Cornfed Librarian

Every Saturday morning, a cowbell rings in Downtown Des Moines to herald the opening of the Farmer's Market.   Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Marriott, you'll find produce, prepared foods, hand crafts, and all manner of stuff for sale in the city streets.  The market spans blocks, but most of the action is on Court Avenue between 2nd and 5th.

The Downtown Farmers’ Market began in 1976 with just 15 vendors and an average of 200 shoppers and operated July - September. Today, the Market has grown to more than 200 vendors and an average of 18,000 visitors each Saturday during May – October.  

There's a complete list of vendors and their wares  on the Farmer's Market website, but here's a sampling of stalls that are new this year:

• The Wood Zoo, Ankeny: Hand-crafted gumball machines.
• Sweet Treats, Jewell: Homemade ice cream
• Pop's Place, Des Moines: Southern food such as hot grits, catfish, fried okra
• Uncle David's, Des Moines: Fresh, just-made mini donuts
• La Reyna, Coralville: Fresh tamales, prepared for taking home to finish
• Big Jim's, Ryan: Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches using local ingredients
• Kate's Gourmet Crepes, Fairfield, and Des Moines Crepes, Des Moines, preparing fresh crepes
• Letz Bake, Chariton: Gluten-free and whole grain bread and muffins
• LaVentosa Ranch, Clemons: Antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, chicken, goat, turkey and duck
• Dirty Gertie Goat Milk Soaps, Laurel: Soaps made from goat milk.

Early risers might be able to scarf up some homemade breakfast on the street before a long day of digital discussion!

Each May, the Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA) unites Asian American communities in Iowa to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month during a daylong festival known as CelebrAsian: The Asian Heritage Festival.  Since the event runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, preconference attendees might want to walk over to the Iowa State Capitol after discussion of local production of digital talking books.   

CelebrAsian is the largest Asian-American event in Iowa, showcasing cultural exhibits, history, food, performance artists, sports, martial arts, children's activities, and other family-friendly activities.  We couldn't find a program, but the press release mentions these activities:

• The Sports and Martial Arts Village will feature a volleyball tournament, and martial arts competitions and demonstrations throughout the entire day.
• The Wellmark Health and Wellness Village will feature interactive workshops related to health and wellness, free medical screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations, and other informative events.
• The Principal Financial Group Family Art Center will feature the culmination of a community arts project entitled Flowers of the Heart to inspire families to explore their creative side.
• The Main Stage will feature contemporary and cultural performance throughout the entire day, including traditional song and dance performed by each of the thirteen communities participating in this year's event.
• Local musical performers Gimikk and Larry Berenguel will entertain guests on the Main Stage throughout the day. National musical headliners include hip-hop/alternative band afterschoolspecial, and YouTube sensation Sam Hart. Another YouTube personality, Tim Delaghetto aka Traphik will serve as master of ceremony and guest judge for the Next SensAsian Talent Contest.
• The fashion show will feature traditional Asian apparel representing different generations of the ethnic communities at this year's festival.
• Village Sponsor Hummel's Nissan will display their newest cars, including the incredible GTR and Nissan Leaf.
• New for this year is the Iowa Takraw Foundation Takraw Tournament. Takraw is a traditional Asian sport similar to volleyball, except that it is played with a bamboo or wicker mesh ball and the players can use only their feet! For more information about takraw, please see the following: http://www.takrawusa.com and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Takraw- Foundation/241192750273.
• Festival-goers can learn more about the Asian experience in Iowa in the My Story Tent, in which Iowans share their own story through essays and photographs. 

Last year, the event drew 30,000 attendees. And, like most things in Iowa, admission is free to the general public. More information is available at celebrasion.org.

Caffeine addicts, take note.  You can get fancy coffee in Downtown Des Moines:

• Java Joe's
  214 Fourth Street
  
  
• Ritual Cafe
  1301 Locust Street (entrance is on 13th Street)
  
  
• Starbucks
  There are two nearby.  One is located at 1013 Locust Street right next to the Des Moines Public Library.   The other is on the second level of the Renaissance Savery Hotel at 4th and Grand.  There's easy access to this one right off the Skywalk.
  
