dsmWeekly: November 15, 2023

A simple bowl of corn has a starring role at La Baja Cocina Mexicana. Photo: Duane Tinkey

FOOD AND DINING

Side dishes worth swooning over

Writers: Hailey Allen and Michael Morain

Around the holidays, a certain bird tends to gobble up all the glory around the dinner table. But for a lot of us, the best part of the feast is what surrounds the main platter: all the appetizers, amuse-bouches and side dishes that elevate a simple supper to a full-on celebration.

When we asked folks on social media to tell us about their favorite sides on restaurant menus around town, they served up a heaping bounty of recommendations about unusual dishes and classics done unusually well. So now, let us pause to give thanks for a few sides that truly amuse our bouches:

Vaso De Elote, La Baja Cocina Mexicana (Pictured above)
“It’s a traditional experience,” manager Claudia Ocampo said through her niece Fernana Ocampo’s translation. “It’s a simple taste of Mexico.”

Deviled Eggs, Alba
It’s a precise balance of flavors and textures, general manager Michael Dodson said. The horseradish “gives it a little zing, and the beets add a bit of earthiness.”

Brussels Sprouts Salad, 503 Cocktail Lounge + Tasting Room
The warm dish is festooned with Parmesan and manchego cheese, Marcona almonds, prosciutto and a drizzle of whole-grain mustard vinaigrette. Chef-owner Lynn Pritchard suggests adding a poached egg, too. As he put it, “You could add a poached egg to a foot and I’d be in love with it.”

Spicy Three-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Simon’s
It’s no secret why diners devour the mushrooms at this mainstay at 58th Street and Franklin Avenue. “I mean, who doesn’t love melted cheese?” owner Simon Goheen said.

Mango Salad, Eat Thai
The sweet-sour-spicy recipe came from owner Aom Meesangkaew’s mother-in-law, who served it for years at her own restaurant in California. “It’s so refreshing,” Meesangkaew said.

Hungry for more? Read the full version of this story from our November/December issue, now out in print and online.

Eyes all aglow: check out tree lightings, holiday markets and decorations galore this weekend. Photo: Gidon Wessner

BEST BET

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style

In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas, whether you’re ready or not. This weekend seems to be the unofficial kickoff for the holiday shopping season, with no shortage of options for a festive stroll. Take your pick — or chug some AE eggnog (in stores now) and visit all five.

Jingle in the Junction (5-8 p.m. Thursday): More than 100,000 lights will cast a glow over Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines, including horse-drawn trolley rides, carolers, ice carving, a “living” snow globe and a tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.

Holiday Promenade (5-8 p.m. Friday): The annual celebration is back for the first of five weekly events. The tree at Brenton Skating Plaza lights up at 6 p.m., followed by live entertainment, open houses and holiday shopping deals throughout the East Village.

Tree Lighting and Fireworks (6-7 p.m. Friday): According to his magical marketing team, good old Santa plans to “throw a fireball” across the little lake at Jordan Creek Town Center to light the towering Blue Spruce. Musicians from the Lutheran Church of Hope will open the program, followed by the fiery finale.

Jolly Holiday Lights (6-8 p.m. Friday): The popular fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Iowa moves this year to the Outlets of Des Moines. Everybody can see the lights for free — you can’t miss ’em — but you can support the cause by buying tickets that include access to special events, like the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, plus coupons for participating shops and businesses. The lights shine through Jan. 7.

Winter Farmers Market (11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m-6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday): The popular downtown farmers market moves indoors at Hy-Vee Hall with end-of-the-season produce, homemade goodies, holiday gifts, local art and Christmas decorations from more than 150 vendors.

The Week Ahead

Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour (7:30 tonight): A.J. Croce pays tribute to his legendary folk and rock singer father, Jim Croce, during a concert at Hoyt Sherman Place, offering his own spin on hits like “Operator,” “Time in a Bottle” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” The elder Croce and five others died in a plane crash 50 years ago on Sept. 20, the day before the release of his hit single “I Got a Name.”

Champagne & Chocolate (6-9 p.m. Friday): Tickets are still available for the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s holiday gala. This year will feature live music by BYOBrass and the Feel Right Trio as guests soak up the tropical plant displays and sip cocktails under the dome. All proceeds benefit the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and its dedication to education, ecology, community and culturally enriching activities.

HoQ Anniversary Dinner (5-10 p.m Friday and Saturday): The East Village restaurant celebrates 11 years in business with a special menu. For the first course, Chef Suman serves mulligatawny made with free-range tandoori chicken and red lentils, followed by spaghetti squash and quark cheese for the second course and shepherd’s pie with grass-fed beef for the main course. As always, 90% of the ingredients are produced by local farms with a commitment to sustainability. Reservations can be made on OpenTable or by calling the restaurant directly at 515-244-1213.

