Diet Cokagne and Coffee Mate for cocktails
Tom Hanks kicked off a summer drink sensation on a visit to the Stephen Colbert show by revealing his summer drink of choice is “Diet Cokagne.” Hanks explained that while celebrating at Cafe Carlyle, a bottle of champagne was gifted to him. Explaining that his drink of choice is a Diet Coke (he’s a type-2 diabetic), he asked for a shot of champagne in his soda. According to Hanks, you fill your glass with one-third of Diet Coke, then top the rest with champagne. According to “Broken Palate,” "The drink tastes strangely like a Dirty Shirley with a lot of tutti frutti notes."
“Broken Palate” also reported other summer drinking trends of 2025 include: jalapeno slices in white wine; electrolyte-rich pickle juice in spritz and in beer; and spiked dirty soda, particularly adding Rumchata to Coke but so trendy that Coffee Mate has come out with a line of creamers meant to pair with soda instead of coffee.
Weekend deals
• The Station on Ingersoll has a Friday special Greek gyros salad with cucumbers, tomato, Greek olives, banana peppers, feta with tzatziki dressing, served with pita slices. $15.
• Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Friday special chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy for $10.
• Rube's steakhouses offer a prime sirloin special on Sundays only, $29.
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are running a breakfast special Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Buy one get one half priced.
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $9 Philly cheesesteaks or hot honey chicken plus $8 biscuit and gravy breakfasts on Fridays.
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) offers walleye or steak dinner specials tonight and karaoke after 9 p.m. They have a 10 for $10 wings deal on Sundays.
• Irina's Steak & Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, Unit 100, West Des Moines) has a three-course Sunday dinner for two featuring filet and shrimp for $85 all summer.
• IHMVCU hosts Food Truck Frenzy with the first 50 people in line at 3990 Merle Hay Road eating free. This Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be catered by Egg Roll Ladies.
• Friday is Soul Food day at Joppa Experience (1829 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) with fried chicken and oxtail stew joining the usual menu.
• Because Sunday is an Indiana Fever game day, the West Des Moines Jethro's will have a "Fever Reliever" special of any two appetizers on the Happy Hour menu and two pints of domestic beer for $22. All Jethro's Sunday special is papa cheeseburgers and side for $9.95. Today they have BBQ melt and side deal for $9.95.
• G Mig's has Friday prime rib dinners for $29.75 or grilled shrimp in Creole sauce with red beans and rice for $25.95.
• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) offers a Sunday supper with a roasted half chicken as the main course. The meal includes house salad with red onion, apple, Roquefort, and candied walnuts; fresh baguette with whipped butter; roasted fingerling potatoes with fresh herbs; and sautéed haricot verts with caramelized onions and lardons, $30.
• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) features a Saturday tasting menu for $58.
• Heavenly Asian (225 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has an all day Friday sale on orange chicken served with soup, crab Rangoon, egg roll and rice, $14, available for dine-in and phone carry-out.
• Fish Fry Friday specials can be found at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale), Johnny's Italian Steakhouses, Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines), Cracker Barrel (11701 University, Clive), Hy-Vee stores and Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines).
• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday-Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.
• Mickey's in Yale (217 Main St., Yale) has hot beef sandwich lunches and all you can eat fish dinner specials today.
• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.
• The Continental (407 E, Fifth St., Des Moines) offers BOGO flatbreads Fridays and a blackened chicken sandwich and fries for just $12 on Saturdays.
• 801 Chophouse (801 Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers Sunday supper specials that deliver deep discounts on filet, prime rib and red king salmon dinners.
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) now has brunch on Fridays as well as Saturdays and Sundays.
• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.
• Friday night is paella time at Purveyor (505 E. Grand, Des Moines, officially, but really on E. Fifth), real Valenciana paella.
• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free tom ka kai and fried won tons with lunch entrees today.
• Maxie's Supper Club's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Friday special is chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes - $16.95 all day. They also have prime rib dinners on Friday and Saturday for dinner only, $30-38.
• Fareways have specials through Saturday on USDA Choice T-bones at $13.99/pound, Colorado peaches at $1.99/pound and AE yogurts at 58 cents.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on tuna or swordfish steaks at $10.99/pound, large eggs at $2.99/dozen and Kandy melons at $2.99.
• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on red grapes at $1.29/pound, cantaloupes for $1.69 and navel oranges at $2.89/3-pound bag.
• Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.
Music
Nick Leo / Eric Krieger Duo plays Louie's Wine Dive (4040 University Ave., Des Moines) on Sunday at 5 p.m. El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m. Willie James Shay plays Sonny’s Pizza Bistro Friday at 5:30 p.m. Grain Powered Duo plays Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday. Dustin Baird plays Truman’s Pizza Tavern at 5 p.m. Friday and Jana West & RetroSpect plays there Sunday at 2 p.m. The Drama Kings play The Station on Ingersoll at 7 p.m. Saturday. Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM at 6 p.m. Saturday. David Watson will be at Exile Brewing - patio Sunday at 5 p.m.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com | 
