My Kind of Town

A night out with Ralph and Blair is always an adventure. They seem to have a knack for unearthing the most unusual, whacky places for food and drink. Last Saturday night was no exception. They got a babysitter for the kiddos and we hit the booming metropolis of Des Moines for an adult’s night out. First stop was El Bait Shop, a Mexican joint known for their vast array of beers on tap and in bottles. Ralph, Blair and I were boring and had Goose Island Summertime Ale, but Steve got a Smoky Ale, which lived up to its name with a delightful, smoky flavor. We sat in a booth right next to a video fishing game and Steve and Blair left us momentarily to play classic games on tabletop arcades. Congratulations Blair for scoring your all-time high score in Galaga!

Next door to El Bait Shop is The Highlife, which sells only Miller beers. The great thing about The Highlife is it’s distinctive décor. The place is an homage to the 1970s. Original, retro lighted beer signs line the walls, shag carpeting covers the floor and the menu is full of comfort food. Here you can get meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pot roast and all the fixin’s to go with your Miller Beer. Oh yeah, it’s always Miller time.

After dinner at Star Bar, where Steve ordered the Boss Hogg sandwich consisting of three different pork products, we decided to have one last drink. Not wanting to waste our time at a normal bar, we stopped at a biker bar on Ingersoll called GT’s. Not many bikes were parked out front so we figured they might not be too crowded for a Saturday night. We sat in one of the front booths right by a huge picture window with a great view of the street. The bar was really smoky and loud, but the music was great. They have a digital jukebox with an incredible song selection and Blair chose the first round. I love that he remembered I liked “Spanish Bombs” by The Clash and played it just for me. Ordering a beer here is an adventure in itself. They don’t have a list so you just choose your beers directly from the cooler. Which is unlit. So they give you a flashlight and you choose your drink. How cool and weird is that?

After one last drink, we decided it was time to go home. However, I’m sure it won’t be long before we return. I know we’ll definitely be getting beers at El Bait Shop in the near future.