Lucky Horse Beer and Burgers’ Dogtown burger, which pays homage to the Drake University neighborhood, is made up of two patties, bacon jam, gouda cheese and more.
Writer: Wini Moranville
Fresko: It’s hard to choose from the globe-trotting 45-plus-item menu of this new downtown venue, but I definitely picked some winners. Imbued with lemon and thyme, the wood-fired roasted chicken half hit a home run, thanks to both great flavor and a deboned presentation that made it effortless to neatly split between two diners. While (understandably) the roasted potatoes didn’t travel well, they did crisp up better after a reheat in the oven. An admirable burger, starring smoked Gouda, pickled onion and tomato jam, also pushed the right polished-casual buttons.
Lucky Horse Beer & Burgers: At this newish Drake-area venue, which is part of the Full Court Press spate of restaurants, we opted for the double-patty Dogtown burger with bacon jam and Gouda, along with the massive truffle-pear flatbread with maple sausage, caramelized onion, Maytag blue cheese and mozzarella. Both gratified in a big-food way; next time, it will be either/or, not both, as either could handily serve two sane diners.
Because most of Full Court Press’ themed venues specialize in great beer and a good-time buzz, I had to wonder how getting takeout would compare with dining in. The verdict: In addition to the food, we took home a Slushie Old Fashioned Cocktail (packaged neatly in a sealed plastic pouch) and a can of Carroll Brewing Beer— and we had a merry old time indeed.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse: My wedding anniversary fell on a Sunday, when most of my fave locally owned spots are closed; therefore, I headed out to one of the few chains I truly enjoy. And let me tell you, when it comes to takeout, Fleming’s is firing on all cylinders. Easy-peasy online ordering, super-friendly curbside pickup, plus two less-common touches: You can use gift certificates online and they provide reheating instructions that are right on the money.
The spouse and I split a large filet, cooked a perfect medium-rare. (I actually brought an instant-read thermometer with me to check it before I left the parking lot, just to be sure.) That, plus an order of Fleming’s opulent au gratin potatoes, made for a meal we won’t soon forget.
