Baseball Roadtrip 2009: Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines

@WJ:  Yeah, Dallas BBQ is still there (although I think they're all just called "BBQ" now).  (edit: I stand corrected, I walked by the one on 23rd and 8th today, and indeed, it's stll called "Dallas BBQ")  They're packed every night.  Cheap food sells, I guess.  My last visit there was about 8 years ago and it was pure garbage.  I never at there as a kid.   Generally, the only times I ate in the city as a young kid was when we made family excursions to Chinatown or the Lower East Side (usually Sammy's).  When I moved into the city around 1990, my freinds and I ate at BBQ very often.  The food sucked but you could get a huge meal for $5.  Oh yeah, they served bucket-sized "maragritas" out of a slurpee machine.  In a lot of ways, life was much simpler back when I wasn't so picky about where I ate!

Regarding the liquid lunch, I can assure you, that's still the policy for a large group of folks at that certain organization.  In a lot of ways, it's still 1962 at that place. 

@Inthwater:  I really intended on hitting at least a few places that you recommended, but there was simply no time.  Too bad, because I've still never had a decent BPT in my life.  Have you been to The Flying Mango?  It's right in your neigborhood, so I'm sure you know about it.  I was very impressed with it.

Yeah, The Mango is good stuff.  Kind of "fancy" but not so much that a nice t-shirt and shorts looks way out of place in the summer.  They have great smoked meat there. Gad you had one good experience, anyway. 

I tried to warn you guys about the Machine Shed, but NooOooOoo...no one wanted to hear me.  :D

Some of their food is still good, but it just screams "tourist trap".  It was good, even great, about 20+ years ago when it was 3-4 places and called the Iowa Machine Shed only.

@Niagara - I think you will have a great time on your trip.  The river is looking good, so you should be above the water-line for your concert.  :) 

Inthewater


Yeah, The Mango is good stuff.  Kind of "fancy" but not so much that a nice t-shirt and shorts looks way out of place in the summer.  They have great smoked meat there. Gad you had one good experience, anyway. 

I tried to warn you guys about the Machine Shed, but NooOooOoo...no one wanted to hear me.  :D

Some of their food is still good, but it just screams "tourist trap".  It was good, even great, about 20+ years ago when it was 3-4 places and called the Iowa Machine Shed only.

@Niagara - I think you will have a great time on your trip.  The river is looking good, so you should be above the water-line for your concert.  :) 

Tourist trap or not, I still love, love loved the stuffed Iowa Chop, although it has been 6 years since I was there last. The only one that was better was the chop at  the sorely missed White Way Cafe in Durant IA.  I'm  gonna say their cinammon roll looks amazing too. I'm gonna stop there next year and at least try that- just the cinammon roll and nothing else.

The cinnamon roll is good.  I was surprised that your breakfast was so bad, Pigiron, that used to be the go too meal out there.

I think they still smoke their own meats, or they say they do.  The chops and pork dishes used to be freakin top-notch.

If I can convince my wife to go out there, I will try one and let you know if they are still good.

The cinnamon rolls are the size of a lunch box and used to be fantastic.  :D

Inthewater


Yeah, The Mango is good stuff.  Kind of "fancy" but not so much that a nice t-shirt and shorts looks way out of place in the summer.  They have great smoked meat there. Gad you had one good experience, anyway. 

I tried to warn you guys about the Machine Shed, but NooOooOoo...no one wanted to hear me.  :D

Some of their food is still good, but it just screams "tourist trap".  It was good, even great, about 20+ years ago when it was 3-4 places and called the Iowa Machine Shed only.

@Niagara - I think you will have a great time on your trip.  The river is looking good, so you should be above the water-line for your concert.  :) 

So, if the Machine Shed sucks, where would you go for a good pork chop there? My wife loves pork chops, and I thought we'd have that before the concert.
 
I'm thinking El Bait Shop for dinner before the ball game.
 

Niagara

Inthewater


Yeah, The Mango is good stuff.  Kind of "fancy" but not so much that a nice t-shirt and shorts looks way out of place in the summer.  They have great smoked meat there. Gad you had one good experience, anyway. 

I tried to warn you guys about the Machine Shed, but NooOooOoo...no one wanted to hear me.  :D

Some of their food is still good, but it just screams "tourist trap".  It was good, even great, about 20+ years ago when it was 3-4 places and called the Iowa Machine Shed only.

@Niagara - I think you will have a great time on your trip.  The river is looking good, so you should be above the water-line for your concert.  :) 

So, if the Machine Shed sucks, where would you go for a good pork chop there? My wife loves pork chops, and I thought we'd have that before the concert.
 
I'm thinking El Bait Shop for dinner before the ball game.
 

Who says their pork chop sucks? I'll admit it has been 6 years, but it was the best pork chop I ever had.

Yeah, I even said the chops used to be good, and probably still are.  The rest of the restaurant and some of the other dishes (according to Pigiron) are not what they used to be, but the Chops are likely still just fine.

El Bait Shop is cool, and has some decent food, but its more for the 150 beers on tap that I love it.  :)  (Something like 150, may be 125)

The food is really better (and more Roadfood like) at the High Life Lounge, which a good thing because they are connected and in the same building.  :)  Great old comfort food there. Much of it is scratch made, but some is frozen / fried, i would assume.  the chicken tenders and such.  The chicken pot pie there is a favorite of mine.

