Des Moines, Iowa for the Triple D Meet and Eat and Taylors Maid Rite!

I have become the admin for two Triple D Facebook fan sites.  A while back a guy named Gene in Iowa suggested that we have a get together for fans and was wondering if there was interest and I said there was but no one wanted to organize anything so Gene decided he would!  He planned what he would call the "Triple D Meet and Eat" at a Triple D place in the Des Moines area.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to go but as the date got closer I decided to try and make it.  Guy visited 6 places in the Des Moines area plus there was a non Triple D place about an hours drive from Des Moines that I have always wanted to try. 

As I looked at flights it didn't look too good.  Flights into Des Moines always seem to be full.  I looked at buying a ticket the price was pretty expensive.  It looked like I would have to fly to Chicago and make the 5 hour drive, which I didn't look forward to.  I was almost out  ideas when I checked out Google Maps and saw that I could fly into Kansas City, which is about a 3 hour drive.  I bought a very inexpensive ticket and got an unbelievably inexpensive car rental.  I couldn't figure out why the hotels were so expensive and many were totally sold out and then I found out that the World Pork Festival was scheduled for the same weekend!

The trip didn't start out the way I wanted, the flight ended up being delayed over an hour waiting for one of the flight attendants to arrive.  I was getting pretty upset because I had planned to drive to a place that was only open until 230p and with the delay and the 3 hour drive that would not be possible.  It actually was a blessing in disguise as I could take my time and not rush.  The drive from Kansas City to Des Moines is pretty fast on I-35.  I stopped at the Iowa Welcome Center, which doubles as an Amish store.

Welcome to Iowa

I arrived at my hotel near the Des Moines Airport.  I had made plans to meet Gene at a Triple D place around 7p so after getting settled in I headed out to try one place before meeting Gene. 

I headed out in record setting heat and humidity, mid 90's temperatures and heat indexes near 100, thank God for AC!  My first stop was at "Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant" in a strip mall in West Des Moines.  The walls are filled with photos and paintings from Ecuador.  I decided to try two of their popular appetizers.  Beef Empanadas and a plantain based dish called Tortilla de Verde con Ensalada Criolla.

Mi Patria in West Des Moines

Both dishes were excellent!  The Empanada's were different from any I had ever had before.  They were fried rather than baked with a much thinner crust.  The Tortilla de Verde con Ensalada Criolla was a plantain based dish with the plantains smashed into a smooth patty stuffed with beef and vegetables and topped with a very tasty salad called Ensalada Criolla.  I think that the salad was the real star, crisp, fresh and tasty.

Beef Empanadas

Tortilla de Verde con Ensalada Criolla

Before leaving I was able to meet the Chef and owner to get him to sign my book and we talked for a few minutes about Ecuadorian cooking and the dishes I had tried.  He told me that in Ecuador they fry their empanadas and that is unique to Ecuador.  He also told me that the plantain patties are also pretty unique to Ecuador. They are prepared in the same way that they make Mofungo in Puerto Rico.  He told me that these are the only two countries that cook them in this way.  Mi Patria is a very unique for Iowa!

Befroer leaving for Des Moines I made plans to meet Gene, the guy who organized the Meet and Eat, for dinner on my first night.  We decided to meet at about 7p at "Flying Mango" a Cajun, Caribbean and Barbecue inspired restaurant in the Beaverdale area of Des Moines.  Shortly after 7p I met Gene and Terri nd we were seating in a small booth at the back of the restaurant.  I was great to finally meet Gene, I have followed his Triple D travels.  As you enter the first thing you see is the large pen kitchen and the aroma hits you immediately.

Flying Mango in Des Moines

The place is known for it's 24 hour smoked brisket, why 24 hours, the menu asks?  "Because 23 is just not enough! "  The rest of the menu is pretty awesome.  On the show they made the brisket, catfish patties (which were not on the menu this night) and the smoked catfish dinner.  I decided to try the Shrimp and Grits.  Gene went for the Catfish dinner and Terri chose the chicken platter.  While we waited we talked with our server and told her about our Triple D travels and she told me that the owner, Mike, was in and that he would be stopping by to sign my book.  The meals came out in fairly short order and the meal sizes were pretty large.  Terri's was served half a chicken and it looked perfectly barbecued!  Gene's Catfish looked delicious and my Shrimp and Grits was unbelievably good, the best Shrimp and Grits I have ever had!  Usually the shrimp sauce makes the grits a bit runny, not these!  I don't what they did but they were thick and creamy!  The shrimp were huge and the sauce was a bit salty but delicious.

