Malo

My first food stop in Iowa was to take a solo walk to get tacos at Malo. This one was a home run at my first at-bat as a Des Moines rookie. Wow. I timed it just right, and they were placing my bag of food on the table right as I walked in the door. I got the avocado and fried onions on corn tortillas, and instead of getting a combo, I got the portobello mushrooms as my side. That way I was able to just put them on my tacos. I also got a side of fruit with sweet chili sauce. It didn't want to have anything super spicy before my marathon (think about it) so I got the pico de gallo. The tacos were delicious, and the fresh tortillas seemed handmade. The fruit was so juicy and sweet, but the stunner here was the portobello mushroom - like steak strips. Savory and meaty but not too salty... Just amazing. I had enough left over for a second meal. Great vegan and gluten-free options.

Great service, inventive cocktails, and well-crafted Latin comfort food. I've always had a good time here. They mark gluten free items on their menu, too, and are sensitive to shared fryer oil. I told my girl friend I love her here--not necessarily a relevant critique, but a charming aside.