The New Table 128: Three out of Four Questions Answered
"We're at the two-yard line," says chef-owner Lynn Pritchard. Find out how it's going—plus a sneak peek at the menu.
When I arrived at the new Table 128 (now at 220 SW 9th Street) this past Tuesday afternoon to interview the key players, manager Garrett Dosch was holding a training session with his front-of-house crew, chef de cuisine Jacob Demars was cooking short ribs in the kitchen, and chef-owner Lynn Pritchard was surveying everything that still needed to be done. It looked like a lot, with all kinds of bits and pieces everywhere, including boxes of shockingly expensive silverware and glassware (Pritchard reeled off some prices—not to brag, but as an example of how crazy-costly putting together a restaurant of this caliber is). The details might not have been in place, but the buzz was palpable.
“We’re at the two-yard line,” said Pritchard.
So…
When Will Table 128 Open?
UPDATE: The restaurant opened today, May 3, 2024. Find reservations on Tock!
Hours:
Lunch: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner: Tuesday through Thursday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday/Saturday: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Reservations will be available through Tock (but T-128 is not presently there, so don’t go searching quite yet).
What’s On the Menu at Table 128 and What Are the Prices?
This list of main courses on the dinner menu should give you a sense of the restaurant’s scope and ambition.
Main courses:
24-hour pork shoulder (GF) 34.00
Pork shoulder braised for 24 hours, 24 hour brined roasted pork chop, cumin and butternut squash puree, new potato, mustard seed, braised kale
Beef Tenderloin (GF) 38.00
Red cabbage puree, cherry belle radish simmered in beet jus, charred cippolini onion, French vanilla carrot sauce
Seared Atlantic salmon 32.00
Farro porridge, coffee cured crispy pancetta, candied walnuts, citrus greens, baby carrot, coffee caramel
Risotto carbonara (GF) 24.00
Arborio rice, cracked black pepper, egg yolk, fried prosciutto
Cast iron chicken breast 32.00
Kahlua and date puree, Greek yogurt, pickled grapes, frisée, fried gnocchi
Lynn burger 19.00
Pickled pear, brie, crispy onion, Dijon aioli, brioche, house cut fries
Mushroom bourguignon (V,VG,GF) 25.00
Mashed potato, mushroom, mushroom glaze, roasted carrot
In addition, you’ll find salads (kale, charred Caesar, and yes, that signature brussels sprouts salad) ranging from $12 to $16). Also on the menu are highly detailed appetizers (e.g, a pan-seared scallop with star-anise-simmered fennel, citrus puree, tangerine and marjoram vinaigrette, and toasted pine nut crumble) going for anywhere from $15 to $22.
Lunch is more casual (but of course, refined), with salads (yes, the brussels sprouts option), sandwiches, burgers, and a few appetizers. Most everything is priced under $20.
Note: According to Demars, this opening menu will be in place for the first couple months. After that, the menu will change often. So, if you’re reading this past May, 2024, the menu will likely have changed!
Pritchard Has Drawn a Line in the Sand. Can He
Sustain It?
Last autumn in an interview for a story I was writing for dsm Magazine, Pritchard said the most open and honest thing a chef has ever said to me (on the record, at least). He said: “I am fed up with our acceptance of mediocre food, mediocre service and a complete lack of hospitality. These days, I intentionally check myself before going into a restaurant and lower my expectations.”
“I am fed up with our acceptance of mediocre food, mediocre service and a complete lack of hospitality. These days, I intentionally check myself before going into a restaurant and lower my expectations.”
—Lynn Pritchard, chef/owner, Table 128
Pritchard and I have occasionally commiserated on how disheartened we are by the decline in the industry’s standards, especially when it comes to restaurant service. By coming out and saying it on the record, however, he has boldly underscored his commitment to raising our standards. It’s a risk, as diners will be keeping a close eye.
It helps that for his restaurant manager, he’s brought on Garrett Dosch, a young, energetic front-of-the-house pro with 20-plus years in the business (in Des Moines, you might have spotted him at Alba). When I spoke with Dosch about his approach to service, one of the first words he said was “genuine.” And along the way, he also mentioned another word that’s music to my ears: “trays.” Both speak to a kind of service I admire.
“I think there are very few places in Iowa that have what I consider truly genuine hospitality,” he said. “You can go to several places and get neat, tidy service. But have you been truly cared for, from start to finish?”
His goal is to create an honest sense of warmth and comfort throughout the dining experience. And during the hiring process, he has kept an eye out for people who have a passion for providing that style of care.
