Buzzard Billy's Cajun Club

It had been a while since I last stopped over to Buzzard Billy's (my first ever food related blog post was about there and that was the last time I visited) so I was long overdue. It was a humid first day of summer but a great one to sit out on their patio and relax with a couple beers. We even tried their Buffalo Ranch wings. They weren't bad but not spicy nor ranchy and very messy.

Buzzard Billy's has a really nice selection of indoor seating with some nice TVs to choose from. I received pretty good service both times I've been there. For this trip, we had one of the coolest servers ever, especially compared to the really terrible service we received for lunch that day. Their beer menu is huge and so is their food menu. I went with the...

Cajun Club

8.49

Shaved ham and Cajun turkey, Swiss and American cheeses, jalapeno bacon, Cajun aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion on toasted jalapeno bread.

http://www.buzzardbillys.com/des-moines/menu/#specialty-sandwiches

After I got my order, the waiter said I probably got their best sandwich. It was pretty good with the seasoned bacon and bread. The bread was definitely grilled with an ample amount of butter on it and had a perfect soft sandwich texture to it. It had a little gooey-ness that I like from the cheese and aoili. I feel like I should have liked this sandwich more but it wasn't bad. It came with a side of wedge fries which are really crispy and seasoned (awesome) and hush puppies. The hush puppies weren't bad but the only other HPs I've had were from Long John Silver's and these tasted pretty different. Then again, I am guessing LJS isn't the source for the best HPs in America.

So the food was solid and the service was great. The menu has so many things I want to try on it so I definitely plan to go back. I recommend checking them out but skipping the wings. What are your recommendations for Buzzard's?

Zombie Burger - Envy Corpse

One, Spring evening this year, it didn't rain (can you believe that?) and I took Dr. Joe Brady out to Zombie Burger for his first experience. Of course, there was a wait but it wasn't too bad. As you know, I've felt ZB has been a little overrated but it is an experience everyone should check out once. Finally, I found a really good burger...


http://www.zombieburgerdm.com/

Envy Corpse | 8.29 | 10.29 | 12.29

pepper jack cheese, pulled pork, ham, salsa, fried jalapenos, red onion, chipotle mayo

I say I found a really good burger, but really I found a sandwich that had really awesome meat on it. The combination of toppings are right up my alley but the pulled pork and ham that were on this burger were really amazing. So amazing that they would warrant their own sandwich without a burger. In all honestly, the burger got pretty drowned by the other flavors. This burger is a little pricier also which is another downside. Still it did taste good. I would recommend anyone to try this burger just to try the amazingly flavored meats. This is probably the best burger I've had here.

Gusto Pizza - El Mariachi

For lunch, I decided to grab some pizza at Gusto Pizza Co. on Ingersoll & MLK. It is a quick drive to the edge of downtown so you can get there and back to the office in about 15 mins driving. Savings alert: if you have an entertainment book, there are a couple coupons for Gusto in 2013's book; part of the reason I decided to go with them for lunch. I've had a couple of their pizzas but I went with a new one this time...


El Mariachi
Ancho chile lime sauce, mozzarella, Chorizo sausage, black bean-corn salsa, red onion and cilantro

Per usual, had to eat first before I documented my research

It tastes like sophisticated Taco Pizza. All the ingredients make an appearance in your mouth and you can tell that they use fresh ingredients. Likely a big reason why Gusto was named best pizza in Des Moines by Cityview's readers.

I've had a couple of their specialty pizzas before and they were all good. They do have a lot of UN-traditional ingredients--at least compared to that of the commercial pizza that is usually served. I still might steer away from some of the combinations but the ones I've chosen I have enjoyed.

I am throwing this in the class of Taco pizza and I rank this only slightly behind Happy Joe's Nacho Joe pizza and Casey's taco pizza. This one definitely deserves to be in the conversation for best taco pizza. What is your favorite pizza?

http://gustopizzaco.com/pizza

Bodybuilding.com - Healthy Breakfasts and Protein Bars

Bodybuilding.com has some pretty nice recipes for healthy breakfasts. Some of their recipes use some ingredients that I am not sure exist in Des Moines; so I stuck with these recipes.

Egg White Puffs:

Pretty healthy and tasty if you like those ingredients. It took me about 16 of the 20 servings from the tall container of egg whites (32oz container) to fill up. I like to throw a couple on a tortilla after my workout so I can get eggs in the morning without having to cook each morning.

Here is a link to the original recipe:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/contest-prep-nutrition-5-tasty-breakfast-recipes.html?mcid=DC_explosivegrowth_041613&rmid=explosivegrowth_041613&rrid=1859063

Nutrition Facts
Recipe yields 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 372

Total Fat 6 g

Total Carb 45 g

Protein 33 g

Cottage Cheese Pancakes:

Makes about 3 and a half medium pancakes

I am not huge on pancakes but wanted to try this out since I had the ingredients. They mostly looks like thinner pancakes but they taste ok. You don't get the fluffiness of pancakes but they aren't a terrible substitute. The inside tasted like creamy mashed bananas while the outside has a similar texture of pancake "crust" but with some egg white in it. Just be careful with the syrup or you can negate the benefits of eating this.

