Datebook Diner: End the rut with Proof’s prix fixe dinner

Yogurt-braised lamb with Saffron Couscous
(Credit: James D. Fidler/The Register)

It seems we have become accustomed to a rather uninspired dining formula: Predictable shared appetizers followed by rote dinner salads, the entrée and an oversized ooey-gooey dessert set in the middle of the table and jabbed at by all diners. This is what you call a dining rut, and if you’re looking to climb out of it, book a table at Proof .

Menu: Served Friday night only, the three-course prix-fixe menu costs $25 and changes weekly. Without sharing, diners enjoy a first course, second course and to finish, either a cheese plate or dessert. I consider this a phenomenally good deal in the days when many entrees alone cost more than $20.

Best bites: The first-course concepts here are a world away from the typical appetizers.  The mushroom bisque soup, for example, brought a thin and intensely mushroom-flavored bowl of wonder that revved up the appetite . The exquisite gnocchi arrived tender, soft and faintly sweet from its butternut squash flavor. 

When it comes to entrées, if you happen to spot anything on the menu with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern bent, snag it — this is Proof’s specialty, and the yogurt-braised lamb arrived lusciously most and unctuous, swathed in warm spices .  
    
A misstep or two: Luxurious thick and salty bacon — cooked nicely flabby and tender — encircled big, fat scallops in a pool of ginger cream sauce for what would have been a knock-out dish were the scallops as tender and sweet as they could have been. Chicken breast rolled and stuffed with dried fruit, spinach and nuts would also have been a five-star offering had the chicken arrived less on the dry side. However, the overall flavors and side dishes (caramelized Brussels sprouts with the scallops and a fava bean purée with the chicken) were so energetic and flavorful, they softened our criticism.

Stay for dessert: There’s no saying “no” to a fabulous finale. Hats off to a great cheese course — in this case, an artisanal Dutch Gouda, Italian taleggio and California’s Point Reyes blue cheese. The toffee cake arrived soft, warm and vaguely spicy. The moist, dense flourless chocolate cake came with a refreshing green-tea ice cream.

Ambiance: Modern and minimal, yet warm, with views of the Des Moines skyline sparkling brilliantly.

Bottom line: With this menu, Proof joins a small but growing number of restaurants that offer diners a complete dining experience.