restaurant week review

well restaurant week has come and gone and i'm happy to report it was an overall success. we were able to make it to five different restaurants this year. the receipts have been sent in and fingers are crossed for a trip to wine country (if you went to at least four places and sent in your receipts, you qualify for the trip.) i apologize in advance, this is a pretty lengthy post for me.

baru 66: i ordered the roasted tomato and sweet pepper bisque, mediterranean couscous and for dessert bitter chocolate tart. i thought the soup was good but the couscous and tart were just okay. the portions were small and we received terrible service. after three courses, i still left hungry. i had been looking forward to eating at baru since last october when i first started blogging and left beyond disappointed.

luna bistro: j-rod and i went to luna for lunch on a saturday. i ordered the niscoise salad, brushetta side and a peach and plum crisp. the place was so cute and our food was very good. the chef/owner use to be the chef at le jardin. i can't wait to go back.

centro: we went to centro for lunch one day during the work week with nic, lucas, j-rod and myself. i ordered the verde gnocchi and centro salad. i love the centro salad, it is my favorite in des moines. i've had a lot of gnocchi and this dish left me wanting more. it was on the gummy side and under-seasoned. Nic was gracious enough to give me a bite of her cavatelli and it was to die for. centro still remains one of my favorites in the city, despite their not-so-good gnocchi.

kirkwood lounge: i've been anxiously awaiting to try kirkwood since their chef won the DSM Top Chef Challenge. we started the meal with their famous bacon fat popcorn, it was full of smokiness but a little on the salty side for me. it was tough for me to decide what to order, all of their restaurant week choices looked delish. i had the waitress surprise me with the first two courses. i ended up with the fried green tomatoes (first picture below) and the game hen 2 ways and the lemon icebox cake for dessert. the fried green tomatoes were texturally perfect. i loved them. i really liked the entree as well but it came with a side of stewed beans. it was a strange combo in my opinion, i would have preferred mashed potatoes. i was excited to try a new place and would be willing to try it again.

alba: we saved the best for last. here's what i ordered, fresh sweet corn soup, prawn chive potato gnocchi (second picture below) and for dessert the salted toffee creme bruelee. it was by far the best meal i've ever had in des moines. i honestly dreamt about it that night, pathetic i know. the soup was absolutely amazing, i didn't want to waste a single drop. the gnocchi was the best i've ever had. it was light and fluffy just like a pillow. i love creme bruelee and this one was rich and creamy with just a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness. great service, great food and great ambiance. i love love this place! and it definitely deserves the number one slot on my top 10 list.



cannot wait for 2012 restaurant week!