Joyce Yang with the Des Moines Symphony (7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday): The guest pianist joins the orchestra at the Des Moines Civic Center to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A major, in between works by Glinka, Shostakovich and Florence Price, the first Black woman to have her music played by a symphonic orchestra.

Fall Makers Market (11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday): Who said shopping couldn’t double as exercise? Explore nature while you hunt for holiday gifts from more than 60 local makers, artisans and handcrafters set up in clusters throughout Jester Park in Granger. If you need to refuel, find the trucks from Charlotte's Kitchen and Travelin' Tom's Coffee.

Greater Des Moines Exhibited (6:30-8 p.m. Thursday): The annual showcase of local artistic talent opens with a reception at the Polk County Heritage Gallery. This year’s show features work by 44 area artists, chosen by guest juror Edgard Camacho, and remains through Jan. 3 under the lovely vaulted ceiling of the old post office in the Polk County Administration Building. (Enter from the south, on Court Avenue.)

ARTS AND CULTURE
If you like Etsy: A new online Iowa Artist Directory is now active with 100 listings in more than 20 counties so far. ARTSwork, the year-round sister organization of the Des Moines Arts Festival, created the free directory to help artists showcase their work in various media, including dance, design, education, media, music, theater, visual arts and writing. Organizations and businesses that support artists can also post their services, as well as opportunities for auditions, commissions, grants and more.

PHILANTHROPY
On a roll: DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute is mixing up its fourth annual Thanksgiving Dinner Roll Fundraiser to help send students to the American Culinary Federation National Convention next year in Phoenix. You can place an order — white or whole wheat — for $6 a dozen through noon Nov. 20 and pick them up Nov. 22 at the DMACC campuses in Newton and downtown Des Moines. Last year’s class prepared a total of 263 dozen rolls, and this year’s class hopes to beat that record.

Happy holidays! Richard Marsh stars in the one-man show "Yippee Ki Yay," a poetic parody of "Die Hard," the 1988 Christmas classic. Photo: Des Moines Performing Arts

ARTS AND CULTURE

Review: a show for die-hard 'Die Hard' fans

Writer: Mathany Ahmed

When I threw a holiday party last year, I asked my soon-to-be guests what movies we should screen. They suggested “Elf,” “A Christmas Story” and even that train movie with the mildly creepy animated kids. But when the party rolled around, I ignored their recommendations and instead played my favorite Christmas movie: “Die Hard,” the 1988 hit about a New York City cop who saves Christmas from a troop of East German terrorists.

Only about half my guests had ever seen the movie, which I didn’t realize until about halfway through. I worried that seeing machine guns instead of Santa Claus might have been a bit of a shock until I realized that Bruce Willis had already won over the crowd, saving his marriage, the hostages of Nakatomi Plaza and the vibes of my party all in one stunning (and barefoot) performance.

So I hoped for some of that magic Tuesday when I went to see “Yippee Ki Yay,” an unauthorized “Die Hard” parody that opened a weeklong run at the Temple for Performing Arts. It’s a love letter to what is obviously the greatest Christmas movie of all time, and if you’re a die-hard “Die Hard” fan, you’ll have a good time. The one-man show can’t possibly offer all the hunky Willis charm, of course, but its creator and star — a scrawny British guy — is so clearly obsessed with the story that you can’t help but appreciate his commitment to the bit. I mean, he turned the epic action movie into a 75-minute epic poem.

Richard Marsh, the playwright, really, really loves “Die Hard.” As he tells it, he met his wife in a Reddit forum about the movie. The story has been a constant source of bonding and connection through their courtship, marriage and even early years of parenthood.

He uses every inch of the tight space and plays numerous characters. His impressions of John McClane (the Willis character) and Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) made me laugh, and there’s no character left behind. At one point, he even embodies a single bullet moments before it pierces the skull of a henchman. The sound effects, like rat-a-tat machine guns, and lighting, like flashing red and blue police lights, help translate each cinematic scene to the stage. Overall, the adaptation is as faithful as you could hope for in a one-man play.

Even so, this is obviously a show for true-blue enthusiasts. The details Marsh highlights and the commentary he adds — about its plot holes, its problematic anti-feminist themes and even its enduring influence on his own personal life — are juicy for fans but could be overwhelming for the uninitiated. The rhyming, metered poetry is impressive but doesn’t exactly make things easier to understand.

But as a fan myself, it was fun to see the show with a room full of other “Die Hard” devotees — almost as fun as watching it among friends at my party.