Goldie's in Prarie City

My brother moved to a house out in the country. So you go to Prarie City and turn south on the little highway at the edge of town.
But in order to get to the edge of town, you have to go down the main drag and the main drag has Goldie's Ice Cream LLC. Little bitty place right in the middle of town, it has a drive-thru, a walk-up window, stools at the counter and indoor and outdoor tables. And the best ice cream available in the metro area.
This week's flavor was black walnut. I love black walnuts. I love the flavor of black walnuts but don't put it in something so sweet that the flavor is drowned out. They put the nuts and the flavor in a delicate vanilla ice cream and was the single best ice cream I have had including those I make myself.
This little place has won awards for their tenderloins. I had one about a year ago and was not impressed but today, I saw why. Or rather, I tasted why. You know, in a really good tenderloin sandwich, there is that place where they didn't quite trim off all the fat. And you get that bite of just a little pork fat that flavors the other tender meat parts and it's like a little explosion of uber-tastiness in your mouth. I had that today.
The other test for a tenderloin is if it is good cold. Well, not cold but room temp four or five hours later. It is stellar. It is so edible that I don't care if my nexium doesn't take care of it, its eight-thirty at night and I'm gonna finish it.
So here's to heartburn that keeps me up and the great sandwich that is so worth it.
joella

Banana Cream Pie FAIL!

We went to Machine Shed on Thursday. Every Thursday, my husband and myself, go out to dinner with his brother. So it was Machine Shed on Thursday.
Our waitress was young and didn't know any patter except "hun". I kind of enjoy the patter and the teasing. I tip well for that. The food was decent though. I had the double pork chop, it was almost dry and not great but the others liked their food. Besides, I had a half piece of pie to look forward to.
I was going to split it with Harold. It would be the only treat I had for days and I wasn't sure if I wanted chocolate cream pie, or coconut cream pie or banana cream pie. So I let him choose.
Everyone got done eating, great atmosphere by the way. And then we put in our order for the pie. Banana Cream Pie. We asked for it to go and they brought it in a styrofoam box. It looked beautiful and I couldn't wait to get home to eat it.
Well, we got home and I got a shiny fork out of the drawer and sat down at my desk to enjoy my half of the beautiful, whipped cream decorated banana cream pie. I cut it in half because sometimes I forget myself and find that there is only a bite or two left.
First thing, I dive into the whipped cream. There is nothing better than whipped cream, freshly beaten, slightly sweetened and piled high. I shoveled a generous amount into my mouth.
It was one of the most disappointing bites in a very long time.
The whipped cream tasted like meringue. I kid you not. It was not smooth or creamy and it was meringue like. Not that sweet and not tasty.
The crust was cooked well for the first inch but it was a dark, ugly, soggy mess where the pudding and the ripened, darkish banana quarters were. Oh and there's another thing. My half had a quarter banana in one piece and so did my husband's. Just one quarter banana on each half of the piece of pie.
Worst though, by far, was the pudding. Don't know about you but my expectations for the pudding are creamy, vanilla and a great taste.
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz-the buzzer of "You lose".
It cracked apart, more like custard but not that tasty. It was a cloyingly sweet, artificial banana flavored glop, perched above the quarter banana and hidden under the icky meringue fake whipped cream.
I was so disappointed that I threw the rest away with my husband's permission after he looked at it. This is not the quality that Machine Shed usually puts out, at least on their entrees.
So I will go back for their appetizers and entrees and the bread pudding which is superb but no pies for me.
joella

Gateway. No, Kentucky Fried Chicken. No Arby's!

