Remember last December when I tried to interview Derek Eidson and Pete Faber about their upcoming Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster restaurant? Well, that was kind of a bust.
You know what wasn’t a bust? My recent visit to their Northwoods supper club-inspired spot, which opened in late January.
Our visit was remarkably enjoyable through and through.
I’ll tell you all about it. But first, won’t you consider subscribing? This Stack is only possible because readers support it. Please become a free or paid subscriber.
Guesthouse. Yes. Go.
Before you go to Guesthouse, note my italics in the phrase supper club-inspired spot. That’s the way Eidson and Faber described the place to me, and now I understand why: If you go expecting it to be exactly like your favorite Wisconsin/Minnesota supper club … well, just don’t.
Yes, the decor offers fun supper-club touches—(retro American beer ads, camping lanterns on the tables, a big canoe over the bar, comfy brown-vinyl seating, taxidermy, and a few plaid-upholstered booths). However, there’s no mistaking that you’re in a suburban strip mall restaurant. The exposed ceiling and duct-work and an overall hard edge keeps the place from being as cozy as I might have yearned for. As a bonus, however, the garage doors offer and abundance of natural light and the promise of fresh air in warmer months.
If I was slightly let down by the look, I got over it pretty quickly—at least as soon as saw who my server was. I couldn’t quite remember where I’d seen her before, but I immediately got that unmistakable feeling (and sense of relief!) that I was in good hands.
When I asked her where we’d crossed paths, she said it was probably Either/Or (she still works there, too). Indeed, she was part of the overall “glad-to-be-here/glad-you’re-here” vibe that I wrote about in my review of a terrific lunch visit there. And she greatly enhanced my time at Guesthouse.
The menu also lifted my spirits—especially when I saw trout amandine on the menu (I probably will never not order trout when I spot it).
Overall, I really appreciate the tight focus of the menu—this isn’t a place with a gazillion options, making you wonder what they truly do well. They offer a balanced combination of what I might call meaty, he-man entrees (e.g., beef short rib [$26], pork shank [$25]); supper-club classics (e.g., steaks [$32-$42], walleye [$26], trout [$26] ); plus a few surprises (e.g., shrimp de Jonge [$29], pork Milanese [$28]). Sandwiches include a burger ($17), lobster roll ($28), and veggie burger ($16). Oh, and a fried bologna sandwich ($16), which my pal Andy Lyons will write about one of these days (spoiler: he adored it.)
We started with a smoked whitefish spread ($13) an irresistibly creamy-smoky blend served with those darling cornichons and pickled red onion. And oysters—yes. I probably never love reviewing restaurants more than when I’m eating fresh, plump, bracing, ice-cold oysters ($42 for 12/$21 for 6). All three varieties we tried were wonderful, but if you spot Kusshi oysters (from Vancouver Island, B.C.), snag ’em (in spite of the wee $1.50 upcharge). Goodness, these were divine—at once silky and firm, sweet and briny, they finished with a haunting, lingering essence of the sea.
If you’ve ever been nonplussed by beef Stroganoff, give it another try—here. With two ample chunks of spoon-tender, boneless short ribs, fresh mushrooms, and elegant, crisp-tender cippolini onions, all in a sherry-laced cream sauce on rich egg noodles, this version gives beef Stroganoff back its good name.
The trout amandine arrived glistening and flavorful, with a judicious scattering of almonds. I’m a fan of a bit of lemony zip in an amandine sauce; this one was rich, but alas, without much zing. Yet I’d likely order it again because … trout.
Side dishes were stellar—I’ll never not order the luscious and nutty-flavored creamed wild rice here. The green beans had been cooked forever—and I mean that in the best possible way, with bacon, tomatoes, onions, and garlic all cooking down and making them sweet and salty and slightly tangy and super-tender in the way many of our grandmothers served them. They’re unbelievably good in that midcentury way I love revisiting.
One final note: I get a bit curmudgeonly when restaurants don’t put menu prices on their website, and there were no prices on Guesthouse’s. Perhaps with ever-fluctuating inflationary costs, things are bound to change so often they can’t keep up?
Or perhaps they’re afraid we’ll have sticker shock? Frankly, these days it’s not uncommon to see polished-casual entrees costing in the $25-$30 range, and steaks going for higher than that. As we were driving home, Dave and I talked about how a quality casual meal for two, with drinks, can easily approach $150 after taxes and gratuity.
No, I don’t like it either, but it’s the way it is. Just last week, consumer prices rose 3.5% for the 12 months ended in March.
Most every diner I know has tried to be gracious and forgiving toward restaurants imperiled by the pandemic and its long-lingering aftermath. Now, the tide might be turning. For dining out to continue to be worth our hard-earned dollar, restaurateurs had better step up their game. It’s evident to me that Eidson and Faber understand that. If the prices must keep climbing, at least at Guesthouse, the standards are following suit.
Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster
Address: 9500 University Ave., Suite 1118; West Des Moines
Phone: (515) 994-8378
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Reservations: Yes. Here’s where.
Website: guesthousetavernoyster.com
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Thanks for highlighting the trout. My favorite whenever it appears on a menu.
Thanks, Wini, for calling nonsense on undercooked string beans.