Waukee, IA 50263
515-987-3561
Open daily 11am – 9pm, May thru Oct, 11am – 8pm in Nov, closed Dec thru Apr
In the wake of a wee bit of food poisoning from a fast food joint (it was the slightly off mini-tub of honey mustard soybean oil dipping sauce that did it, I think), I am reminded of just how important it is to plan your meals if you're gonna be on the go so you don't get stuck eating pink slime and partially hydrogenated reconstituted potatoes against your will. If you happen to be driving across Iowa on I-80, I think I've found the perfect meal to get you nice and full and not be in a position to offend your car mates with factory-manufactured flatulence.
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| This is a REAL LIFE iPhone photo. View from the parking lot. |
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| Psst... The restaurant is in an old barn. |
The story is something like this: Doctor Guy of Indian descent (or maybe he's actually from India, I don't know) decides to leave his practice in Chicago and move to a farm just west of Des Moines. Doctor Guy starts an all-natural restaurant, using ingredients from his honest-to-goodness, functioning farm on his property, and enlists his daughter as the service staff and son as the kid that's just hanging around and wants to tell you all about the chicken coup and show you how to tear leaves off of trees to hand-feed the goats. It was all maybe a little too tranquil and perfect.
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| Masala chicken, jasmine rice, sauteed spinach, cucumber yogurt salad, red beans in coconut tomato sauce, potato chutney, seasoned chickpeas, falafel in pea sauce. Nothing was extra heavily spiced or overbearing in flavor — this isn't "Indian food" as we normally think of it, but a refreshing, balanced, seasoned dish. |
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| Lemon ginger herb drink crack |
In addition to serving one hell of a plate of Indian-inspired treats, Doctor Guy also likes to paint his walls with adages that make him sound a little wacko when taken out of context. You should probably give him the benefit of the doubt when he says stuff like, "Cardiovascular work is life threatening." I'm sure he knows something I don't. I'm just going to gnaw on this perfectly cooked, succulent masala chicken thigh, spoon in another bite of super spicy potato chutney, and marvel over how perfectly cooked these chickpeas are. I'll be over here, trying not to think about my mediocre health, enjoying this delicious food that makes most farm-to-table restaurants look like a sham.
Worth a day trip from Omaha just for the food? Maybe. Worth it if you add in the breathtaking scenery, friendly proprietors, and a slice of Casey's pizza on the way home for dessert? You betcha.
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| Whatever you say there, buddy. In truth, I'm just offended by the "Stress is good for immune health" quip. Stress isn't good for anything but my relationship with snack foods. |
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| One dish is served daily based on what they've got. I believe they can do a veg version. |
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| Ohhhh God, it was so good! Look at how the cucumber sauce drizzles all over the beans! |
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| One plate of delicious, farm-fresh food? $18. One meal I can trust won't give me food poisoning again? Priceless. (Damn, that MasterCard campaign really got stuck in everyone's psyche, didn't it?) |
I passed this place while en route to Omaha on business... I eat organic as much as possible and seen the sign on the highway. What a breath of fresh air, compared to the 1000x Denny's and other equivalent crap you see while on the road. I will DEFINITELY be stopping here on my way back to Ohio!
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