He Ate/She Ate: Skip’s

He Ate

This post is longer than most, so apologies up front. I need to get something off my chest.

I want to make it clear that I am using Skip’s as a metaphor. As a basic restaurant that has been around for decades, Skip’s is a reliable place to find mediocre food, a warm atmosphere, and dreadful table service (the bartender, on the other hand, was just fine.)

We went to Skip’s with friends on a Monday night only to find a twenty-minute wait. Never mind the fact that Des Moines, as a whole, shies away from reservations, so I was quite pleased to find a wait. On a Monday night. Wow – this place must be amazing! I happily sat down at the bar, and perused their run-of-the-mill wine list. I ordered a cocktail.

We were led to our table only after asking three times whether or not we were actually on a waiting list. Once we sat, it took over ten minutes for our server to get to our table. Later in the meal I had to go to the bar to get a Coke. Hopefully the food is good. After our smoked chicken nacho appetizer, I had the BBQ smoked chicken sandwich. Two smoked chickens in one sitting, probably not the best choice. The nachos – SHE will talk enough about them and I agree. The sandwich – passable. The service…you got the idea.

So there was a twenty-minute wait on the slowest night of the week to eat mediocre food with dreadful service. Why? I asked someone who mentioned they had been coming here for years, why he kept returning: “It’s just always been here,” he replied. When I asked if he liked his experience, he continued, “Yeah, it’s fine. It’s just fine.” This was a quick quip at the bar while I was getting a Coke for SHE. I didn’t need further elaboration.

I hate to use Skip’s as the butt of my metaphor, but so be it: What is it with Des Moines accepting mediocrity over all else? Where are the progressive restaurants, chefs, in this town? I’ve been thinking about this a great deal lately, and Skip’s cemented my issue. When a place is devoid of progressive, rule-breaking cuisine, art or business creation, why should anyone else challenge themselves? We need someone to push the envelope It makes everyone better. Who are the progressive chefs in Des Moines? I can’t name one currently cooking in his/her own restaurant. This does not mean we are without good chefs – certainly George Formaro, Sean Wilson, David Baruthio, Miyabi Yamamoto, Jason Simon, Carly Groban and Andrew Meek are excellent chefs. Their menus are created with passion, precision and quality. Yet I would not say any of them are creating anything unique in the culinary world.

We don’t need ten restaurants doing this, but we do need one or two. Without it we are left with Skip’s – a restaurant that is a nice neighborhood joint, but hardly worth a twenty-minute wait. On a Monday. Where you have to go to the bar to get your own drink. Why do we put up with this? Because no one is challenging the culinary scene. Is it Skip’s fault? Hardly. I apologize to Skip’s for using them as the catalyst for this post – but why are we as Des Moinesians so comfortable in our mediocrity? I would understand if everyone at Skip’s were there for the blue plate special, but Skip’s proudly sported an array of ages in their dining room. Is it simply that we like a nice neighborhood place? Maybe. But when the food and service are both sub-par – is this a symptom of the Des Moinesfeeling as a whole? If it was created in Des Moines, it can’t possibly be as good as the same idea being created somewhere else. Des Moines chefs are simply not as good as, say, Chicago chefs, or Minneapolis chefs, or Denver chefs. Those are larger cities, they have better chefs. Well, those cities only got to be as large as they are by pushing the creative envelope, be it culinary, artistically or politically. We seem to have this stigma that if it came from Des Moines, it isn’t as good as if it came from anywhere else, and that’s just fine by us. We are meant to be mediocre. That is all we are supposed to achieve. Hey, at least we’re not in the lower percentile. I mean, we’re not Sioux Falls over here. We’re Des Moines, and we do things just fine, thank you very much.

This mentality is the stake in the heart of the problems Des Moines faces in the 21^st century. I hate to take a bad dining experience and grandstand with a generalized statement, but these thoughts did not come about simply because my French fries were dry and unseasoned. I have been thinking this way for years, it might be why I wanted to start this blog (also because SHE is a great writer, so I get to tag along.)

Those few who believe that they can, and should, achieve more than mediocrity, leave Des Moines. They are what make Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver innovative cities. We don’t have many incentives inDes Moinesfor those who think outside the box. So why would a chef, a small business owner, want to risk their neck with groundbreaking ideas? When people will happily wait twenty minutes on a Monday night to eat mediocre food with dreadful service, where is the incentive for change?

The culinary world of Des Moinesis not going to change until the patrons wish it to. It’s on us. But I’m not convinced we even want it. Still, kudos to Skip’s for keeping it going this long. I will say the bar and décor are incredibly welcoming and warm. Skip’s isn’t all bad, as long as you understand what you are going there for.

She Ate 

HE let me know ahead of time that He would be using up a good deal of my word count… so I’ll keep my review brief.

Skip’s Restaurant is a Southside institution – and as a born-and-raised Southsider, I was almost ashamed to admit I had never eaten there. So on a random Monday, we decided to grab dinner out with a couple friends who live in the neighborhood

Upon walking in, I liked the vibe dark wood, cozy corners, and low lighting. I was surprised to hear there was a wait. It’s not like we were at Buffalo Wild Wings for Monday Night Football. By the time we were seated I had gone from hungry to starving so I was eager to order. Unfortunately I would have to wait even longer for that chance.  When our menus finally arrived I was ready to take a bite out of the plastic laminate.

Our friends are Skip’s regulars, so we deferred to them on the appetizer – grilled chicken nachos. A big plate of cheesy chicken sounded wonderful. Nothing else on the predictable menu jumped out at me, so I settled on a burger and fries for my entree.

The nachos arrived smothered in cheese, and sadly… mayonnaise. Beyond disappointed, I was nearly nauseous. Uncertain whether the addition of the mayo was a mistake or just a “creative addition” by the chef, I did not eat another bite. The burger arrived nearly 30 minutes later, and rather than medium rare, it was medium well, smaller than a Mickey D’s quarter pounder, and served on a stale bun. I longed for the Django Royale burger with every bite.

HE probably talked a length about the service (or lack of) so I won’t repeat… I’m just left wondering how a restaurant like Skip’s can live on forever while some quality progressive eateries in DSM have had to close up shop? I understand that it takes all kinds, but do people really value familiar over fantastic? Next time you (or your parents) are thinking of heading out to dinner at Skip’s, Noah’s Ark, Christopher’s or the like, instead consider Proof, Lucca, or Baru 66. Go ahead and indulge in a culinary experience. You might just like it.