  
• Village Bean
  400 E Locust Street (head towards the Capitol)
  

Drink up!

The Iowa State Capitol is one of Iowa's most impressive landmarks. Built between 1871 and 1886, this magnificent building is one of the nation's finest examples of 19th century architecture.

And on Tuesday, the conference visits the Capitol area. Here's a quick list of some spots where you can grab a bite to eat during "lunch on your own" time.

• Alba
  524 E Sixth Street
  Contemporary American cuisine. The website suggests reservations, but it's unclear if that's for lunch as well as dinner. To double check, call (515) 244-0261.(menu)
  
  
• Ban Thai
  215 E Walnut Street
  A variety of Thai-inspired dishes, including many vegetarian options. (lunch menu)
  
  
• Cafe Baratta's
  State Historical Museum, 600 E Locust
  Tucked in on the upper level of the State Historical Building, Cafe Baratta's features a variety of salads and wraps, a handful of entrees, and a quiche of the day. The outdoor terrace, open in nice weather, offers a nice view of the city. If you pass up the desserts, you can stop in the Iowa-themed gift shop on the ground floor to pick up a few Monastery caramels while viewing some of our state's most interesting artifacts.(menu)
  
  
• Grand Piano Bistro
  506 E Grand Ave
  Better known as an evening entertainment spot, the short but diverse lunch menu features a variety of sandwiches. Vegetarian options include grilled portobello sandwich and pasta. (lunch menu)
  
  
• Jimmy Johns
  422 E Locust St
  This sub shop is an Iowa Dept for the Blind favorite. We can't explain it.(menu)
  
  
• KC Barbeque
  205 E 14th St
  If you need to try a pork tenderloin before you leave Iowa, you could do worse than ordering the Big Pig sandwich at KC Barbeque, even though the initials stand for Kansas City. (menu)
  
  
• Los Laurales
  1518 E Grand Ave
  No website, no online menu, but this restaurant gets rave reviews on Yelp. A favorite of reader advisor Cindy, too.  You'll find authentic Mexican food at a reasonable price.
  
  
• Lucca
  420 E Locust St
  Made-to-order pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, and fresh pastries. Lotsa pasta, including whole wheat! (menu)
  
  
• Noodle Zoo
  601 E. Locust Street
  Sandwiches, salads and oodles of noodles. (menu)
  
  
• Tasty Tacos
  1418 E Grand Ave
  Fast, cheap, and tasty, too! (menu)

Note about distance: For east-west streets, such as Grand, Locust, and Walnut, the higher the address number, the further they'll be from the river. Happy eating!

OK, we know -- what you're really interested in is...food!  You'll find that the food is great here in Des Moines.  Some of our city's best eating is within easy walking distance of the Marriott:

• Azalea 
  400 Walnut Street
  An eclectic menu of small plates, gourmet pizzas, and some fancy entrees like the five-spiced caramelized Long Island duck breast and crispy leg with spiced-bacon cabbage and orange marmalade.  (See the rather hard-to-read menu)
  
  
• Bos at the Renaissance Savery Hotel
  401 Grand Avenue
  Featuring "contemporary Midwest cuisine" and home of the best Iowa Corn Soup in town. The small but tasty buffet that includes excellent desserts makes for a quick stop on hectic days. Also of note: Diet Dr. Pepper is available! (menu)
  
  
• Centro   
  1007 Locust Street
  Rather upscale Italian, but like any Iowa restaurant worth its salt, pork tenderloin is on the menu! (lunch menu)(dinner menu)
  
  
• Django at Fort Des Moines Hotel
  201 10th Street
  French food -- in Des Moines! Salads and omelets highlight the lunch menu, though there's plenty of meat and seafood on the menu, too. (lunch menu)(dinner menu)
  
  
• Dos Rios
  316 Court Avenue
  Traditional Guadalajaran recipes with a contemporary twist.  (lunch menu)(dinner menu)
  
  
• Raccoon River Brewing Company 
  200 10th Street
  Don't let the post-industrial decor fool you -- local beers and unusual food pairings (shrimp and grits, for example) make this well worth the visit. (menu) 
  
