Home > Des Moines Restaurants > Editorial Review > Editorial Datebook Review: Proof

BY D.V. WAGMAN * THE DATEBOOK DINER * PREVIEW
NOVEMBER 13, 2008

It was the restaurant version of curb appeal; the culinary equivalent of lovely landscaping. On the sunny windowsill of an old brick building on the west edge of downtown, I saw a beautiful sight - vivid yellow lemons tightly packed in glass jars with sea salt and their own juices. They were jars of preserved lemons, piquant citrus pickles whose mild, caper-like flavor makes them fundamental to the cuisine of North Africa.

It is a sight not often seen in Des Moines. It was a sight that made me salivate, and fall in love with Proof before I ever walked in the door.

Space: Urban chic with a sunny, uplifting edge. This bright, clean space nicely reflects the spicy warmth and healthful ingredients of its cuisine. High ceilings, two walls of spotless windows and the simple lines of its contemporary, blonde wood seating combine to create an open, airy space richly redolent with the enticing aromas of Moroccan fare.

Service: In fast-casual fashion, Proof is the kind of venue where one orders at the counter, takes a number and waits at the table for food to be delivered. Staff members were smart, friendly and knowledgeable. Our meals on two busy days arrived quickly, allowing us time to relish our lunch, and enjoy fresh air while walking down and back to work - all within an hour.

Menu: Divided into three sections (salads, flatbreads and grains), Proof's menu does what few others do - it marries clean, healthful ingredients with robust, rambunctious flavors.

Gotta-try-them ingredients like Merguez, a spicy lamb sausage, tabbouleh, a salad of minty, lemony cracked wheat, and wild-rice pancake join with the meandering flavors of tamarind, coriander and ras el-Hanout to create the most adventurous menu in town. Masterfully balanced flavors and perfectly placed acidic punches tasted of a gifted chef whose experience went beyond Des Moines.

Ingredient quality - like a magnificent, carefully chosen olive oil - proved that corners were not being carelessly cut.

Soups, particularly a brothy pumpkin and fresh cilantro selection, sang. Flatbread sandwiches, soft and chewy, possessed a luscious, oven-charred texture. Grains, from wheat berries to Arborio rice, were cooked to al dente perfection.

Portions were just right, enough to fuel the afternoon, but not so much that a nap was needed.
Bottom line: Proof provides exactly what this town needed.

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