In honor of my dear friend's impending nuptials, a dozen of us helped her celebrate the end of her single days in style in the beautiful San Diego. I've been to San Diego several times over the past several years on family vacation, but I've never spent time in the Gaslamp Quarter. I was not only excited to see my friend for the first time in over a year, but to explore downtown San Diego. We stayed at the Westin and were able to walk to dozens of bars, clubs and restaurants. I was happy to find most don't have cover charges and the drinks weren't terribly priced. To make things extra special, the bride-to-be bought a new school Polaroid camera, which provided us some quality entertainment. We showered her with typical bachelorette gifts and added one sentimental item. Each girl invited to the party could add photos and write a message to the bachelorette in a photo album. It was a great idea to make the weekend even more memorable. Thanks to San Diego and all the other girls for a wonderful time!
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I love travelling, and I'm usually not too picky about where I'll go. I sure wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to spend a week in San Diego. I've been there three other times with my family, but I haven't been now since 2009. My parents landed the day before me and set up a little sailing excursion for us. I literally left the airport and jumped on a sailboat called the Californian. The Californian is a replica of a ship that sailed in the 1800's on the west coast during the Gold Rush. It was quite a big sailboat fitting 50-60 of us yuppy tourists aboard. Raising those sails is no easy feat. In fact, the tourists are allowed and encouraged to help hoist them up. My mom and I passed, but my dad got in on the action. They kept the engine running until we got out of the harbor into open seas. Unfortunately, the wind wasn't in our favor. The calm waters rocked us back and forth like a sitting duck for an hour. I never get seasick, but this got to me. I laid down on the quarter deck, took a little snooze and woke up when we got back into the harbor. Somehow the wind picked up inside the harbor and got us up to three knots. At the end of the ride, they fired guns (little canons that are not called canons) into the ocean. They warned us it would be very loud and sure enough it managed to set off a car alarm or two a half mile away. Overall, it was a fun experience, but I would have been just fine if it was only an hour ride rather than two. Being a new homeowner in West Des Moines, I'm excited to get to know my new town. My last two residences were in Des Moines and Urbandale. While I've lived in the metro 4.5 years now, there are too many roads and paths to know them all. Today was such a beautiful day, we decided to get to know a few new ones. Lucas and I hopped on our bikes for a quick 3 mile ride to Raccoon River Park. A quick check of the local trail map gave us a decent idea of easiest way to get there. We don't like riding on the roads if we don't have to. Luckily, we only rode on a few back streets for a couple blocks before connecting with the Jordan Creek Trail. I've never been on this trail and didn't know where it connected. We started in Fairmeadows Park on 22nd and Vine and rode the trail all the way to the north side of the park. The trail isn't perfectly marked so I was concerned we'd get lost, but we didn't. It was a beautiful day for discovering a new trail and relaxing at the beach.
I love that my daily commute takes me through the East Village. The neighborhood is so charming; it's a great way to start a work day. Every day I pass the lingerie shop Amour on East 6th St. It just opened last year, and I've been wanting to check it out. A friend/co-worker and I walked over to see if we could find something pretty.
When I go shopping, it's like I have an angel and a devil sitting on either shoulder. But in place of the angel and devil, I have a piggy bank and small business owner. You see, I love supporting local ma and pa shops, but I also love finding a great deal. Far too often I find that in order to shop local I have to be willing to spend more. Amour is no exception. The clothing at Amour is beautiful and no doubt super high quality. From bras and panties to nighties and stockings, all the pieces are sophisticated and many are a vintage girl's dream. I wish the little piggy bank would open up for a $100+ splurge on a bathrobe or $33 on lace panties. That just ain't gonna happen. One of my favorite items in the store was a combo candle/body lotion. The candle came in a tin container with a lid. Inside was a small spoon. After the wonderfully-scented wax melts a bit, you apparently scoop it right onto the body. For $17, I would say that was the most reasonably priced item, plus it was something I've never seen before. I have a few bachelorette parties coming up and think that could be a great gift. Nearly three years ago at a football game I met an outgoing girl who had just moved to Des Moines and didn't know a soul. A month later she came to my Halloween party with another friend. Turned out they weren't just friends. Fast forward 2.5 years and now she's about to get married to that same guy. In order to prepare the couple for their new life together, I helped throw them a bridal shower. There were four of us, and we really make quite the party planning team. We worked very well together and all had an "expertise" to bring to the table. Between choosing a venue, developing a menu, planning the games, getting the groom to pop in, following up with guests who didn't RSVP, preparing the food, setting up, welcoming and entertaining guests, keeping track of gifts and tearing down, planning a wedding shower is no small feat. But if you asked me to do it again, I'd say yes! Some people just have party planning in their bones. I'm definitely one of them. Congratulations to the wonderful couple! Almost there... Photos credit: Andrea Jansa Preface: My pants may or may not be unbuttoned as I speak - or rather - write.