Tonight we went to the chiropractor. Since I don't get off work until 5:30pm, that means we arrive just before 6pm and don't get done until about 6:15. Too late to go home and fix a meal considering we go to bed at 9pm. Both of us have GERD so we have to stop eating at 7pm.
We headed over to Gateway market to get something to take home. They have great food and the menu changes just often enough to squash boredom.
Plus they have a hot bar, several soup choices and very yummy hummus along with the bonus of a grocery store setting. Oh and did I mention the onsite wood-burning oven that turns out very yummy bread and bakery items?
So we pull up in the parking lot and apparently a huge portion of Des Moines read our minds before we thought it and beat us there. Dang! No parking spaces means a very busy kitchen and a lot of sitting around before we get the yummy food.
So we headed for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Okay (rolling my eyes), I get there is NO comparison but it was on the way home and the clock was ticking.
We pull into the drive-thru (I refuse to go in, walking on greasy floors is not very appetizing to me), there is this youngish (looks 16 probably 20) girl, alone in a car with hips. The darned thing had wide flared fenders over the wheel wells and looked like a sexy woman with hips. Probably nicer hips than the skinny little blond in the car.
Anyway, she was alone in the car and took a full three minutes to make up her mind about what to order. That was annoying, how much can a skinny little girl in a car with hips eat? And the clock was ticking.
Then she started the car and the sexy deep-throated purr convinced me that those were hips and not fender flares. Anyway, our turn at the menu and we decided to get a family meal so we can get the free cake. We decided on lemon cake and tried to order the ten piece meal. Even told them what sides we wanted, they didn't have to ask. But, it turns out, you cannot have strips or boneless breasts with regular chicken in a family meal.
Don't ask me! I saw it on TV too, but they said no. So we decided to go to Arby's. Their drive-thru was not busy and it was boring. No cars with hips. But they do have that new brisket sandwich, smoked for 13 hours.
I have an issue with brisket. It needs to be tender. Period. Not chewy. Been to BBQ joints here in town multiple times and it is always hit and miss. Hard to look at a chunk of red glistening beef and tell if that one will be tender or tell if the cooking apparatus will do its job without the issues that sometimes produce mistakes that just plain taste delicious.
Anyway, Arby's new brisket sandwich. Tender, delicious. Nice, soft but not too soft bun with smoked gouda and crispy onion strings with a little bit of mayo and a nice portion of BBQ sauce. Really well balanced and just the right amount of smoke flavor.
I'm goin back for another one but not tonight, it's almost nine and my bed is calling.
joella

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you and all of yours. Been a while since I've been here but I'm back. This morning, I struggled out of bed and called up my siblings and we met at Home Plate Diner here in Des Moines. 

We went to the original location on 30th right across from the fairgrounds. There is another location at 3900 E. 14th St, where the old "Maid-Rite" used to be, in that little strip mall. 

So we met at the one near the fairgrounds, 304 E. 30th. Nice little place, decorated with a baseball theme. Framed shirts and caps, wooden decorations and plenty of display cases with not a lot in them.

Reminds me of when I was a kid and we went to restaurants around town. Chewing gum and candy bars at check out and friendly waitresses.

The waitresses are very friendly. I felt comfortable there, she wasn't pushy and she came back just the right amount of times to ask if we needed anything more. Middle aged women that weren't overly made up or chewed gum, there was no Flo in this restaurant. 

Our food came out in a timely manner with television to distract us while we waited. Well, that and good conversation with my siblings. Thing is, the other customers were friendly too. We didn't know them and they joined in the conversation. Not often and not annoyingly.

The food was okay. It was good, like your Momma used to make, if Momma wasn't the best cook ever. My pancakes were a little overdone, just a tiny bit but my eggs were perfect, they understand over medium with no runny white stuff. 

The whipped butter in the little cups were perfect, no torn pancakes and a good amount of butter for each pancake. Warm syrup, the runny kind with a good taste. I like the runny kind, it doesn't take forever to get it out of the bottle. 

My sister-in-law doesn't like breakfast, so she ordered a French Dip and they accommodated her. This was at 8:30 in the morning. And it looked good and had their version of chips with it. The meat was generous and it looked well-prepared. 

They brag that they have the best fried chicken around but I haven't tried that yet. I will let you know. 

So good food, no greasy spoons to be found and friendly staff and customers. All around nice, comfortable place to eat.

JoElla

Dinner and a Movie

We went to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2-The End of it all. Good movie, probably best of the series. We will go back and see it again.
I am 54 years old and I found myself sobbing in the theatre, feeling a little self-concious that no one else was crying. But the next day, several TV shows assured me that I was not the only one with tears-maybe in that theatre for that show I was, but across the nation, the theatre floors definitely got washed with salt water.
Jordan Creek Movie Theatre is a great place to see a movie. It has a better selection of movie treats than the average theatre and it is decorated beautifully. It has a great arcade room and tables in the lobby to sit and eat or wait for the movie to start.
The thing that makes it great is the fact that you can bring food into the theatre and eat it in there. I don't mean just the popcorn and other stuff they sell, I am talking food from the mall food court or even, if you were so inclined, food from home.
Really, you have their blessing to go over to Panera Bread or Cheesecake Factory or even Charlie's Subs and bring in your food, into the actual theater and eat it while watching the movie.
It's not easy, you kind of have to leave a seat between you and your seatmate to use as a table but it is definitely doable and so decadent. I love to do things that feel like I'm breaking the rules and getting by with it. And for me, this is an example of that behavior.
This time I was glad the meal was over before the movie started though. All those tears would have made my sandwhich soggy and ruined my chocolate chip cookie.

