Highs and Lows on the DSM Dining Scene of Late
It’s been a mixed bag, but thank heavens for some great pie!
The brightest spot in the past week was an Apple Praline Pie by Pies and Pastries by Lana. I tasted her wares for an upcoming story on holiday pies (stay tuned!).
But when it came to restaurants, once again, I struck out.
This, friends, has too often been the story of the past few months. I’ve checked out a number of places hoping to find something I couldn’t wait to tell you about, but came away empty-handed. Much has been in that gray zone of “so-so”—not awful, not great, but definitely not worth taking up precious space in your inbox.
That’s not to say we don’t have any good restaurants. But I’ve written about many of them already.
Still, I know you come here to find out about good restaurants—not to listen to me grouse about the challenge of finding them. I’ve updated my index with a new shining star icon ( 🌠 ) marking the restaurants I recommend most. Until I add a few more, consider it your best guide. And please, read the reviews! A star doesn’t mean everything’s flawless—it means that, in the ever-shifting landscape of local dining, these are pretty good bets.
Check it out!
Meanwhile—a Final Farm-to-Table Dinner?
This might be one of your last chances to get out into the country and enjoy a farm-to-table dinner this year. My friend Beth Hoffman of Whippoorwill Creek Farm tells me she has a few tickets left for the “Thankful Dinner” on November 1 at the farm near Lovilia. Dinner will celebrate fall’s bounty, and Chef MacKenzie Schultz of Harbinger will be the chef. Find out more and get tickets here.
I also wanted to let you know that I scored some great grass-finished beef shanks from Whippoorwill Creek Farm at The Good Butcher. Shanks? Yes. Shanks. Read about why I love beef shanks—even more than chuck roasts—for fall/winter braises, and my secret to that osso buco in my recent story for dsm magazine’s Dish newsletter.
For Paid Subcribers Only
As I’ve said before, I dislike writing mixed reviews so much that you have to pay me to write them! Nevertheless, because people come to me for insights, stellar and not-so-stellar, I’m offering a peek at two of the venues where I’ve had mixed results lately. This is for paid subscribers only.