But what does the word “trays” have to do with it? At one point, Dosch happened to mention that every single drink arriving at a table will be delivered on a tray. Back when I was waiting tables, the practice was pretty much “service 101”—you simply didn’t carelessly ham-fist a customer’s glass (it’s a question of polish).
These days, I bet 95 percent of readers don’t give a hoot if their drink is delivered clenched in a server’s fist or served more elegantly from a tray. And yet this nicety speaks volumes about the kinds of nitty-gritty details that could all add up to make T-128 an exceptional place to dine. Personally, I look forward to a spot where the staff’s standards are higher than the average diner’s. It could be a refreshing change.
P.S.: Servers are undergoing a full week of daily eight-hour training sessions before they hit the floor. And another thing I appreciate: Dosch will be on the floor nightly.
Two Highly Esteemed Des Moines Chefs. One Restaurant. What Could Go Wrong?
T-128’s chef de cuisine is Jacob Demars who has gained a passionate local following in his own right. At R I Restaurant (which he owned) as well as other venues, including Barbarian, Demars became known for pulling off highly detailed, lavish, multi-course—and sold out—dinners in the gastronomical (food-as-art) vein.
Having two highly creative, visionary chefs—both accustomed to leading their own kitchens—under one roof could pose certain challenges. However, when I asked each if they’d locked horns over anything, both (in separate interviews) told me the exact same thing: the only real disagreement they’d had was regarding the tasting menu. (Demars wanted to do something like 20 courses. Pritchard told me, with a laugh, “Sure, I’m willing to push the envelope, but I’m going to cap it at some point.”)
“We complement each other,” explained Demars. “I’ve done a lot of Italian and Japanese—and have bounced around from there, while Lynn has a lot of culinary influences, but also a background that I don’t have at all, which is classic French.”
Demars added that their collaboration will bring a menu that takes full advantage of classic training, but is also constantly evolving and fun.
With someone as accomplished as Demars leading the kitchen, Pritchard can fully focus on maintaining exceptional standards across all facets of the dining experience. He told me he wants people to leave T-128 feeling “not overwhelmed, but deeply impressed” not only by the food, but by the level of detail and concentrated intention behind every conceivable detail—from the feel of the menu in the diner’s hand, to the color palette of the restaurant; from the way the diner is greeted, to how deeply they are understood throughout their experience.
Chefs Choices: What to Order at Table 128 (Bonus Content for Paid Subscribers)
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So, what should you order at T-128? I asked each chef to narrow it down to one choice. It was difficult, of course, because I’m sure they’re committed to making everything equally grand. Nevertheless, here’s what they said.
Lynn Pritchard was especially excited about his amuse bouche—that little complimentary nibble offered to every guest at dinner. “It’s phenomenal. It explodes in your mouth and tickles every taste receptor and it’s just such a lovely way to start a meal.”
I started to ask him what it was, exactly, but then I thought better of it. The amuse-bouche is a little gift, and gifts should be a surprise!
As for what to order, Pritchard was particularly enthused about his grilled Caesar salad.
“In many ways, the grilled Caesar should have been retired in the 1990s,” he says. “But ours is something to celebrate.” He added that he even gets “almost weepy” when something this familiar turns out this good.
He highly recommends the 24-hour braised pork shoulder, which is served with a 24-hour brined roasted pork chop, with cumin and butternut squash puree, new potato, mustard seed, and braised kale.
“With this dish, you get the best of both worlds,” explains Lynn. “You get this unctuous 24-hour sous-vide pork shoulder that melts in your mouth, and this brightly flavored, wonderfully brined pork loin. He adds that the dish celebrates both the high and the low on the hog—that lowly pork shoulder (in a highly unexpected presentation) and a beautiful fennel-enhanced pork loin. Together, the dish celebrates the beauty of food, both down-home and upscale.
Jacob Demars pointed to the risotto carbonara, with Parmesan and prosciutto. “It’s cooked traditionally with chicken stock; it’s super creamy and salty [in a good way]. And then we put the raw egg yolk in the middle and cover that with Parmesan cheese. At the table, guests stir the risotto themselves to make the carbonara sauce.”
Demars says that even among all the beautiful, complex dishes he’s created, “this is one of my favorite things.”
I’m thinking you can’t go wrong with any of these fine-tuned yet wholly approachable dishes.
P.S.: Remember the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, with professional writers reporting from all over Iowa. I’m thrilled to be a part of this group!
I'm swooning...can't wait!
Thanks, Wini. It sounds like it's going to be absolutely wonderful. I love this part..."I look forward to a spot where the staff’s standards are higher than the average diner’s." Me too.