Montana Mike's Steak House

Very rustic, in a campy sort of way. The picture of Lake Iwannasteak greets you as you sidle past the log cabin style walls and sets the tone for your experience.
Fun and friends and beer.
But don't go expecting a great dining experience.
There is something about the breadcrumbs. They have a bitter aftertaste. We had the Mountain Topped Mushrooms. Stuffed mushroom caps-good portion size but dipped in breadcrumbs then deep fried. The mushroom cap was good and the stuffing was okay but there was this bitter aftertaste.
Another member of my party got the chicken fried sirloin steak. He loves chicken fried steak. The steak was large, the gravy was great-just the right amount of pepper and cooked well-no flour taste. The steak was tender and easy to cut but again the bitter aftertaste.
It wasn't so bad that it was inedible but did make you feel sort of off, not want to order that again. I had pork chops which are hard to make, dry out easily and mine were a bit overdone but again edible just not pleasant.
The catfish was clearly breaded and frozen then fried when it got to the restaurant. But the portion was generous and the taste was good. Pleasant even, and I am not a great fan of bottom feeders.
The cheese fries are okay, very seasoned fries topped with cheese and bacon bits-salt on salt-some would say that's a food group, I say uncle-too much sodium for me.
The best part was the honey butter served with the very generous commercially prepared warmed rolls. Scrumptious and complemented almost everything on the menus.
Sides--they make a big deal out of the sides.
The mashed potatoes may be real(they say authentic) but need seasoned. The waitress assured me that the mushroom gravy was homemade-yep, homemade out of a package complete with one little dehydrated mushroom swimming in the dark brown soupy stuff.
The Caesar salad was right up there with the salt food group but the romaine lettuce was fresh and crispy.
All in all, a great place for beer and snacks. Be sure to order the beer or Loose Moose margaritas, it will dull the less pleasant flavors of the decently edible food.

Nick might be cute...

John and Nick's Prime Ribs and Steak

The little boy is very cute, the staff is very nice, the decor is definitely upscale and abundant. The atmosphere was nice but it was a Friday night and very crowded. They take reservations for six or more but do allow you to call ahead saving standing in line.
Yes, I said standing in line. No seating available unless you choose to go to the lounge.
I worry about restaurants with that much decor and dark wood and stacks of wine bottles arranged in tasteful dark wood cabinets when those restaurants are placed in a small strip mall next to a muffler shop.
I was right to worry.
I chose the prime rib with bacon wrapped scallops. I was there with 5 others and the staff was very good at accommodating our party. We were comfortable and actually right by the salad bar but the line at the salad bar was not intrusive at all.
I have noticed that I keep hesitating to talk about the food. Everyone was so nice and very helpful that I don't really want to ruin this but here we go.
I ordered prime rib-their specialty dish-and I asked for it to be cooked medium. It came out rare-the old joke about it mooing when you cut into it was bandied about. It was a nice piece of prime rib-cut about one inch or so thick but it resisted my fork when I cut into it.
I waited to see what the other prime rib ordered by one of the party I was there with would look like. It was a little more done, on the rare side of medium she quipped. But it was only 1/2 inch thick and there was a huge disparity in the portions.
She ordered hers without the scallops. But they were both supposed to be 8 oz portions. The price difference between her dinner and mine reflected the cost of the scallops on the starter menu. So it should have been the same piece of meat. Not at all.
They invite you to come into the kitchen and say hello-written right on the menu. There is an episode of "The F Word" where chef Gordon Ramsey teaches some butcher students how to tell if meat is rare, medium or well by touching different parts of the face. It took willpower to not go into the kitchen with that lesson.
I would have sent it back but it was a prime example of all the food in the restaurant or at least what I experienced. The bacon wrapped scallops had no flavor, not even the bacon. And while the menu says they are golden fried scallops-they had grill marks and nothing golden about them.
The onion rings were done well as far as cooking but not much flavor-and I don't care for heat. I have a palate that prefers mildness but these were so mild that I started fantasizing about a hint of cayenne. The mozzarella cheese sticks were the same as you get in most nice restaurants-seems as if they all have the same supply company.
But the worst sin had nothing to do with lack of flavor or cooking know-how. It was portion size. Another member of our party ordered the grilled salmon. At $16, I would have expected a decent portion, I know how much good salmon is in the store, I have eaten it at other restaurants but the tiny slice that was on that plate was like a child's portion. The dill cucumber sauce that was served with it was very, very good. Even with the salmon a little overdone, the sauce lifted it to a better level, if there had only been more to make the check a little easier to swallow.
Between the "famous salad bar" mediocre at best-which had nothing homemade on there except the cut of the lettuce and the lack of skill in the kitchen, we won't probably be returning even though that kid is cute beyond words.