Machine Shed Restaurant

In 1978 we opened our first Machine Shed Restaurant on the outskirts of Davenport, IA. We had just 100 seats and we were all still pretty young and green, but we started with a powerful commitment. That was a five-word constitution: "Dedicated to the American Farmer." That dedication meant that we worked hard to have a restaurant that wasn't just 'farm themed' but would be something that farmers could be proud of.

The Machine Shed has been featured on the Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" recognizing us as the "Best Breakfast in America." And yes, "Chocolate Covered Bacon" became a phenomonal hit when we served it at the Wisconsin State Fair and it was mentioned throughout the country on TV morning shows and the Tonight Show. The Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger also became a hit after the Shed debuted it at the Wisconsin State Fair, and the American Pickers came and 'picked' the Shed warehouses in Daveport in June of 2010. In October of 2010, famed artist Jim Shore visited the Des Moines Shed for a signing event where hundreds of people came to have their pieces signed by the artist.

Des Moines’ Silbermann joins Milne on Inc.’s 30-under-30 list

Another familiar face joined Dwolla co-founder Ben Milne on Inc. Magazine’s 30-under-30 list this year.
Ben Silbermann, the Des Moines native and elusive co-founder of Pinterest, was listed as well, along with his co-founder Evan Sharp.
Inc. Magazine quoted a speech Silbermann gave at this year’s South by Southwest in March for the feature, saying he declined an interview request because his team was too busy to be interrupted.
However, the magazine heaped praise on the 29-year-old Roosevelt High School graduate and chronicled his path from Yale to Silicon Valley.
Every year, the magazine releases their list of 30 entrepreneurs they say are the “most ambitious and coolest entrepreneurs in America.” Milne had been featured in the print version, which was sent to subscribers last week.
According to the article, Silbermann told the crowd of hundreds at South by Southwest that Pinterest started very slow. It has since become one of the hottest social media sites on the Internet.
The digital pinboard site, which has no significant revenue, has been valued at $1.5 billion and announced in May that it had received $100 million in its latest round of funding.
One investor called it at the time “one of most sought-after financial events in Silicon Valley in some time.”
Read more here!

Datebook Diner: PerKup serves best biscuits and gravy in town

Fresh biscuits and gravy can make me smile like nothing else, so it came as no surprise when I started grinning like a Wonderland cat during a recent rendezvous at the PerKup Café. The charming Urbandale nook just happens to have the best biscuits and gravy in town.
Nestled in a bland shopping plaza, the café is bright inside with a 40-seat dining room full of warm colors and casual country décor.
The PerKup serves breakfast and lunch. Morning bites include a variety of smoothies, omelets, breakfast sandwiches and hearty breakfast platters. Noticeably absent are pancakes, although the kitchen compensates with cornflake-crusted French toast that’s crafted with apple-cinnamon bread from Big Sky Bread Company, a local bakery situated around the corner.
The star of the menu is a hefty biscuits-and-gravy platter for $5.75, available Friday through Sunday. If you’re interested, get there early. It often sells out by 10 a.m., which I learned the hard way when, on my first visit, an apologetic waitress broke the news that they were sold out.
I returned the next day earlier, hungrier and ready to riot if they were out again. Fortunately, there was plenty and soon my breakfast appeared: a pair of flaky, split biscuits drowned in generous ladles of peppery sausage gravy. For an extra $2, mine came topped with two eggs sunny side up. Paula Deen would have been so jealous.
My companion ordered a hefty wheat tortilla breakfast wrap. The filling had obviously been cooked to order as the scrambled eggs were light and fluffy and the bacon crispy. A piquant “revenge” sauce, served on the side, added extra zing to the tasty wrap.
Another pleasant discovery was the fine-tasting homemade jam: peach, plum, strawberry and raspberry were on hand during my visits. The café also serves a decent brew, thanks their custom of using freshly ground coffee. I appreciated being able to order a cup while waiting for a table to open and that I could get my refill to go when it was time to leave.
Lunch was not so good. I ordered the Jack Daniels Burger one day and regretted it. The patty came drenched in a candy-sweet whiskey sauce that soaked entirely through my bottom bun, making the burger a sticky mess. The side of cucumber pasta salad wanted for salt while an apple-walnut salad was grossly overdressed. Breakfast for lunch would have been better.
Regardless, the PerKup ranks among my favorite places to eat out. Burger? No thanks. Biscuits and gravy? Yes please!
Read more here!

Specials

Wow - another business with a special this week! Top Nails and Spa will host their main event for “Pedicure and Manicure for the Cure” on July 12th 2012 at 11109 Plum Drive Urbandale, IA 50322, next to Super Target and Home Depot. For every “Pedicure and Manicure for the Cure” special in the month of July, Top Nails and Spa will donate $5 to a breast cancer foundation. Top Nails and Spa will provide refreshments and information on breast cancer during the main event on July 12, 2012.

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Urbandale Facts

Urbandale is a city in Polk and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 39,463. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Wikipedia

Area: 21 sq miles (54 km²) Weather: 92° F, Wind NE at 10 mph, 37% Humidity Population: 38,677 (2009) Local time: 4:59pm Monday (CDT)