Working at a marketing agency, there is a time and place for wining and dining clients. I haven't experienced this until tonight. After a long but extremely insightful day of meetings, a few of my colleagues and I took our two clients who were in town to the new restaurant at the Des Moines Social Club called MALO. I was about to describe the food as Mexican; however, a quick check of the website clarified that in fact the genre of food is Latin. This might explain why I found the menu wasn't traditional Mexican offerings, or the meals are just that contemporary. Either way, there are some interesting choices available from tots & shots to Texas shrimp enchiladas to paella. My dinner party of seven didn't have one bad word to say about the food. From the sangria to salads and tacos to ice cream, we tasted a good cross section of the menu. The prices were reasonable. Many of the meals were from $10-$20 with only a few entrees going above that. Chips and salsa are included, plus we ordered guacamole and the tater tots. Holy food coma. We all left stuffed, which is why my pants may or may not be unbuttoned at this exact point in time. If you aren't familiar with the Social Club, you should know that it recently opened after a massive remodel of the old Des Moines fire station headquarters. It's a hub for the arts, education, theater, and concerts. MALO occupies the space that used to be the fire truck bays. It's a fun and modern atmosphere that blends bright colors with a sophisticated feel. There was a steady crowd this evening, plus a large party table. Microbreweries are the hottest thing since sliced bread. Anymore, there's almost as many breweries as there are types of bread. Each have their own angle. Confluence Brewing is one of the newest on the block (aka Des Moines) and the only one on the block just south of Gray's Lake on Thomas Beck Road/Bell Ave. Confluence is just a tap room - not a full restaurant like Court Ave Brewing Co., Racoon River Brewing Co. and Exhile Brewing. Beer lovers get to walk right past the vats on their way to the tap room. Once there, the tap room is a large open industrial space. Tall ceilings and minimalist pub table and chairs. There also appeared to be a deck out back, but I did not get a chance to scope it out.
I've enjoyed Confluence beer before, but this was my first time enjoying a glass at the tap room. It was also my first time testing out the Farmer John's multi-grain ale. I told the bartender I like wheat beers so he recommended the Farmer John. Can't say I've ever had a multi-grain ale before, but it was really good and similar to a wheat. I'd definitely like to go back and spend some more time there, check out the deck and get a flight to taste test a variety of the local brews. I've been working in the East Village for more than a year now meaning I'm just blocks away from some of the best restaurants in town. While I try not to eat out more than once a week, when I do I'm always wanting to try something new. This time it was a Zombie Burger hot dog. I've eaten there just twice before ordering different burgers each time. However, the mac dog - hot dog, bacon and mac n cheese - caught my attention. What a great idea! It was ready in less than five minutes while my co-workers all had to wait 10-15 minutes for their burgers. The mac dog is served like an open face sandwich. The mac n cheese is awesome - a wonderful blend of creamy and cheesy. For $6, it sure filled me up.
If you're in a hurry and craving Zombie Burger, try a zombie dog instead. Today's the perfect day to hop on a bike and check out some urban chicken coops! This is probably not a typical thought for most of us. It was never a thought for me until I randomly found out about the inaugural Urban Tour de Cluck bike ride. The ride was hosted by Urban Community Concepts, whose mission is to connect resources to help other organizations build stronger communities. As someone always excited about learning new things and doing new things, I figured this ride would be great. And it was. For $15, you had six hours to bike (or drive) to a dozen homes with chicken coops. We got a late start on the day so we only made it to seven. To be honest, at the beginning of the ride, I thought this could get repetitive. Boy, was I wrong. Each family had such an interesting and unique story about why they first got chickens, their experiences - good and bad - raising them and their plans for the future. Each chicken coop was so unique, too, all from reclaimed materials (double sustainability points). I learned a lot about chickens from the different breeds to their psychology. It was interesting that half of the families we talked with starting raising chickens because of their child/teenager. It (almost) makes me want to raise chickens of our own. But even if I really wanted to, I also found out on the ride that West Des Moines (where we just bought a house) doesn't allow any chickens. Des Moines allows 30 and Windsor Heights allows two. Maybe that'll change one day... My bum is a little sore (from the first ride of the year) and my arms a little sunburn (thanks to my Irish roots), but overall, it was a really fun, informative day. I love getting to know more about what's going on in my community! As many of you probably know by now, I love going to new restaurants. My goal is to eat at every restaurant in the metro. I'm happy to report I'm well on my way. Out of Cityview's Best of Des Moines 2013 - Eats, I've eaten at all but two. As such, I was very excited when one of my friends invited Lucas and I out to dinner at the new Eatery A on Ingersoll.
Eatery A just recently opened with much excitement. When we arrived Friday at 6:15 p.m., the place was already packed. Anxious foodies wasted no time to try the newest grub in town. The owner, Jason Simon, is also the man behind East Village staple Alba. If you haven't eaten at Alba yet, put it on your list right next to Eatery A. On the Eatery A website, it is described as fusing "old-world flavors with modern cuisine." I'm no culinary historian, so if they say they offer old-world flavors, I'll believe them. What I can say for sure is you won't find a menu quite like their's anywhere else in town. They have over a dozen options of oven-fired pizzas - none of which you can get at Domino's or Pizza Hut. There are 17 entree options ranging from the ricotta cavatelli (which was excellent) to octopus and lamb sliders to grilled eggplant. If you are a picky eater or are dining out with a picky eater, this might not be the place for you. Be ready to try new flavors, new combinations and new ingredients. Options on the menu are well-priced, which means you don't need a special occasion to go. Some dishes even have the option of a smaller portion, which is a great touch. Or, if you just need a drink, the patio is large and inviting. As a former resident of the Ingersoll neighborhood, I'm so glad to see a new place come in - filling a long-vacant building - and bringing in a breath of fresh air. |