Off Hours: Where to find very Midwestern foods from a fish fry to breaded pork tenderloins

Chris Higgins, Des Moines Register
·7 min read

Hello! I'm Chris Higgins, the eastern suburbs reporter for the Des Moines Register, and I'm already workshopping my next ridiculous tweet.

Welcome to Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register that showcases all things fun you can do in central Iowa. If you sign up for our newsletter, you get to see this early Thursday morning in your inbox.

The Deal

Here's the deal: My mom, who was born and raised in small town eastern Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa, now lives an ocean away. Every now and then, she will text me a photo of a Midwestern food she misses: perhaps a pork tenderloin, or that soft serve ice cream with flavor streaks.

Me enjoying a tried and true classic after a long day working the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 17, 2022. I also had a prize-winning extremely loaded baked potato, chocolate chip cookies, a twist waffle cone and a strawberry smoothie that day.
Me enjoying a tried and true classic after a long day working the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 17, 2022. I also had a prize-winning extremely loaded baked potato, chocolate chip cookies, a twist waffle cone and a strawberry smoothie that day.

I'm known for my own soft spot for classic, notable Midwestern foods. I've made a U.S. senator's hot dish recipe several times (Minnesota). I am a staunch defender of the soupy, meaty meat sauce over spaghetti known as Cincinnati chili (Ohio). I crave fried perch and cheese curds every Friday (Wisconsin). I fondly remember getting Maid-Rites on the way back from Hawkeye games growing up (Iowa, of course).

A standard hearty breakfast or burger with fries also works for me.

Beyond that, I'm always searching for the kind of spots — ice cream shops, breakfast places, local chains, little restaurants, dive bars, that sort of thing — that may not always be the most trendy, but certainly reflect the character of the town or neighborhood I'm in. Since moving to Des Moines a little under a year ago, I've racked up a list of favorites all around the metro that do just that.

One the very first things I did after I was vaccinated for COVID-19 was travel to Dubuque, where I ate this Maid-Rite. The Des Moines metro has several locations, like the ones in Ankeny and Norwalk.
One the very first things I did after I was vaccinated for COVID-19 was travel to Dubuque, where I ate this Maid-Rite. The Des Moines metro has several locations, like the ones in Ankeny and Norwalk.

And often, in the back of my mind, I wonder if a new spot I've found or plan to visit would make the itinerary of places I'd take my mom that would remind her of home if she visits me in Des Moines.

Meanwhile, my mental list of places to try was getting so unwieldy that I had to turn it into a spreadsheet called "Places to Try." It, too, has become unwieldy, but I have managed to hack away at it week by week. I might have to eat out for every meal to get completely caught up.

Smitty's is *the* place in Des Moines for a pork tenderloin (plus cheese curds and a shake).
Smitty's is *the* place in Des Moines for a pork tenderloin (plus cheese curds and a shake).

My Top Three Places I Would Take Mom for a Bite

1. Smitty's Tenderloin Shop in Des Moines, 1401 Army Post Road. Smitty's has been a south-side staple for decades and consistently comes up as the first hit for any Google search in the vein of "best pork tenderloin in des moines." They're big, they're made to order, and they're ready to join a side of fries or onion rings with a thick shake. It's also not too far from a Tasty Tacos, which falls in the same culinary category as another fried taco shell place where she grew up.

Soft serve at Wendy's Ice Cream Shop in Norwalk with a cheesecake "flavor burst."
Soft serve at Wendy's Ice Cream Shop in Norwalk with a cheesecake "flavor burst."

2. Wendy's Ice Cream Shop in Norwalk, 1043 Sunset Drive. The Des Moines area has so many good ice cream (or custard or malt) shops of all different types for any kind of craving. However, I know for a fact that Wendy's in Norwalk has "flavor burst" ice cream, including cheesecake, bubblegum and several others. Even better, it's right next to a Maid-Rite, which we could also hit up.

The fish fry at Wisco Grub & Pub in Des Moines is the real deal, especially with an old-fashioned made the Wisconsin way.
The fish fry at Wisco Grub & Pub in Des Moines is the real deal, especially with an old-fashioned made the Wisconsin way.

