, the owner could be Latine, but there’s an appropriation vibe going on. No thanks.
Wrecks: St. Kilda
A Redditor ripped St. Kilda in Valley Junction, and you know I’m here for it.
Wrecks: Stanhope Locker
Well, he seems nice.
Wrecks: Prime and Providence
I can’t imagine justifying $199 beef flights on the precipice of widespread economic disaster. However, there’s an unsubstantiated rumor that the owner is a Trumper. If that’s true, that tone-deaf move tracks.
Recs!
Tacos la Familia comes in second only to Flame Cantina for me for Mexican food. I highly recommend everything, but the birria tacos are fire. They also have birria pizzadilla, which I need to try. They do a mean bit of carryout business too!
Fun!
Cash Mob! I mentioned this last week, but please tell me if you’re interested. I thrive on feedback and don’t want to do something like this if y’all aren’t into it.
Until next time . . .
That sparkling apple cider is my FAVORITE. Still haven't been to the orchard though. 🤦♀️
Damn, girl! One of those El Presidente pics looked like what I sat through at the plastic surgeon’s office (the one that I DIDN’T chose).
And Prime and Providence has lost me forever. Once, for getting into an argument on Facebook, defending their food against my review, and second for that reason you listed. (Yes, I DO know how the dish is supposed to taste). And that explains a lot. There are too many good restaurants to chose.