  
• Sbrocco Wine
  208 Court Avenue
  Wine is the star in this restaurant: 42 wines available by the glass, and another 200 available by the bottle.  The food offerings feature organic and seasonal ingredients combined in interesting ways. (menu)
  
  
• Splash
  303 Locust Street
• Des Moines' premier seafood restaurant features an oyster bar along with a fine selection of fresh fish.  Steaks and chops are also available; how else would they be able to offer the Splash Surf and Turf: filet mignon and king crab legs?(lunch menu)(dinner menu)
  

Local flavor:These restaurants offer a less formal experience.

• el Bait Shop
  200 SW 2nd Street
  Located near Principal Park,  el Bait Shop is a favorite watering hole for those on the way to the ballgame.  Featuring an ever-changing 105 beers on tap, it's not surprising that the beer list  is longer than the menu.  Nonetheless, if you're looking for burgers or a good fish taco, you'll find it here.  And if you need a drink after the .8 mile walk from the hotel, you'll be in the right place! (menus)(map)
  
  
• Fongs Pizza
  223 4th Street
  Though it's a pizza joint now, once upon a time, Fong's was a Chinese restaurant.  That heritage remains in menu items like Fongolian Beef, Thai Chicken, and Moo Shu Pork pizzas.  Also known for its extensive list of specialty cocktails served in unusual mugs. (For example, the Happy Fong is served in a puffer phish bowl big enough for two!)(menu)
  
  
• Hessen Haus
  101 4th Street
  The Iowa version of an old-fashioned German bier hall.  Wienerschnitzel, Schweins Haxe, and Sauerbraten highlight the entree menu, but appetizers like the Peasant Plate or Bavarian Nachos are also substantial.  A number of German beers are available on tap.(menu)(beer menu) 
  
  
• Royal Mile
  210 4th Street
  Bangers and Mash in Des Moines?  Yes, along with Shepherd's Pie, Cornish Pasty, and Scotch Eggs.  Also offers a great beer selection and over 85 single malt Scotches. (menu)
  

Fast Food:
While there's a Burger King on Walnut, most of Downtown's fast food is up in the sky -- the Skywalk, that is.  The Kaleidoscope Mall features a Food Court at 555 Walnut. Easily accessible from the Skywalk (or up two escalators from street level), the Food Court includes Maid Rite, a source of loose meat sandwiches, along with Subway, Sally's Hamburgers, Panda Chinese Food, and more.   (The Kaleidoscope Mall is clearly marked on this map.)

And we'll admit it here:  we're addicted to the "gourmet" sandwiches from Jimmy John's on 422 E Locust Street.  They're famous for their delivery -- and there's an online order form that's screenreader accessible.

Many Iowans feel that Tasty Tacos, a local chain, makes the best tacos in town.  The secret is in the flour tortilla, but it's hard to describe.  (Hard to resist, too.)  One of its four locations is near the State Capitol Building at 1418 E. Grand. (menu)

While we're sure everyone will love touring the Iowa Regional Library and its adminstering agency, the Iowa Department for the Blind, and we know you'll enjoy the food at the reception,  we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Gail Sheehy will be speaking in Des Moines that same evening.  She'll be a short cab ride away, at Sheslow Auditorium on the Drake University campus, and her talk starts at 7:00pm on Wednesday evening.  (There is no admission charge, as this event is part of the AVID , Authors Visiting in Des Moines series.) 
 
If a Library of Congress survey hadn't named her book Passages one of the 10 most-influential books of our time, we might not mention it at all.

Monday night offers conference attendees a chance to explore Des Moines on your own. Which means you can go catch one of the AVID authors visits at the Des Moines Public Library.  James Grippando, whom the Wall Street Journal calls "a writer to watch," will visit the Central Library at 1000 Grand Ave on Monday, May 17 at 7:00pm.  Books will be available for signing -- and there's no charge to attend, though it might be wise to get there early.

Investment banking is the timely subject of mystery writer James Grippando’s latest thriller, Money to Burn, which explores a world where the destruction of financial institutions and the people who run them can occur in a matter of hours—perhaps even minutes. Other titles from Grippando include Last Call, Born to Run, and Intent to Kill.