Terri's Chicken Platter

Gene's Catfish platter

My Shrimp and Grits

While we were eating Mike, the owner of Flying Mango, came over and sat with us for aboutn10 minutes, he signed my book and then we discussed the restaurant and Guy's visit in 2014 for their part of "Diner's, Drive-ins, and Dives".  He is a really nice guy and we had a wonderful conversation.  I would highly recommend Flying Mango if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed!

Dining at Flying Mango - Gene, Terri, me and Mike (Flying Mango owner)

It had been a very full and tiring day so getting back to the hotel was a nice ending to a great day.

I had a full day ahead hoping t get to a number of places.  The heat was back and it would be in the upper 90's, again thank you AC!  My first stop was in Marshalltown, about an hour's drive north east of Des Moines.  Filmmaker Rick Sebak made a show in the early 2000s called "Sandwiches That You Will Like" for PBS.  It has become a favorite of mine and features different sandwich places throughout the USA.  One of the places featured was "Taylor's Maid-Rite" in Marshalltown.  I have wanted to get there ever since and this was my opportunity!  Maid Rite is an Iowa based chain featuring their signature Maid Rite Sandwich.  It is sort of like a sloppy joe sandwich with no sauce, loose ground beef served on a roll.  I arrived and as I sat at the counter (the place is one large square counter).  As soon as your seated you are given a small glass of ice water and a spoon, which seems a bit odd, but when you get your sandwich you'll see why and also they have been doing it at Taylor's since 1927! 

Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, Iowa

Their home since the early 1950s

I finally made it to Taylor's!

I ordered the special, a Maid Rite sandwich with a bag of chips and a soft drink.  I remembered on the show that it was almost blasphemy to even ask for ketchup, in fact they said that the staff didn't even need to say anything your fellow diners will!  Times have changed!  Ketchup is now on the counter, but you must add it yourself.  I asked for mine with mustard and chopped onions.  They make it right at the counter and as you open the wrapping about half of the meat from the over stuffed sandwich falls on to the wrapping, hence the spoon!  The sandwich was delicious!  It looked small but very filling.  As I was enjoying my meal, a number of locals came in, they do a very big carry out business and I could tell that Taylor's is very important to the community, any of the customers were on a first name basis with the staff.

Your place setting at Taylor's as soon as you sit down

My meal, he over loaded Maid Rite (why you need the spoon) and local Dutch brand chips

I was so glad that I was able to get to Taylor's, it was a place I had wanted to get to and it exceeded my large expectations!  I headed out and back into the Des Moines area.  The drive was along rolling hills and a lot of farm land.  I would call Des Moines a pretty small city, it reminded me of Ottawa, Canada with a small area of large buildings and a lot of farm land around it.  It is also the capital of Iowa and the state capital building is just outside the main area of buildings so it really stands out with it's shiny gold dome.

State Capital Building - Des Moines, Iowa

Shiny Gold Dome

AWESOME!

I arrived at my next place "Patton's Restaurant and Catering".  Patton's is a Southern Soul Food restaurant.  As I walked towards the restaurant I took a picture of the restaurant and when Pam Patton, the owner saw me and saw my book, she opened the door and said, "You must be a fan of Guy!"  I told her I was and about my travels and we immediately took some pictures with her and her husband Stan.  She told me that they now operate as a buffet and that it was fish day.  On the buffet was Southern Fried Catfish, Salad, Mac and Cheese, their signature Red Beans and Rice, Corn and Corn Bread and Rolls. 

Patton's Restaurant and Catering in Des Moines

I tried a little bit of everything and it was all good!  I was a bit wary since Pam and Stan are from Louisiana that the food would be very spicy and it was not.  The fish and the Red Beans and Rice had a small spice bite to them but not too much and there were two or three types of hot sauce to try if you wanted to kick it up.  The mac and cheese was really good, too.  They make small batches for the buffet which sometimes meant you had to wait for a dish but it came out hot and fresh.  Patton's is very popular and was busy throughout my visit! 