3. Wisco Grub & Pub in Des Moines, 3015 Merle Hay Road. Where I'm from, when I think of a "Friday fish fry," I think of an occasional thing you might do at a Catholic church or a VFW hall during Lent, where you get your fish and a baked potato on a Styrofoam plate. It's tasty, but Wisconsin's culture around fish fry is next level, which I learned well when I lived in a small town near Madison for a few years. Wisco Grub & Pub is a portal back into that world. Happy Joe's Pizza, a Quad Cities favorite, is down the road and another favorite of mine.

What is your favorite place to grab weekend brunch in the Des Moines area? Send me  your favorites at chiggins@gannett.com. I'm looking for something that's a 10/10.

Eat This, Drink That

Bánh mì — $4: This is some of the most flavorful food I've eaten in Des Moines with its crunchy vegetables and delicious fillings inside a light roll. This particular bánh mì sandwich, a Vietnamese staple, is a star in a city that already has so much standout Vietnamese food.

Get it: Mekong Sandwich, 3308 Second Ave., in the Highland Park neighborhood of Des Moines. It's a walkup counter run out of a house on a residential street. There's no menu: you simply walk up and say how many sandwiches you'd like, and pay cash. There's a cooler with some canned drinks alongside some massive goldfish in a tank to watch while you wait. Mekong Sandwich is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be reached at 515-280-8836.

Whatever the bartender recommends at The Lift — $8: Rather than scan a menu for five years at a brewery or cocktail bar, I like to ask the bartender what their favorite is and go from there. They know their stuff, and I'm not picky. I wish I had written down the name and ingredients of the best off-menu cocktail I've had at The Lift. On the menu is La Boheme, which packs quite the flavor with grapefruit, elderflower liqueur and gin.

Coco Chanel at The Lift has coconut rum, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and sour.
Coco Chanel at The Lift has coconut rum, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and sour.

Get it: The Lift is in downtown Des Moines, 222 Fourth St., across the street from Fong's Pizza. It's open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and is on Instagram @dmlift.

48 Hours Off

Friday night: I'll be seeing the new A24 film "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies." Truth be told, I don't know very much about the film. I know Pete Davidson is in it, and I believe it's a horror film, but the main driver for me is that one of the songs on the soundtrack is by my favorite artist: Charli XCX's "Hot Girl." Charli was in Des Moines for the 80/35 Festival in July, which I ended up having to miss (devastating). Hearing her song during the credits will help make up for it.

This is just about ready!!
This is just about ready!!

Saturday afternoon: The weekend of Aug. 26, the University of Iowa is opening its new Stanley Museum of Art, and I'm planning a day trip for the inaugural festivities. It's hard to describe in an e-mail newsletter how big of a deal this is; the university has gone without a permanent home for its art collection for nearly a decade and a half after a flood ransacked the campus. The new museum signals the end of recovery efforts as the latest post-flood building to spring up, and it's also a full circle moment for me after writing so much about the 2008 flood's impact.

You might see some local disc golf talent like Pat O'Meara and his son David from Indianola at the tournament.
You might see some local disc golf talent like Pat O'Meara and his son David from Indianola at the tournament.

Saturday afternoon: Head to the Des Moines Challenge Disc Golf at Pickard Park at 2205 E. Second Ave. in Indianola for crazy Scooby shots and magical rollers. On Saturday, tickets start at $15, while VIP passes start at $25. Stick around on Saturday for a concert by Cory Wong for $32.

Sunday morning: I could use both some sun and some time on the water. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch a cinnamon roll before they run out at La Barista Coffee in West Des Moines on my way to kayak Blue Heron Lake, also in West Des Moines. The city's parks department offers rentals at the boathouse for Raccoon River Park.

Around Town

My Day Job

Thanks for reading! Hit me up with your Midwestern food tips.
Thanks for reading! Hit me up with your Midwestern food tips.

I've been at the Register for nearly a year now after a long stint out of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and my time at the University of Iowa. I currently cover the fast-growing eastern suburbs — Ankeny, Altoona, Bondurant, that area — and pitch in with our work to highlight underrepresented neighborhoods in Des Moines.

I've always been intrigued by what makes each community and neighborhood tick: the unique history, culture, food, architecture, you name it, of each. I like to capture what I learn and document what makes each place unique for others.

If there's anything you'd like to share about what's going on in your community, don't hesitate to reach out at chiggins@gannett.com or 515-423-5146. Thank you for reading!

Next week, Register politics reporter Katie Akin tells us all about roller derby and we are here for it.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where to find very Midwestern foods in the Des Moines area