Hmm...a good chop.  Lots of places to get chops in town.  Let me think on it, there may very well be a place closer and better.

I will try to let you know.

Jesse's Embers is my recommendation for a good chop, or just good food in general.  It is one of those "stuck in 1972" kind of places like Pigiron went to in Omaha.  Old school, and great.  It is close to downtown, and very cozy.  :)

The chop is just grilled, but it is good.  Not too bad of a price, either.  The steaks there are outstanding.  Old supper club / steakhouse sort of place.

Let me know if you check it out.

I second Rumaki's thought that Stroud's chicken tastes like.......wait for it........ chicken, which is exactly what I want my chicken to taste like. Too much cooking today obliterates the real flavor of fine ingredients in the interest of over-salting, over-spicing and over-flavoring everything to the point that the actual star of the meal can't be tasted. To me, there's nothing better than a great steak grilled with just a little salt and pepper and Stroud's treats their beautifully fried chicken with the same respect.

Of course to each his own, so if more flavor is your thing a bit of Stroud's amazing gravy should certainly do the trick.
 

Gotta agree there.  Nice steak, chicken or pork on the grill with simple flavorings usually takes the cake.

About the most intense we get at our home is a little tequila / lime / cilantro marinade.  :D

Which, oddly enough, tastes good on just about every type of meat I have used it on.

/endthreadderail

Enjoyable report, and that runza looks particularly good. I'm hoping to make a trip out that way next year, so your faves will go on my list.

And I'm glad to see Snookie's in your report. What's not to like about that place?

Great report. Enjoyed tagging along and have enjoyed the intelligent comments in this thread.

Pigiron,
   It never fails. The owner takes time off and the staff make up their own rules. I apologize that you weren't able to order breakfast at the Farmer's Kitchen. As far as I'm concerned, if my kitchen can make it, we will.

   Thank you for giving us a second chance and ordering the Skillet. And a second thank you for telling about your experience, both negative and positive. We restaurateurs NEED feedback like this in order to take care of our customers better.

   The @#$%^ breakfast rule is not a Midwestern rule. I blame it on McDonald's and their strict 10:30 AM breakfast cutoff. 

   The cashier that day was my younger brother who moved from Seattle to help us out while I am dealing with some health issues. Ironically, he's my breakfast cook.

   I've reviewed my breakfast menu and instructed my staff that breakfast IS available at any time. The only exceptions are pancakes (the pancakes are cooked on the same side of the grill as the burgers and they turn out horrible.)

Nice to see you chime in.  Also nice to see you not really make any excuses.  That is refreshing to see, these days.

blizzardstormus


Pigiron,
  It never fails. The owner takes time off and the staff make up their own rules. I apologize that you weren't able to order breakfast at the Farmer's Kitchen. As far as I'm concerned, if my kitchen can make it, we will.

  Thank you for giving us a second chance and ordering the Skillet. And a second thank you for telling about your experience, both negative and positive. We restaurateurs NEED feedback like this in order to take care of our customers better.

  The @#$%^ breakfast rule is not a Midwestern rule. I blame it on McDonald's and their strict 10:30 AM breakfast cutoff. 

  The cashier that day was my younger brother who moved from Seattle to help us out while I am dealing with some health issues. Ironically, he's my breakfast cook.

  I've reviewed my breakfast menu and instructed my staff that breakfast IS available at any time. The only exceptions are pancakes (the pancakes are cooked on the same side of the grill as the burgers and they turn out horrible.)

Wow, thanks for responding, Blizzard.  I have to say that I don't think I've ever had a proprietor respond to a comment of mine before.   It's  nice to see a business owner that actually cares enough to address his/her customers.  I'm officially keeping The Farmer's Kitchen of Atlantic, IA as a permanent bookmark on my GPI, and if I'm ever around that way again, I will definitely stop in. 
 
Do you have any Farmer's Kitchen tee-shirts for sale? If you do, send me a private email and I would love to purchase one.  Same goes for that ASTOUNDING sour cream raisin pie, if I thought it would survive a trip through the mail.

I am sure it could be done, but I don't think it would be cheap. 

:D

Pigiron,
 Every business owner needs to understand that the customer MUST come first.
I would love to send you a shirt.What's your e-mail?

We are working on how to send pies, but, IntheWater is right. It's probably going to be expensive.

I was planning onmaking a trip out that way sometime soon, but your remarks here have made me decide to tell the wifey that we need to head over to the Zoo sometime this late summer.  :)

Tasty foods, here I come.

;)

blizzardstormus


Pigiron,
Every business owner needs to understand that the customer MUST come first.
I would love to send you a shirt.What's your e-mail?

 
Sent you a private message.  Please let me know if it doesn't reach you.

I keep telling a friend of mine I'm gonna fax her some brownies, so I'll let you know when I work that out with the Scientists.  ;)

I think its clear that in order to get a good slice of pie or tenderloin from the Farmer's Kitchen you can either wait until the Replicator from Star Trek TNG hits the market,


or just drive to Atlantic on your way to Omaha.