Trying a little bit of everything offered at Patton's

Patton's signature Red Beans and Rice

Corn Brad and Butter

As I was finishing Pam came over to check on me and signed my book.  Both Pam and Stan made sure everyone was taken care of and spent time just chatting with everyone, almost like you were guests in their home. 

Pam and Stan Patton and me in front of their Guy wall

I really enjoyed Patton's both for the food and the hospitality of Pam and Stan. 

After  few hours off the road and out of the heat I headed out to another place in the downtown area of Des Moines.  "Tacopocalypse" is in the East Village area of Des Moines where there are a number of restaurants and bars.  This new area is made for older buildings and has both commercial and residential buildings.  They feature Mexican fare with a number of tacos and burritos featured.  I decided to try something called a Bacon Parfait.  While waiting I met the owner and he signed my book.  He told me he had been based at Fort Belvoir near where I grew up.  The server was really friendly and told me all about the East Village area and the Des Moines area in general.  She told me that the area was a great place to live and the cost of living was really low, that as a server she could afford toe live there but if she went to Minneapolis it would almost be impossible. 

Tacopocalypse in the East Village area of Des Moines

The Bacon Parfait was presented in a tumbler glass with the bacon mix on the bottom with a spicy cream sauce topped with sour cream and was presented with house made chips and a purple slaw.  The server told me the slaw was spicy but it wasn't spicy at all and was very tasty.  The chips were thick and tasty and the parfait was pretty good.  The bacon mix was tasty and the cream was pretty spicy but cooled down by the sour cream. 

Bacon Parfait

Bacon scooped up

Before heading back t the hotel there was a place I wanted to check out that had I had read about on the internet and had been on another food based show.  Near the baseball stadium that house the Triple A team for the Chicago Cubs called the Iowa Cubs is a big building that houses two popular but different bars.  On one side is the High Life Lounge, that caters to an older clientele and feature classic American beers with leather booths.  "This I the place to get a mug or pitcher of Hamm's" I was told.  The other half of the building is a place called The El Bait Shop.  I went to the El Bait Shop where they have probably the World's Largest selection of beers on draft.  Over 180 draft choices, in fact hey have a booklet that is updated weekly to keep up with the ever changing beer choices.   There are tow or three rows of taps and the bar tenders seemed to be experts on what they offered to help the patrons make the right choice.  The patrons at El Bait was a much younger 20 something crowd as the High Life seemed to be more middle age.  I chose a Pear Cider from Oregon and it was pretty good, not overly sweet but very refreshing and I am not a big drinker but it hit the spot!  After leaving I headed back for a small break before heading out to my last place of the day to meet another fellow Triple D fan for dinner.

I headed out to meet Ryan and Jane, two Triple D friends from Ohio that I had met once before when they visited the DC area.  We planned to meet at an old time Des Moines place called "George The Chili King".  This place has a small seating area, mostly at a counter and also has a drive in area where the car hops look for the drivers to flash their lights for service.

Classic Des Moines Drive-in

I met Ryan and Jane and we took three seats at the counter.  They are known for their chili, so I wanted to try a bowl and also try the tenderloin sandwich.  The chili was served with onions and cheddar cheese on top and oyster crackers on the side.  I have never had chili like this before, it was very thick and pretty filling and I really liked it!  The tenderloin was pretty good and very big, it was about twice the size of the bun!  This place can be described as both a drive-in and a greasy spoon.  They use both fresh tenderloins and frozen.  They told us that each Monday their supply of fresh cut and breaded tenderloins are prepared and they use them until they are done then use the frozen tenderloins.  I liked mine so I wonder ho much of a taste difference there is between the two?

George The Chili King's Chili Bowl

The Tenderloin sandwich

I said my good byes to Ryan and Jane for the night as we would meet the next day at the Triple D Meet and Eat.

