Tastes from the 2013 Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market, Part 3

With the end of the outdoor farmers market season, I had to share a few more bites from the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market.

Extraordinary cheese can be had from Maytag Dairy Farms of Newton and Frisian Farms of Oskaloosa. Both operate stands at the downtown market. Maytag is famous for its world-class blue cheese while the folks at Frisian specialize in all things gouda: young, aged, curds, and smoked. I bought some of the smoked to share with friends at a nearby coffee shop, and it disappeared rather quickly, though I must confess to eating the lion's share. Rawr!

Though officially not part of the Farmers Market, many businesses in the neighborhood are open to offer their own delicious fare. Java Joes with all things coffee, Fong's with breakfast pizzas [see blog post], The Royal Mile with kick-ass burritos and omelets [see this blog post, and this one too], and now the Riverwalk Hub cafe with beverages, ham and cheese croissant sandwiches, and their signature pastry, sweet and savory Dangos.

The Dangos – named after artworks outside on the adjacent plaza [see blog post] – are a pâte-à-choux, i.e., a light pastry dough used to make profiteroles, croquembouches, éclairs, French crullers, and beignets. These were much drier.

The savory Dango sports a sprinkling of bacon. The bacon on the Dangos I tried were over-toasted and flavorless. Sweet Dangos were more appealing and complimentary with the Hub's fresh brewed coffee.

For as long as I remember going to the Downtown Farmers Market, Saloo's has always operated a stand there, offering samosas and potato cutlets filled with curried meat or vegetables. Cutlets are adorned with a lightly spiced tomato sauce. Its comfort food at its best.

I've been enjoying sausages at Strudl Haus' sausage stand, but I never got one on a pretzel bun. On my last visit there I finally got to try both the pretzel bun and the hot link sausage, with sauerkraut on top. Just plain delicious!

My hands-down favorite at the Downtown Farmers Market is the spinach pupusa from Pupusas El Salvador. With a heaping of curtido (slaw) and their picante salsa verde, it's a complete meal. I would eat these all the time if I could wake up early enough to avoid the queues that quickly build at their stand.

A Saturday in Omaha: Day's end at Runza

August 17

After my visit to the Benson neighborhood [see blog post], I took a bus west for a lackluster perusal of the claustrophobic confines of Westroads Mall. Tiring after a long day so far, I took the bus downtown and cooled my heels at a favorite hangout of mine, the 13th Street Coffee & Tea Company in the Old Market, content to piddle a few hours sipping several iced decafs.

On my way back to the Megabus stop I popped into the Runza at 72nd & Pacific. Runza is a Lincoln, Nebraska based chain of fast-food restaurants offering a signature namesake sandwich – and one of my favorite guilty pleasures – a bread pocket filled with ground beef, onion, and cabbage.

Runza also serves up a fine burger in the opinion of guide blogger, Road Tips. On their recommendation, I passed on loading up on meat Twinkies and instead ordered a simple cheeseburger with a side of Frings – Runza's whimsical packaging of onion rings and fries together in one container. I've even knew some vegetarians who stopped at Runza just for the Frings.

I must admit, Runza does make a great fast-food burger. I got mine made to order with cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles. Anything more would be a distraction. Sure I like West Coast favorite In-N-Out for their famously tricked out burgers (if you know the not-so-secret menu) [see blog post], but when comparing the burger patty itself, Runza's offering is the superior.

As for the Frings, the onion rings were okay, but the perfectly browned crinkle cut fries were outstanding. Crisp and potatoey, they're as exemplary as the burger.

I couldn't visit a Runza without ordering a Runza sandwich. My particular favorite is the Swiss Mushroom, but now Runza offers up a variety of ingredients to trick out your sandwich. Going for one of the suggested builds on the menu, I was drawn to the Southwest with cheddar, jalapeño ranch, salsa, taco seasoning, and tortilla strips.

It's a surprisingly tasty sandwich, but going for all the accoutrements seems to defeat the simplicity and familiar flavors that makes the Runza sandwich so popular. Popular enough that travelers passing through routinely order sacks of frozen Runzas to take home and enjoy. I know I've hauled home around six-dozen or so over the years.

Afterward, the Russell Stover Candies outlet nearby piqued my interest, but they were closed for the day. I would say I had a restful ride back home on the Megabus, but the overhead green lights left on made sleep difficult, along with some guy across the aisle with the loudest clicking cell phone keypad I ever heard.