Read more about this lawyer-turned-novelist at jamesgrippando.com

Coming to Des Moines for the NLS pre-conference on Saturday but arriving on Friday? Need something -- anything! -- to do Friday night in Des Moines? How about a science fiction convention?!

Demicon 21: Everything is better with Pirates! begins on May 14th. Registration (before April 16) is $45 for the entire con (May 14-16) or $35 for one day.

This is a convention focused on books and art (not TV and movies). The author guest of honor is Karl Schroeder; artist guest of honor is Don Maitz (he'll be bringing author Janny Wurtz along). The ghost of honor is Arthur C. Clarke. Other authors listed as attending are: Glen Cook, Shirley Damsgaard, Adam Stemple, Bill Johnson, Lettie Prell, Adam J Whitlatch, and Stephen Zimmer. There will probably be others.

Friday night features opening ceremonies (mainly a humorous play put on by TICC-West -- amateur group Trans-Iowa Canal Company-West -- based on the author GOH's works and a popular movie or TV show), a tour of the art show, hall costume contest, assorted panels, gaming, anime, video room, and room parties. Scheduled events run until 1:00 am.

Karen Eis, cataloger at ILBPH, will be available as a native guide to this strange world. She has attended all previous 20 Demicons and knows (and is known by) the natives. You can reach her at karen.eis@blind.state.ia.us.

For more information, go to http://www.demicon.org/.

We hope you'll be joining us at the post-conference trip to an Iowa Cubs game. Principal Park is a lovely little ballpark, nestled at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. It's a great place to sample the charms of Midwest minor league ball. And, it's a great opportunity to see a Hall of Famer in the dugout, if not on the field.

True, the Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A team, but this year, they've got a a Major League star at the helm: former Chicago Cub and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg signed on as coach during the off-season.

Sandberg played for the Cubs from 1982-1994 and again in 1996-97. He is widely considered the best second baseman of his era and arguably the best ever. After all, he is the only second baseman in major-league history to win nine Gold Gloves. He played four entire seasons in which he did not make a single throwing error. And his career fielding percentage of .989 is the best mark by a second baseman in major-league history. (Even more details, including a nice summary of his amazing 1984 season, can be found on the Chicago Cubs site.)

He's been hanging around the Cub organization lately, coaching the Class-A Peoria Chiefs, then the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, before his promotion to the Iowa Cubs. There are some who say he's being prepared to return to the big leagues when Lou Pinella retires, but meanwhile -- he's here in Iowa!

Chicago retired Sandberg's number in 2008, and he was on hand to lead the crowd in a rousing chorus of Take Me Out to the Ballgame; don't you just want to sing along?

Face it -- it's always hard to stay in shape during an NLS conference.  But your friendly cornfed librarians have a suggestion:  bring along a pair of sneakers and hit the trail.

Downtown Des Moines is home to a number of paved trails, and because we're visitor-friendly, there's a map: http://www.seedesmoines.com/uploads/pdf/trail_map_downtown_web.pdf

Take a peek at the map, and you'll note that the Marriott is indicated by the number 1 in a blue circle, and that a 5 mile walk starts right there!  It's a (mostly) lovely jaunt out to the popular Gray's Lake Park where you might spot heron or even an eagle.  At the lake, you'll have a picturesque view of Downtown, perfect for snapping a souvenir photo.  Turn around, and across the street is Water Works Park, home to one of the world's largest collections of flowering crab apple trees.

 
Collected by the late Arie den Boer, a renowned horticulturist, the arboretum includes approximately 300 varieties of crab apple trees.  The annual crab apple blossom usually occurs the last week of April and the first week of May, but it's a lovely view any time of year.

If a 5 mile round-trip walk sounds a bit time-consuming, here's a secret:  you'll cut about 2 miles off the trip if you don't walk around the lake itself.  That will leave plenty of time to rest on a bench and enjoy one of Des Moines most popular parks.  Just remember to hurry back -- you don't want to miss the session on BARD administration, do you?