I awoke to cooler temperatures as some heavy thunderstorms hit the area during the early morning hours.  The heat would come back but it did cool the area down to the lower 90s.  I spent the morning relaxing and resting s we were not going to meet until 3p.

I left the hotel and arrived for the first ever Triple D Meet and Eat at "Smokey D's BBQ" in the northern area of Des Moines near the city of Ankeny.  I could smell the BBQ as soon as I got out of the car.  I entered the place and had to walk around to find where were meeting.  They had us in a small room on the side of the restaurant and when I entered Gene and Terri had arrived and I met Jim and Marcia who had travelled in from Michigan.  Soon Ryan ad Jan arrived and we had our group of 7 Triple D fans!  We spent about a half hour just talking about our travels and places we wanted to get to.  The others had been to between 20 and 50 or 60 places so all of us had been to places the other hadn't s we could trade stories, it was a lot f fun.  Before we went to order the manager came and places a hot plate of Apple Dumplings compliments of Smokey D's for us to enjoy as dessert.  We went to order at the cashier line and I chose the Chopped Chicken and Ribs Plate with Baked Beans and Potato Casserole and Garlic Bread.  Everyone got different items and Gene got an order of the Asian Wings, that they made on Triple D to share with all of us, they were pretty good and had a bit of a spice bite.  My meal was really good, the ribs were very tasty and although they had three or 4 different types of sauces on the table they were not needed, that to me is a good rib!

Smokey D's BBQ in Des Moines

My Ribs and Chopped Chicken meal

Everyone really enjoyed the time together and the dessert was fabulous.  I haven't really had Apple Dumplings very much, but it s great crisp apple with a soft crust and sweet sauce. 

Our pan of Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumpling

The goodness inside the dumpling

While we were finishing up then co-owner came by and spent about 15 minutes telling us all about the place and all of the awards they had won in the BBQ competitions.  They are one of the winningest BBQ competition restaurants.  The wall are filled with their awards and the display case filled with the trophies.  After signing my book the group went to Smokey D's Guy Fieri Wall to get some photos before we had to all be on our way.

Triple D Meet and Eat attendees - Jane, Ryan, Gene, Jim, Marcia, me and Terri

Jim and I

Me and Guy!

I said my good byes to everyone and headed out for the 3 hour drive to Kansas City.  I had an early flight back home and would fly back with my Triple D count at 511!  I really want to thank everyone who attended but a special thanks to Gene for dong all the planning for the event and Smokey 's for hosting us.

Continuing the Journey

After the excitement of 500 the night before there was still 5 more places in the Syracuse area to try.  I headed out from the hotel back to the Armory Square area of downtown Syracuse.  My plans for the day were to try two places in that area and then later in the day go to dinner with my niece Rebekah and her boyfriend Moon.  I arrived and parked in the same spot I had the night before.  "Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub" is directly across the street from Pastabilities and is truly an authentic Irish Pub and restaurant.  The bar area is a replication of a Dublin style pub and the dining area I was seated in was in the style of an Irish cottage manner. 

Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub in Syracuse, NY

Inside the Irish Cottage Dining Room

I looked over the menu and noticed that they had icons by the menu items that were cooked n their Triple D episode.  Before I was even greeted by server one of the  managers came up to me and said, "So this is you 501st!"  I was really taken aback, apparently the video of my 500th the night before had been uploaded on Syracuse.com and he told me he had seen it was looking forward to my visit.  I asked him to sign my book and he told me that one of the owners David Hoynes was in and he would do the honors.  My server came and took my order.  I chose two of their appetizers, both sounded great!  The apps arrived and they were wonderful, the first was an item featured on the show, the Reuben Fritters, the other was the Pork Belly appetizer.  The fritters were ball shaped and deep friend.  The filling was made up of shredded Corned Beef with Swiss and cream cheese mixed in and came with a spicy honey mustard dressing.  The Pork Belly cubes were on skewers with a nice balsamic sauce and topped with shredded fried potatoes.  Both were awesome.  The sauce that came with the fritters was great but the fritters were so good they really didn't need it.  The pork belly was delicious and the sauce and potatoes just enhanced the whole dish. 

