More than 30 years ago, I was having coffee with Babe Bisignano at his restaurant in downtown Des Moines. I was working for The Des Moines Register at the time, and Babe wanted to tell me what he thought about the restaurant reviews that were running in the newspaper’s Datebook section (a now-defunct publication that was a competitor to CITYVIEW at the time).
Babe was an incredible man. A boxer. A wrestler. A bootlegger. A restauranteur. He was respected by many, including me. When he spoke, I listened.
“Those reviews are horseshit,” he would tell me. “They are just not fair. I can take the criticism. My business can take the criticism. But for the person who is just starting out, they are murder. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for running them.”
His words stuck with me, even three decades later.
“Kid, you don’t know what that restaurant went through that night it was reviewed. Chefs get sick. Servers don’t show up. Food trucks can be late.”
Then he would set his coffee cup down with one hand and point his cigar-sized finger from his other in my face with a stern message to come.
“It’s not an easy business, you know that? But it sure is easy for writers to spout off their opinions when they don’t know what the hell they are talking about.”
The 77-year-old man would then rub his forehead while apologizing for yelling at me. I would pour him another cup of coffee, and we would scribble a pizza ad together.
I have shared this story many times with our longtime CITYVIEW food critic, Jim Duncan, who understands the challenges in running a restaurant. Jim tells me he visits a place he reviews multiple times before writing about it, and he makes efforts to point out several positives before expressing a negative of any sort. I respect Jim as well, and when he speaks, I also listen.
My views on restaurant reviews spill over to my views on restaurant inspections. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like food poisoning any more than you, but I have seen inspectors come into a crowded restaurant at noon with their white gloves and clipboards and rattle the staff. Undoubtedly, a few orders were messed up that day — and understandably so.
We used to publish the inspection findings. Some other media organizations still do. Most of the problems discovered are minor, but that’s not how some readers, listeners or viewers may see it. And, in the meantime, a restauranteur’s dream — and life savings — can be immediately crushed. Few other industries receive such scrutiny, and that’s not fair.
So, the next time you go out to eat, I ask that you remember the many challenges of those in the restaurant industry — and the words of Babe.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See more of Shane Goodman's columns here. |
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FROM KCCI: Iowans honor survivors on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. DES MOINES, Iowa — Monday marks 80 years since the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated. The day is also known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. David Wolnerman faced a harrowing choice more than 80 years ago when the Nazis offered him a grim bargain: be shipped off to Auschwitz to save his mother. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: City of Des Moines facing $17 million budget shortfall. DES MOINES, Iowa — The City of Des Moines is facing a $17 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2026 budget. According to Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders, the several million dollar shortfall was caused by two things — a new state law resulting in reductions in property tax revenue growth and rising costs of services and materials. ...READ MORE
FROM WOI: Man sentenced to 35 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. From May to November of 2023, Anthony Anderson used texting and social media apps to communicate with a 14-year-old from Ottumwa. ...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Temperatures stay mild through the work week. Rain chances move in late Thursday into Friday.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | BELLY UP TO...
Shirley’s Bar & Grill
By Jackie Wilson
One of West Des Moines’ newest restaurants is NOT a sports bar. At least that’s what it says on the back of the servers’ T-shirts.
Take a peek into Shirley’s Bar & Grill, located at 9250 University Ave. in West Des Moines, where you’ll find a lively atmosphere, good food and tasty drinks — all at price points that won’t strain the wallet. | | | READ MORE |
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Tuesday touts
• Paw paws are a most mysterious fruit. They were George Washington’s favorite dessert. In botany, their blooms are known as “perfect” because each one has both complete male and female structures. Those flowers are a gorgeous deep red and considered, along with okra's, to be the most beautiful blossoms of all vegetables. Bees won’t pollinate paw paws but they must be pollinated to bear fruit. So, one must plant them near two other trees. Their nicknames usually include “banana” as in “poor man’s bananas” or “Appalachia bananas.” Red Fern Farm in Iowa grows them and recently Harbinger served them as a dessert on their Wine Fest special menu.
•David Baruthio's comeback cafe opens tonight. Baruthio is a Marco Pierre White protégé who first came to Des Moines to open Lucca for Steve Logsdon. He opened several restaurants of his own, most notably Baru 66. Then he returned to France, opening restaurants there and in Switzerland. He's back in Iowa and his Café Madeleine (218 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) opens tonight in the Fleming Building promising a tasting menu rotating about every six weeks. There will be two seatings on Tuesday through Thursday at 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Each seating accommodates up to 16 people, who will need to make reservations in advance, 515-815-0924 or email cafe515m@icloud.com.
