dPR Through April 11



Pork at the Hy-Vee meat counter in Indianola

W. BURLINGTON, IA - The final de la Fuente Power Rankings are in. With no movement in the top 5 of any of the categories, it's time to dish out some special recognition to a restaurant that hasn't been justly acknowledged in this space.

The Sports Page Bar and Grill in Indianola (6.98 dPR) is, as its name suggests, a place to meet and watch sporting events on TV. About a quarter-mile down the road from our apartment complex, the "Page" (as locals affectionately refer to it) is a major hub for Indianola's citizens. The large facility, divided tastefully into a dining room, a billiards room, and the bar, is equipped with dozens of state-of-the-art flatscreen televisions for patrons to enjoy. The bar has a modest selection of beers on tap, and the staff is attentive to the customers' needs.

Some sports bars take shortcuts with their menu and the quality of their food, knowing that they have a captive clientele. Happily, this is not the case with the Sports Page. Their burgers and sandwiches are on par with the most solid of pub food in any locale. Though I never tried the ribs, I noticed on numerous occasions that they were a popular item. The real star of the menu, however, is the nacho platter. The nachos at the Sports Page may be the best I've ever had in my life. They use a tasty blend of real cheeses and good vegetables, and the toppings are evenly distributed throughout the layers of chips. They're not excessively salty, and the restaurant serves the nachos with a mild salsa. Beef, chicken, or veggie, you simply cannot go wrong. As I said to my colleagues on numerous occasions, I could eat those nachos until the moment I die.

One interesting thing about the Sports Page is that, in spite of its being a bar, it's still a family-oriented establishment. I didn't find it unusual to see parents bringing their small children with them to the Page for dinner, but I was initially taken aback the first time I realized that occasionally these kids sit at the bar. It's not as if I ever saw Junior fire up a Marlboro, buy Susie a Budweiser, and demand that the bartender change the channel from sports to Spongebob, but it's amusing to see that a bar doesn't have to be strictly in the adult domain.

FEEDBACK

If you read last week's installment of the Power Rankings, you might remember my challenge to identify a mysterious piece of food in a photograph taken at the Family Table restaurant in Pocahontas. I'm happy to report that, within twelve hours, Dan Hui correctly identified the orange lump as a "baked potato, smothered with Velveeta." Thanks, Dan, for reading and playing along.

In other news, I received a surprise email this week from Don Larsen, the owner of the Danish Inn restaurant in Elk Horn. He stumbled upon my piece about his restaurant, and wrote to say hello and to detail the delicious dining options his fine establishment offers on the various days of the week. Don, if you're reading again, thanks for the email. I hope to return to Elk Horn someday to try those breaded pork chops.

Without further ado, here are the final standings for the dPR. Happy eating, everybody, wherever you are!

GLOBAL DIVISION
1. Sage - Windsor Heights (9.70 dPR)
2. Bob's Drive-Inn - Le Mars (9.30)
3. Danish Inn - Elk Horn (9.24)
4. Blue Bunny - Le Mars (9.20)
5. Iowa Machine Shed - West Des Moines and Davenport (9.13)

CHAIN DIVISION
1. Iowa Machine Shed - West Des Moines and Davenport (9.13 dPR)
2. Tony Roma's - Sioux City (8.40 dPR)
3. Cheesecake Factory - West Des Moines (8.30)
4. Bravo! Cucina - West Des Moines (8.20)
5. Carlos O'Kelly's - Dubuque (7.90)

COUNTER DIVISION
1. Whitey's - Davenport (8.20 dPR)
2. Panera - Cedar Rapids (7.96)
3. A&W - Indianola (7.70)
4. Culver's - Sioux City (7.60)
5. Subway - Various (6.91)

Posted: Tue - April 12, 2005 at 09:38 AM      

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