My Kitty Hoynes Pork Belly appetizer

Reuben Fritters, an Irish staple

Inside the fritter

As I was eating David came over and introduced himself and we talked for several minutes about his restaurant and their episode.  He said that he had lived in the DC area for many years and had worked at a number of the DC area Irish restaurants before moving to Syracuse to open Kitty Hoynes, which is named after a pub in his hometown in Ireland.  As we chatted about the room I was seated in he told me how his family had heed plan and decorate each room so they represented different areas in Ireland.  He then really surprised and presented me a huge gift box that included two wine glasses, a beer glass, some Irish coffee beans and other items.  I was taken aback, this was a great and friendly gesture and I was so honored to accept it! As I finished and headed out I said my good byes to very friendly and gracious staff.  Kitty Hoynes is a must on a visit to Syracuse and is a great lace to spend an evening!

Me and David Hoynes

My next stop was just around the corner and was the first time I had ever used the Google Maps app on my phone to find the place.  It is a pretty cool app and yes, I know, everyone has been using it for years, but sometimes I can be pretty old fashioned!

The "Empire Brewing Company" has a very unique look.  It is in the basement of it's building and as you walk down the stairs from the street it's almost like you are entering the a subway station in New York City.  The restaurant has several rooms for seating and I was seated at a table by the door.  It is a bit dark with brick walls, it does have a subway feel to it.  Beyond one of the walls is a huge room with the big vats where they make beer in their own pub room.

Down the stairs to the Empire Brewing Company

Inside the dining area

I decided to try a Shandy, which is  lemon drink mixed with the Lager style beer made in the room next to where I was seated and try the Pretzel appetizer.  The Shandy was good, I am not a big beer drinker but wanted to try it.  The Pretzel plate came with two large, warm pretzels and a bowl of mild beer cheese sauce.  The pretzels reminded me of the topping on the Buffalo Kummelweck roll.  Topped with salt and seeds, they were really good and the sauce was perfect. 

Empire Brewing Company's Lemon Shandy

My Empire Pretzel appetizer

Before I left the manager came over to sign my book and she had also seen the piece on Syracuse.com and told me that a show on Sirius radio that is hosted by a native of Syracuse was talking about me on his show, boy I would like to get a copy of that!

I headed out to relax for the afternoon but had to stop back at Pastabilites to thank Gabe, the day manager to thank him, he was my contact as I was planning the night but wasn't there the night before.  We talked for a few minutes recapping the night and about the show, I am just so thankful for all he did.  I also stopped at the Pasta's Bakery to get a couple of rolls for Rebekah and Moon. 

After a relaxing afternoon I headed back into the city to meet with Rebekah and Moon for dinner at a small Lebanese place called "Byblos Mediterranean Café".  We agreed to met at 515p, but they were no where to be found.  They had gone to the other location!  After a few minutes they arrived at the location where they filmed the episode.  It is a very small place with seats for maybe 15.  The other location is a larger dining room, but I was glad to be at the place where Guy went!  Outside the food truck was sitting that the restaurant uses on weekends and in big area events.

Byblos Mediterranean Café in Syracuse

Byblos Food Truck

Even the Food Truck has a Guy Sticker

As the tree of us looked over the menu I asked if they would want to try the sampler platter, which was large enough to feed all of us, included salad and dessert and was less expensive than each of us getting a platter.  Our Sampler platter included salad for each of us, an appetizer plate of stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh (almost like an empanada), baba ganuj, hummus, falafel and pita bread.  The appetizer plate arrived and we dug in!  The grape leaves were stuffed with meat and rice.  The hummus was really good with a bit of a spice kick and the kibbeh was delicious, it's sort of like a empanada and had a meat filling with a cinnamon taste.   The main dish plate included kabobs of Beef, Chicken and Kafka (ground beef) on rice pilaf with grilled vegetables.  All of the main dishes were delicious! The meal ended with a huge slice of Baklava, and you can't go wrong with Baklava!

