I haven't participated in Des Moines Restaurant Week before, and this year it fell at a perfect time to finally do so.
My first choice was Baru 66, since on the reg, it costs less to raise a child than to eat here. Alas, there was zero availability. Which makes sense, because $25 for a three-course meal beats $40 a plate any time.
HoQ was a strong second choice. I would like to mention that I had ZERO idea what the name of this place is. Is it Ho-queue? Is it H.O.Q? Neither, it's pronounced as "hawk". I still don't get the name, but just as an FYI, it's definitely "hawk".
HoQ sits on the corner of E 5th St and E Walnut in the East Village of Downtown Des Moines. It consists of a tidy, but comfortable dining room with polished cement walls and white table cloths. I'm the kind of person who is impressed when a restaurant puts thought into things like water glasses and the weight of flatware. When they're not treated as afterthoughts to all the delicious money they hope to rake in. HoQ nails the little things.
I started with the Seasonal Mojito. I adore mojitos, light and refreshing. And this was no exception. It wasn't as sweet as most are, but I think I liked that the most. It was like drinking a delicious, mint and lime infused sparkling water. But with booze. Delicious booze. I sampled the mule, and it was also tasty.
We were presented with bread and an amuse bouche of pickled cauliflower and cucumbers, and a fresh tomato salad.
I loved that the veggies weren't so pickled that you couldn't tell what they were anymore. They were bright and vinegar-y. I was actually a little sad that Alejandro took the plate away when there was still three cucumbers left. Oh, I HATE cucumbers. However, they were so delicious and summery that I could eat them every day. I know, I know pickles (which I love) ARE cucumbers. But like I said, they were only ever-slightly-pickled that they still tasted like fresh cucumbers. The tomato salad was awesome, too. Also very summery with still more cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini in a bright chilled broth. I also don't like raw tomatoes or zucchini, but that one bite was not enough.
The bread was standard, but still tasty.
My first course was a Penne Alla Carbonara. If you ever set a plate of béchamel sauce with some kind of bacon in it and call it "carbonara", I will throw that shit away. Carbonara is a rich, egg-based sauce with a bacon and cheese. And HoQ really just nailed it. Perfectly cooked pasta, a wonderful sauce, and it didn't need a grain of salt more. It was lovely. It also had tiny bits of zucchini, and I think I discovered that I do really like it.
I did have a bite of the Chef's soup, which was half tomato bisque and half corn bisque. It was not good. The texture was bizarre, it was rather bland. Unlike the water glasses, it seemed like an afterthought.
My second was the Grass-Fed Steak, and it was the best damn steak I've ever had in my life. I'm not a huge red meat eater. On the rare occasion I eat steak, I have it well done. I ordered it at medium, and it came swimming in a wonderful house steak sauce with fresh corn, green beans, onions, and bacon, with a schmear of chimichurri. It was spectacular.
I would definitely recommend HoQ. It would be perfect for a date, a friend date, or even a casual lunch. The atmosphere is really comfortable and relaxed. I would also like to mention that HoQ focuses on fresh, farm-to-table, and sustainable cuisine. And you can really see and taste the quality and care put into each dish. Except that soup.
HoQ
Address: 303 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone:(515) 244-1213
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