A Good Show at Hugo's!
After a spate of so-so, I found something worth telling you about! Plus, more news of note on the Des Moines food scene.
Paid subscribers received a column last week about a particularly sad dining experience I had recently (more on that below). I did not name the restaurant, because so far, my policy has been to write only about restaurant visits that are at least 80% positive. But I mentioned the meal because (as I wrote), I wanted to give readers an idea of why I haven’t posted many restaurant reviews lately. While most meals I’ve encountered when out and about haven’t been quite as disheartening as the one I detailed, much of this summer has been a spate of so-so.
It was with fingers crossed that I went to Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen last week. A few of our city’s most name-recognized chefs had already let me down this summer—was I in for another mediocre-to-bad meal?
Fortunately, Lynn Pritchard and team broke my losing streak.
Three Things I Appreciate about Hugo’s
Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen
3206 University Ave., Des Moines
(515) 674-2960; www.hugosdsm.com
Here’s why I enjoyed Hugo’s, and why I think it’s worthy of my recommendation.
1. This Might Be the Patio to Beat
Recently a reader wrote to ask if I knew of any restaurant patio that didn’t overlook a parking lot. While many do, here’s an outlier! The spacious deck overlooks a handsome stone church across the street and offers glimpses of the character-rich mid-century and prewar buildings and an abundance of trees beyond. It’s a nice slice of cityscape. Though a hot rod occasionally roars down University Avenue, and a bus might belch by now and then, the patio is set back far enough that the noise remains mostly unobtrusive. The shade is abundant, too.
Indoors is a pleasant place to dine as well.
2. What a Menu!
Whether you call it polished-casual, refined-rustic, or careful-casual, the menu here lands on that sweet spot I love. Brimming with enticing Middle Eastern touches throughout, you’ll find appetizers (baked feta, lamb meatballs, grape leaves, shakshuka), distinctive-sounding soups, salads, pizza, and a handful of entrees. It’s all easygoing enough for a Tuesday night meal, but special enough for a weekend night out with friends. Bonus: most everything costs less than $20.
I also appreciate that you can get something beyond soups, salads, and sandwiches for lunch. Three thoughtful-sounding main dishes (stuffed eggplant, salmon, and chicken) make this a good choice for a celebratory mid-day meal, while the burger, salads, and pizza make the rest of the menu casual enough for any day.
3. The Food (Mostly) Follows Through
Pizza choices veer well off the beaten path—even the cheese pizza (with ricotta, pecorino romano, and mozzarella) has a vodka-laced sauce. While the harvest pizza option intrigued me with its butternut squash puree, caramelized onion, mushrooms, pickled fennel, and goat cheese, I landed on the Pork & Apple Pizza.
I love it when you’re eating something and suddenly, you think, “Wow! what’s that?” In the expected lapse between ordering and getting my pizza, I’d forgotten that a slather of apple butter graced the pie, and this was an astonishing touch. It was oh-so-subtle, between the crust and the cheese, and played beautifully with the pulled pork, pickled onions, and date slices. The pie also brought my kind of crust: thin but puffy in places, with a little crackle here and there. If you order appetizers (and you should), one pizza could easily serve two.
I could write a whole post on why the salmon dish—a lunch entree—worked so well, but two words come top to mind: freshness and balance. Everything harmonized in this highly precise and detailed dish—beautifully crisp-tender broccolini, glistening salmon, and a fine-tuned orzo salad with the right amount of not overwhelmingly tangy feta. Better yet, the dill crème fraîche highlighted what a sprightly fresh-dill touch can do for a dish—without being all about the dill. The hot-cold dish truly offered the hot-cold effects it aimed for (not lukewarm-lukewarm, which can sometimes be the case elsewhere).
The Turkish Meatball soup offered refined-rustic appeal and was gratifying in a way that a flavorful but not-too-thick first-course soup can be.
Only the eggplant salad disappointed. The presentation was off—methinks that if you’re not going to tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, then you should probably serve it on a plate. Maneuvering a knife and fork through a deep soup bowl just doesn’t work. I was also surprised that a dish prominently titled “Eggplant” brought just a small touch of eggplant amidst an abundance of lettuce and walnuts.
Earlier this summer I greatly enjoyed the baked feta cheese appetizer and the haddock entree at dinner. I should mention, however, that the haddock was quite light—not nearly as filling as the salmon I enjoyed at lunch. So, if you do go that route, be sure to get an appetizer.
For dessert, I appreciated the lemon cake with its dense, almost custard-rich center; I would quibble, however, that the blueberry ice cream lacked much by way of blueberry flavor.
A Welcome Addition to the Dining Scene: When I interviewed Pritchard last year about what he was hoping to achieve with Hugo’s, he mentioned, among other things, “the death of mediocrity.” With Hugo’s, he’s gone above and beyond that mark.
Quick Bites: More News on the Dining Scene
A reminder: I have two events this week:
• This Wednesday evening, I’ll be appearing at Beaverdale Books (6:30) to facilitate a discussion of Scott Carpenter’s new memoir, Paris Lost and Found: A Memoir of Love.
• On Saturday, September 21, I’ll be at the Clive Library (10 a.m.) for a discussion of my memoir, Love Is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All. Bonus: Coffee or tea, plus sticky rolls (reminiscent of those found at Younkers) will be served—but you have to RSVP to reserve the complimentary treat. Email Teri Nelson at: tnelson@cityofclive.com and let her know how many are in your party.
More details on each event can be found here.
Chef Departs Wallace Centers—But Events Are Still On
Last spring, I wrote about a meal I enjoyed at the former Wallace home in Sherman Hill. The event was designed to introduce the new chef, Saralyn Smith. I recently received an email from Wallace Centers of Iowa letting me know that Smith has left the organization to “pursue another opportunity.” According to the email, all scheduled events are still on, with the organization working “to leverage its talent network to continue to connect people around food.” The organization will then look for a permanent solution for its food programming.
Bauder’s Ice Cream Is Available Again!
Reading Seeta Mangra Stubb’s Substack, “Des Moines Gems, Guides, and Goodies,” I learned that while Bauder’s soda fountain has closed, some of their select ice cream treats are once again available. Find information on their pre-order kitchen here.
Should I Report on Subpar Dining Experiences? An Ongoing Discussion with Paid Subscribers
Last week, I told paid subscribers about a disappointing meal I had at a top-tier restaurant in town. I did not name the restaurant, because my policy—so far—has been to only write about restaurants if the experience is at least 80% positive. However, I asked readers if they thought I should change this policy.
For those who financially support my work, I offer the results of the poll, and continue the conversation, below.