 Here is a link to the original recipe:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wanna-curdle-embrace-cottage-cheese-in-8-new-recipes.html

Nutritional Info Per Serving (makes two servings)
Calories: 282.5
Carbs: 39g
Fat: 7.5g
Protein: 20.5g


 Homemade Protein Bars:
 I started making these because protein bars are expensive and supposedly Soy Protein isn't great for you--the jury seems to still be out on that though. This recipe is ridiculously easy and doesn't taste bad. It essentially turns out to be a protein version of a No Bake cookie. Now these don't usually harden up as much as I would like but for a quick morning snack before my workout, it gets the job done.

Recipe:
Combine in large mixing bowl:
3 Cups Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Natural Peanut butter
1 cup Skim Milk
4 Scoops Protein Powder
dash of cinnamon

Mix until a sticky batter is formed (may take a few minutes). se a large spoon to spread out the mix into the bottom of a Pam-sprayed glass or metal cooking tray (spread until even),top with 4-8 packets splenda, put in the fridge overnight and cut into 8 equal bars that yield:

Nutritional Info Per Serving (makes 8 servings)
11g fat (good monounsaturated fats)
26g carbs
21g protein
285 calories

Link to thread where I pulled this from (has quite a few other recipes on it). http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=346329

Django

Django is a french restaurant in the western part of downtown. It is what I like to call: Des Moines Classy....meaning it is nice place to eat but you probably won't be judged for wearing t-shirt and jeans. They feature an extensive wine and cocktail list along with a wide ranging menu. Wide ranging in that it has some upscale entrees mixed in with pizza, sandwiches and burgers.

http://www.djangodesmoines.com/dinner.cfm

George’s Garden Chicken Salad Seasonal greens, tomato, cucumber, red onion, bacon, bleu cheese, hearts of palm and grilled chicken breast with buttermilk herb dressing

After being on a restaurant food bender, I had to get something a little lighter. It certainly isn't the lightest salad as it is covered in dressing and blue cheese but it was decent. The chicken wasn't anything to write home about but everything else tasted fine. It wasn't a very memorable salad for me but there wasn't much wrong with it either. I don't know that I will look to order it again but I don't think I would steer anyone away from it. That might be the least opinionated food description every, right?

My Django recommendation would be Le Royale with Cheese..(White Chedder Cheeseburger with a fried egg on top). Probably a top 3 burger in Des Moines.

Fong's - Bacon Cheeseburger edition

Fong's has always been one of my favorite pizza places since it opened up a couple years ago. They have great ingredients to go along with their creative specialty pizzas. They also have an amazing mixed/tiki drink menu and a fun atmosphere. The only knock on the place is it needs to be about twice the capacity.

http://fongspizza.com/menu

Bacon Cheeseburger:

ketchup & mustard blend, ground beef, bacon, onion and pickle with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar, topped with lettuce and tomato

Plain, simple but awesome. It tastes just like a bacon cheese burger. The bacon quality is actually very meaty instead of the burned, "Baco-y" type bacon bits you get on some pizzas. The pizza actually comes with lettuce and tomato too but this was a to go order so they put it on the side. This is the second time I've had this pizza and I would definitely get it again. I've had almost every pizza at Fong's and it is hard to differentiate them because I've enjoyed all of them (except the Loaded Baked Potato). Some of the specialty pizzas can be a little crazy but if you want to try one of their specialty pizzas without going out of your pizza comfort zone...this would be your best bet.

My favorite pizza at Fong's would be the Big Delicious. All their ingredients are pretty quality and even though it is a place with crazy combinations--they do a good job making their pizza actually taste good instead of relying on wow factor. I also recommend the Pizza Rolls appetizer. What is your favorite Fong's pizza?

The High Life Lounge - Manly Edition

Out with the co-workers after work, we wanted to go to Zombie burger but due to their ridiculously long wait,we decided to "settle" for the High Life Lounge; which really isn't settling at all since everything on their menu is good. http://thehighlifelounge.com/menu

I was going to keep it simple and get their club sandwich, then some strange urge of spontaneity came upon me and I decided to order....The High Life Man.

The High Life Man

a 1/4 lb. burger, an italian sausage patty, three strips of bacon, swiss and american cheese, grilled onions and jalapenos, mayonnaise and bbq sauce. and topped with a powered doughnut

I am now a High Life Man!

Yeah, this burger is ridiculous. Probably the most ridiculous combination of items put together on a burger that I've had, but it was pretty damn good. The beer was definitely talking because I decided to get an order of tots on the side; oh and I decided to eat the entire burger. I do NOT recommend eating the whole burger in one sitting unless you are cool with having a food coma for about 2 days. It isn't the best burger sandwich but there was nothing bad about it. The bacon on it was probably the best part because it was thick and very flavorful. I just had this burger two nights ago but I still don't know how to explain it. It is an experience you must try; I recommend it in two takes and not all at once.


A couple of the people in my party had the broasted chicken and mentioned it was the best piece of chicken they ever had. I've had the burger basket which is simple, good and cheap. The chicken pot pie is rich and amazing-maybe the best thing I've ever had there. It is between that or the meat loaf sandwich. What is your favorite High Life meal?