Deals today
• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Tuesday special hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and drink for $13.50 till Memorial Day.
• Cheese Shop has a special Piedmont wines event tonight. $65 per person, includes five wines and cheese pairings, 6 p.m. for reception, class starts at 6:30 p.m. Reservations: 515-528-8181.
• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers live lobsters at half price on Tuesdays.
• Opa! (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a buffet featuring fried shrimp, manicotti, chicken piccata, chicken meatballs, garlic knots, pasta alfredo, lamb and chicken, pizza, and all-you-can-eat dessert for $22.99 tonight till 8 p.m.
• Kids meals are half price till 2 p.m. today at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale). They also have Christmas dinners for 4 for takeout at $89.99.
• Taco Tuesday brings serious discounts to Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines), La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), all Taco John's, The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines), all Abelardo's, all Fernando’s, Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines), Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines), Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) and Faustino’s (4944 Franklin Ave., Des Moines).
• Today is beef and noodles day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines).
• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) has happy hour all night Tuesdays. That means super deals on oysters, shrimp, duck frites, poutine, charcuterie, cheese boards, beers, wine and classic martinis.
• Sully's (806 First St., West Des Moines) has a burger basket special for $12 today.
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a tenderloin Tuesday special with BPT and fries for $10.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Prairie Trail Restaurant
1. District 36 Wine Bar & Grille
2. 30hop
3. Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery
The 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll is now closed. Results will be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$125,000
Kings Pointe Condominiums
6440 EP True Parkway, Unit 2305
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Spacious 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment style condo with a one-car garage, perfect for convenient, modern living! Enjoy an open floor plan with a bright living area, a well equipped kitchen with plenty of storage, and a cozy dining space ideal for hosting. Also comes with in unit washer and dryer! The primary suite includes an en-suite bathroom and ample closet space, with two additional bedrooms that can be used for family, guests, or home office needs. ...
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 1103 S.W. 28TH ST., ANKENY
SALE DATE: 2024-10-21
SALE PRICE: $9,720,000
SELLER: TRADITION POINTE APARTMENTS LLC
BUYER: TRADITION POINTE LC
ACRES: 4.783
SQUARE FEET: 101,694 |
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Featured in the current
issue of Ankeny Living magazine | | | From California to Ankeny
Andrews find home in Uptown.
By Lindsey Giardino
Sarah and Matt Andrews wanted something different. They’d been living in California but hoped to find somewhere more affordable and with a slower pace of life. Sarah’s family had slowly migrated to Ankeny — her sister moved to town several years ago, followed by her parents — so the couple figured they’d check it out. They quickly decided the community provided what they were looking for.
In July 2022, the Andrews made the big move from California to Ankeny. They bought a house in Uptown after becoming enamored with not only the home itself, but its location. | | | READ MORE |
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FROM ESPN: Jimmy Butler suspended again after walking out of practice ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Davis Love III Details Heart Surgery, Plans to Return to Golf This Summer ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: NBA Slam Dunk Contest participants set, with Mac McClung rounding out four-man field ... READ MORE |
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1986: The space shuttle Challenger explodes after liftoff. At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger.. ...READ MORE
1985: Music stars gather to record “We Are the World." The special instruction Quincy Jones sent out to the several dozen pop stars invited to participate in the recording of “We Are the World” was this: “Check your egos at the door.” Jones was the producer of a record that would eventually go on to sell more than 7 million copies and raise more than $60 million for African famine relief. ... READ MORE
1958: Teenage killers murder three people. On January 28, 1958, Charles Starkweather, a 19-year-old high-school dropout from Lincoln, Nebraska, and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, kill a Lincoln businessman, his wife and their maid, as part of a murderous crime spree that began a week earlier and would ultimately leave 11 people dead. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | These celebrities were born on this date: J Cole, Rick Ross, Maluma, Ariel Winter, Will Poulter, Elijah Wood, Nick Carter, Calum Worthy, Ashley Purdy, Joey Fatone Jr, Tom Hopper, Anthony Hamilton, Alan Alda
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle:How was the Roman Empire cut in half? WITH CEASARS (SCISSORS)! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, with a pizza cutter! Judy Anderson. Or, Very carefully. - William Snyder
Today's riddle: What do you get when you cross a fancy, patriotic American with a curly-haired dog?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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kristine@iowalivingmagazines.com
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