The Badger State embraces obesity
Wisconsin, where Iowa fans will flock Saturday for a football game in Madison, is going all-in on food obesity. Wisconsin holds the Guinness World Record for the largest cheese wheel ever made, by Steve's Cheese of Denmark, Wisconsin, in 1964 for the World Fair. It remains the largest block of cheese made in the state, though a 2018 cheeseboard weighed more in total weight. Last year, Badger woman Julie Faust raised a Guinness World Record largest tomato (11.65 pounds) ever, anywhere. Now the state’s obesity-obsessed farmers have formed the Wisconsin Giant Pumpkin Growers Association. Texas has gone another way, forming a Culinary Pumpkin Growers Association. (TWC)
Close to the better influences of the Iowa border, Holmen, Wisconsin, high schoolers have partnered with elementary students to pick apples from the school district's own orchard. Students in high school agriculture class care for the orchard throughout the year, making sure the trees can blossom. While the orchard has always intended to be an educational tool for the school district, it's also helping them save money by providing the apples in the school breakfast and lunch programs. (News 8000)
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Tune in or stream Kitchen Insider Saturday at 10 a.m. as we welcome Nick Hanke and Phil Shires of Masao.
Weekend deals
• Irina’s (650 Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers an all-you-can-eat surf and turf special Friday and Saturday that includes slow roasted beef with chimichurri and demiglace, snow crab legs, loaded whipped potato, lobster bisque, corn on the cob, hush puppies, coleslaw and mussels in Chardonnay. $59.
• Baratta's weekend specials include seafood ravioli appetizers in lemon cream, grilled sea scallops and shrimp fettuccini in Sriracha cream and chocolate hazelnut cannoli.
• ShortE's BBQ (8805 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) offers 20% discounts to first responders and military on Friday and Saturday
• Amruth (9974 Swansohn Blvd., Clive) has 20 dishes on their new Saturday and Sunday buffet, noon to 4 p.m. Of course, there will be dosas.
• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) has a meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy Friday special, $13.50.
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles offer a Friday special chicken enchilada with rice dinner for $8. They do rib dinners Saturday and Sunday for $15.
• Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell, both half priced until 4 p.m.
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) does Saturday and Sunday brunch buffets for $24.99 for adults. Kids 6 and younger eat free.
• The Station on Ingersoll has a Friday special patty melt burger, pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, thousand island dressing on marble rye, served with tator tots, $14.
• 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.
• 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.
• Friday is Soul Food day at Joppa Experience (1829 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) with fried chicken and oxtail stew joining the usual menu.
• Jethro's Sunday special is papa cheeseburgers and a side for $9.95. Today they have BBQ melt and a side deal for $9.95.
• G Mig's has Friday prime rib dinners for $29.75 or crab stuffed shrimp with rice and asparagus in lime beurre blanc for $25.95. Saturday's special is green chile enchiladas with guac, rice and beans for $18.50.
• 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), Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) and Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines).
• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday-Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.
• Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.
• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday.
• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.
• 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.
• Aldi stores haves sales through Tuesday on pumpkins at $3.05, peaches at $1.49/pound, and USDA Choice beef short ribs at $7.29/pound.
• Fareways have specials through Saturday on chicken hindquarters at $1.28/pound, Fareway pasta at $.97/pound and Iowa chops at $1.99/pound.
• Price Choppers have sales on red, green or black grapes at $1.99/pound, Russet potatoes at $2.99/10-pound bag, Marie Callender pot pies and bowls at $2.49 and pollock frozen filets at $3.49/pound through Monday.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has sales on avocados at 79 cents, raspberries or blackberries at two for $5, T-bones at $13.99/pound and Atlantic salmon filets at $8.99/pound through Tuesday. They also offer 25% off all soups, hot or cold.
• Hy-Vee stores have sales on Chobani yogurts at 10 for $8, Oikos yogurts at eight for $10, and 11.5-ounce Simply juices at three for $5 through Monday.
Music
John Krantz Trio 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... The Drama Kings play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday... Mike Tiedeman will be at Caffrey’s Irish Pub, Waukee, at 5 p.m. Friday. Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM, at 6 p.m. Saturday... Rural Route Duo is at Winterset Cidery Sunday at 2 p.m... Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m. Friday... Steve Grismore/Tanner Taylor Duo plays Louie’s Wine Dive at 5 p.m. Sunday.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com | 