A Saturday in Omaha: Afternoon in Benson

August 17

Invigorated from the Bloody Mary enjoyed at the Dundee Cork & Bottle [see blog post] I ventured on quick 0.8 mile jaunt over the rolling landscape to catch a Metro bus on the Northwest Radial Highway. Out of breath at my destination, I realized that I miscalculated the bus arrival and had rushed for naught. After a 20 minute wait, I was on the bus and minutes later strolling down Maple Street through the business district of Benson, a former suburb gobbled up by Omaha, in 1917.

A Benson fixture: the mural on the outer wall of Beercade, an arcade/bar.

I walked around the neighborhood, under the hot midday sun, but only made two stops. At the Benson Brewery I enjoyed a flight of beers. Highlights: the Benson Dirty Blonde was crisp and bitter, the Adopted Amber Ale sports an appealing tongue-curling quality, and the Karha-T chai ale is very chai, no lie – in aroma and taste.

A delightful lagniappe was a flight-sized cocktail – the Karha Comb – made with house honeycomb bourbon, a vanilla bean simple syrup and the Karha-T chai ale. While the drink still sported a head I could spot the flecks of vanilla bean suspended on top. The taste? Just... wow!

For lunch, I popped into Leo's Diner intent on ordering a half-pound burger, but a special-of-the-day lured me into its web – the Bac' Mother, i.e., bacon & M&M's pancakes. Sweet and savory, I passed on syrup. These plate-sized pancakes were delicious.

Foolishly I ordered optional sides which were another breakfast unto themselves: two eggs, hash browns, a large sausage patty, and a Rotella English muffin. With all this before me, I skipped on the muffin, and polished off only half of the pancakes.

Next time I visit Benson I'll do the smart thing and start the day first at Leo's, and on an empty stomach.

A Saturday in Omaha: Morning in Dundee

Dundee Bloody Dundee
 

August 17

Finally roaming the streets of Omaha, despite a late arrival on the Megabus over from Des Moines. I made my way to the corner of 72nd & Dodge to catch a timely Metro bus to take me to 50th Street, where I walked north to explore Dundee, a neighborhood annexed by Omaha in 1915.

On Underwood Ave. I found a quaint small business area. Seeking breakfast I settled into a small cafe operated by the Le Quartier Baking Company. Le Quartier offers a wide assortment of breads and pastries in Lincoln and Omaha, rather like what La Mie offers the Des Moines metro, but with greater distribution.

With a bottle of orange juice, I tucked into a delightful ham, cheddar and cream cheese croissant. Crisp and savory!

Artisan breads, a varitey of quiches, and a tasty ham and cheese croissant.

For my second course I'm served a delightful plate of biscuits and gravy. The gravy is incredible! Well flavored with some lingering zest. Truely the second best sausage gravy I've ever tasted. Only George Formaro's crew at Centro tops this [see blog post]. Pillowy, fork tender biscuits, flecked with herbs. The texture is so light, I mistook these for ciabatta rolls until I was informed otherwise from the counter.

Sated I wandered the neighborhood, looking for a drink. While investigating the location of a falafel shop, I spotted a wee bar next door to investigate.

The Dundee Cork & Bottle is a tiny tavern, with half of its space occupied with the display of fine wines and cigars, and most of its seats located outside on the sidewalk. I moseyed up to the bar – just long enough to lie down on – and ordered a dram of Glenmorangie with a waterback.

An assortment of fine wines, a decently stocked humidor, and a bargain Bloody Mary.

I lingered inside just long enough to cool down, then went outside to engage in conversation with the barkeep who was enjoying a smoke, and another patron quaffing a simple three-dollar Bloody Mary, which I found myself intent on trying. Tomatoey and with a dose of both Red Devil and Tapatio hot sauces, its a perfect thirst quencher and a bargain to crow about.

Tube meats great and small.

Scimeca's Sausages of Kansas City has been showing up at events this summer in Des Moines, notably the Des Moines Arts Festival, the Italian American Heritage Festival, and the World Food & Music Festival.

I first came across Scimeca's at the Des Moines Arts Festival, where I tried their half-pound Italian sausage link with grilled onions and peppers. The flavorful, seasoned link exhibited a crisp skin that popped with each bite. Veggies retained a subtle, satisfying crunch. I welcome their return next summer.

At the Downtown Farmers Market I picked up a bottle of Big Daddy's Fire & Brimstone BBQ sauce. I cracked open the bottle to dress up a couple of naked dogs from Hotshots. Hot, spicy and sweet!

A couple days later I'd dip into more of the sauce with a doughy pretzel dog from King's Pretzels on the Skywalk in the Kaleidoscope on Walnut.