It’s a good time to share the THE SELFIE PROJECT images from May. It was a decently busy month. But I never left the state. I mean why would you leave Iowa? We’re second to last in economic growth. 48th in personal income growth. Our education system, which used to be the best in the nation is now just middle of the road. AND we have the worst economy in the country. WooHoo! Solid leadership in this state! But don’t worry. We’re all going to die! Also, there is no tooth fairy.
But I digress. Here are the images from May:
May 1
May 2
May 3
May 4
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
May 9
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 20
May 21
May 22
May 23
May 24
May 25
May 26
May 27
May 28
May 29
May 30
May 31
While I didn’t leave the state, I did hang with a ton of different people. 39 different people made cameos in May. Well 37 people and 2 dogs.
CAMEOS
- Jay (4)
- Bokeh (4)
- Willy (3)
- Carla (2)
- Elainie (2)
- Teresa (2)
- Elawyn (2)
- Sabas (2)
- Jesse (2)
- Jen
- Andy
- Russell
- Andree
- Adam
- Aaron
- Kim
- Micky
- Lee
- Marsha
- Nader
- Colleen
- Nate
- Doris
- Jimmy
- Billy
- Laura
- Greyson
- Dahlia
- Amanda
- K.J.
- Brandon
- Logan
- Jonah Kahler
- Jason
- Chloe
- Johnathan
- Anela
- Alexis
- Kanoa
I’ll try to do better in June. But I probably won’t.
What did you think of Grimaldi’s down in Ankeny? We have been a couple of times, too!
It was pretty good. It isn’t a Top 5 pizza place or anything, but I would definitely eat there again.
Same – it’s not even a top five thin crust pizza, but it definitely is nice to have another option around in a sea of deep dish.
Is this a sea of deep dish, cause I can’t even think of one?
I guess there is a Giordano’s or something in that part of the Des Moines area I avoid like the plague. But that is about the only one I can think of.
Giordano’s for sure, but Felix & Oscars, Rosati’s, Pagliai’s, Wig & Pen (which we love).
Not sure if you’ve done Parlor, but they have a really good deep dish, but it’s a Detroit style rather than Chicago. Really great, innovative flavors – and we crushed the onion rings.
You’ve lost all credibility by Stanning for Wig & Pen. Definitely a bottom 3 worst pizza places I’ve ever been to. Down there with The Leaning Tower of Pizza and Home Team Pizza from back in the day.
I’ve never even heard of Parlor. But since you like Wig & Pen, I’m afraid to try it. I wouldn’t consider Pagliai’s to be remotely deep dish. Unless there is one other than the one in Johnston. It seems to be popular name for pizza places. I’ve also eaten at a place with the same name in Kentucky.
Ever had Quad Cities Style pizza?
It’s been probably three or four years since I had the pizza at Wig & Pen; is it bad? If we go, which isn’t super often to be fair, I usually get the grilled cheese and fries because they have bread I like.
You really should try Parlor: https://www.parlordsm.com/ If you don’t like cheese sort of crispy brown at the edges, you will not like it. I also didn’t get the red sauce, but did try Jon and Charlie’s, and it was good – Alice and I instead ate the Sweet Jane. (Their decor and item names are all classic rock, to their credit.) It may not be your jam, but I’d be curious what you think. Also, I cannot say enough good about the appetizers. We also got the cheese curds, and I thought that Blackberry Coulis sounded insanely pretentious… but it was really good. Their sister restaurants are Eatery A, Alba, and I think something else, and those are all ones we like – but that may not be your jam, so maybe take that under advisement.
I’ve never had Leaning Tower of Pizza, but didn’t eat Home Team. I don’t even eat Pizza Pit, because I think it’s fairly crappy (sorry, not sorry – Taco Tico has nostalgia tacos for me, and I think people erroneously glow about Pizza Pit for the same reason).
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Quad Cities-style pizza? I just looked it up and it involves malt powder? Jon freaking loves malt powder, so I might be able to talk him into it when we next go see Grandpa.
You were just praising Wig & Pen!! I have friends that love it and it confirmed to me, nothing good comes out of Iowa City and the Brits need to stick to fish and chips.
Home Team is the worst (non-franchise) pizza I ever had in my life. But you could get like a 20 inch pizza for $4 with a coupon from the Campus Coupon Book back in the day. And now you work above where its remains lie. Maybe sometimes you can smell the ghosts of the chefs opening up the cans of Alpo they were passing off for sausage why you are typing away.
Quad Cities Style is definitely unique. Even cut and shaped weird. There was a place in Des Moines that specialized in it, but I’m pretty sure they are gone now.
Parlor might be too upscale for a no-collar Joe like me. I also can’t stand Pizza Pit pizza but absolutely love their wings. Even though, my inside source tells me, they aren’t anything special. They just come off the Sysco truck like that and all they do is fry them up.
The Leaning Tower of Pizza was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had, which is disappointing because I absolutely freaking love the name. I know people who love it, but I’m very leery of trying it again. The only experience I’ve had that was on par was the first time I went to Black Market Pizza. Another garbage pizza place.
To further out myself as inconsistent re: Wig and Pen, we have only gotten their deep dish once because it legit took 2.5 hours and the kids do not have that kind of staying power. I do not have that kind of patience, either, so I can’t even blame them. I think Jon and the kids got the equivalent of hand-tossed the last time we were there. They call their sides of ranch a “monkey of ranch” on the bill (as they charge you for it), and we had a robust conversation with the wait staff about that.
I also work above years of bar puke. I can’t imagine how unseemly it is under the linoleum. I am not sure if the crap pizza or puke is worse.
I am up for trying most anything once – although it is hard committing to something weird if you are a sure bet not to like it. Like skyline chili or whatever Cincinnati calls that spaghetti abomination.
I had a friend from my days on the Art Commission who worked at Pizza Pit doing delivery in his spare time. I should see if he knows how their wings are good – because they ARE good, As is their dipping sauce. But the pizza is hot trash. It actively makes me nauseous every time I eat it.
I am also curious about The Big Tomato. I think I also heard that is worthwhile. But thank you for the warning on Leaning Tower.
I haven’t been to The Big Tomato, but my friend Flat Earth Joe is a big fan. Huge fan!