Byblos Mediterranean Salad

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Kibbeh

Appetizer portion of Baba Ganuj, Hummus, Falafels and Salads

Basket of Pita Bread

Main Plate of Kibbeh, Beef and Chicken Kabobs with Rice and Grilled Vegetables

Dessert Baklava

 As we finished our meal the owner of Byblos came out to sign my book, we chatted a for a few moments.  Byblos is a family run lace and we had a really nice conversation with our server about the food and about the country of Lebanon.  Lebanon is a very interesting and beautiful country.  It has been wracked with fighting for many years between Israel and the rest of the Middle East, but at one time Beirut, Lebanon's capital city, was known as the Paris of the Middle East.

After a wonderful dinner I left for the night and made plans to meet with Rebekah for lunch before I would need to be back to the airport for my flight home.

I got up to make an early trip back into Syracuse for my next to last stop on the trip.  I drove onto the campus of Syracuse University to a very eclectic place that was extremely hard to find.  "Funk N Waffles" is in a kind of strip mall and is at the end of the alley with a very small sign on the road, it took me almost 20 minutes and 3 or 4 times around the area to find it.  It would be worth the search!

I walked down the alley and finally found it and it reminded me of the Empire Brewing Company that I visited the day before as it is in the basement of the building.  The place has a theme of rock music and waffles! 

Small sign on the road makes it tough to find!

Funk N Waffles in Syracuse NY; Rock and Waffles!

You enter at the bottom of the stairs and then go to the counter to order your meal.  I am very thankful that they provide a menu because the signs on the wall are pretty confusing.  I looked over the menu and decided to get a half waffle that was made with bacon infused and topped with fresh bananas and a small cup of smooth peanut butter.  I took a seat at a table next to the "Guy Ate Here" sign, I figured it just made the visit even better.  I was surprised how fast the service was.  the waffle was very tasty and I found the best way to eat it was to cut the waffle then take a bit of the peanut butter on the fork and top it with a banana, it was great!  After finishing up I got a few of the staff to sign my book.

Funk N Waffles sign at the top of the stairs to the restaurant

My table had the "Guy Ate Here" sign

My Funk N Waffles meal - Half waffle with bacon infused, topped with bananas and peanut butter on the side

I headed out and back to the hotel to meet up with Rebekah and pack up for the flight home.  Rebekah came by a little after noon and after checking out we headed to the airport to drop my rental car back and then on to the last Triple D stop of the trip.  We headed out of the airport to a place that was a few miles away in what looked like an older industrial area of Syracuse.  "Eva's European Sweets" is set in what appeared to be an older home and the outer walls are decorated with a very cool billboard of the restaurant.  We walked in and were told that we could take any table that we wanted.  We took a table on the back wall of the front room.  There are several rooms that make up the restaurant and it has a very nice and homey feel to it.  The place is decorated like a home with mementos and pictures adorning the walls and cabinets, it was more like a home than a restaurant.  In the front corner is a piano what has a bunch of family photos, photo albums and a collage of Eva and Guy during their show taping.  Eva's is a Polish restaurant and features a large selection of Polish and Eastern European Beers, Wines and Spirits. 

Cool Wall Art

Eva's European Sweets in Syracuse, NY

As we looked over the menu, Rebekah pointed out the Placki Hungarian Style, which was the meal that they made for Guy on their episode so I decided to try that.  Placki is potato pancakes topped with a spicy tomato and beef sauce with onions and peppers and a dollop of sour cream.  Rebekah chose the small Pierogi plate that came with a bowl of sauerkraut on the side.  While we waited we met Eva and she chatted with us for a few minutes and signed the book and we took a few photos, what a nice lady!  Everyone was great and they had also recognized me form the video piece, it's weird to have people know me, I must admit!

The food came and Rebekah enjoyed her meal, I tried one her Pierogi's and it was really good, that make everything from scratch at Eva's.  My meal was really good!  They puree the potatoes like apple sauce so the consistency of the pancake is really different, it is almost like a veal cutlet, it was one of the best potato pancakes I have ever had.  The sauce was good, a bit spicy, but the sour cream cut down the heat.

Rebekah's Pierogi plate

A ide of Sauerkraut

My Placki Hungarian Style meal at Eva's

This was a great ending to a wonderful trip where I got to try a lot of different ethnic meals.  I will always have wonderful memories of this trip, not only did I get to my 500th place but I got to visit with my niece and some old friends but I made some new friends!  My Triple D count is at 505!