Review of Roots 95
8705 Chambery Blvd, #700; Johnston
(515) 561-0408.
Dinner served nightly. Also open for lunch and/or brunch Tuesday through Sunday.
Having covered the Des Moines dining scene for over 25 years, sometimes, I feel I’ve had more spinach-artichoke dips than there are stars in the sky, more Caesar salads and Cajun this-and-thats than there are grains of sand on the seashore. Balsamic drizzles and Alfredo sauces arrive with the ceaselessness of waves in the ocean.
And so, my heart sank a little when I first glanced at the menu of Roots 95. Would this place stand out in a sea of other mid-range places that offer such aforementioned items?
Without a doubt, it does. In fact, a resounding refrain throughout our two very recent visits there was, “This guy really knows what he’s doing.”
“This guy” is Arturo Mora, the chef-owner of two Flame the Taqueria restaurants (Johnston and Bondurant) and Flame the Cantina, in Ankeny. In late winter, he opened Roots 95; the name is a nod to the year he immigrated from Mexico at the age of 15. Mora has worked in the kitchens of Splash, Phat Chefs, and Christopher’s, and was later tapped by the Cheesecake Factory to help open new restaurants in both the U.S. and Mexico.
Over the years, he must have seized on exactly what it takes to make a lot of familiar-food-seeking diners happy, while also appealing to those who don’t always want Alfredo sauces and balsamic drizzles on everything. You can appeal to both camps—and both will appreciate how well-crafted the food here is.
The Ambiance
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Warm pendant lighting, sleek upholstered banquettes, and a neutral color scheme combine for a relaxed environment that’s refined yet welcoming. The patio dining area looked like it had some shade at the time of my visit, and while it overlooks a parking lot, the pleasant view of trees beyond creates a serene backdrop.
I was especially happy that the music in the dining room played at a comfortable level, and we didn’t suffer from that overly air-conditioned summer freeze-out you often find in restaurants this season.
The Food: Craft Is the Word (That, and Value)
In general, we enjoyed well-crafted, beautifully presented, high-quality food throughout our two visits. And there’s value here, too. The prices struck me as surprisingly reasonable in these days of sock-it-to-you inflation.
Find the menu here. A few highlights on our visits:
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For starters, the chicken dumplings (aka potstickers, $12) brought beautifully chewy, lightly crisp wrappers encasing a simple and savory filling; the ponzu sauce added spice and acidic brightness to the plate. We also appreciated the expertly fried, ultra-puffy tempura batter on the Bang Bang Shrimp ($12)—and there was something about the arugula accent that made the flavors really take off.
We’ll probably never go here without one of us ordering the hanger steak ($21)—the meat had been soy-marinated and cooked (medium rare) to ultra-tender perfection. It was plated with crisp-tender veggies, earthy-sweet and buttery red-skin mashed potatoes, and a bright chimichurri sauce. Yes, all this for $21.
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We were so smitten by the well-crafted mashed potatoes that, on our next visit, we ordered the Roots Pie (their take on Shepherd’s pie; $17). Those heavenly potatoes—this time with asiago cheese—crowned a gratifying and robust filling of ground beef red gravy (an Italian-spiced tomato sauce), complete with far-from-overcooked peas and carrots that still retained their color.
A harmonious mix of ingredients—including soft pulled pork, pickled onions, and Korean barbecue sauce—made the Korean BBQ Pork flatbread ($15) another success. Though the sturdy crust was hard to cut with knife and fork, it was satisfyingly toothsome and crisp as a hand-held.
There was also much to love in the Pear and Blue Cheese Summer Salad ($13, or $8 at happy hour)—especially in the perfect ripeness of the fruit. The pears were firm, yet tender and succulent. The strawberries were juicy and crimson throughout, absent that flavorless under-ripe white core too-often encountered. They were so drippingly ripe and flavorful, I had to wonder if they had been plucked from local fields.
A minor misstep: The salmon, which I added onto the pear salad for $8, brought a good-quality piece of Scottish salmon (generally, a farm raised product); however, to my tastes, it was slightly overcooked—its interior glistening a little less than I’d hope for.
Of the three desserts (limoncello cake, a cheesecake and a très leches cake), only the latter was made in-house. What a lovely cake it was—moist, fluffy, and rich all at the same time, it was served with a sprightly fresh-berry compote.
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A Wee Money-Saving Tip
As I mentioned, I think prices here are exceedingly reasonable; however, who doesn’t love a bargain? Get an order in before 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and you can enjoy nice discounts on select appetizers and drinks—seated anywhere in the restaurant—before you tuck into dinner. We took full advantage on Monday night.
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A Great Service Culture
We enjoyed upbeat, keyed-in servers both nights. I especially loved the way our server on Monday night seemed genuinely excited to point the way to the best deals at happy hour—and to get a second drink for one of us in under the wire. I also loved the way the front-of-the-house worked as a team both nights, with hostesses stepping in a couple times when our servers were otherwise occupied.
Johnston, I’m Jealous
This is the kind of any-night place we’d all love to have in our neighborhood: that spot that comes naturally to mind when you want to feel in good hands and enjoy uplifting, careful-casual food at prices that won’t bring you down. That said, I’ll gladly drive 20 minutes to dine here again.
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sounds like a good spot for sure, plus sometimes finding a place that has: "music in the dining room played at a comfortable level" is half the battle!
Thank you for the in depth review and recommendations. I can’t wait to go there and order exactly what you ordered. Do you think they made the dumplings in house? It is so hard to find good homemade dumplings these days with all of the frozen options available.