Harbinger
New American restaurant · Des Moines ·
Innovative New American dishes with Asian flavors using local produce
Innovative New American dishes with Asian flavors using local produce
"Chef and owner Joe Tripp keeps ideas fresh in the Harbinger kitchen by closing for a month each year to give staff — including ultra-creative executive chef Ryan Skinner — time to travel, study, experiment, and recharge. The fruits of their labor are vegetable-forward, innovative dishes, like Japanese turnips cooked in local miso with confit egg yolk, or baby back ribs with cherry gochujang glaze and pickled kohlrabi. Check out the team’s casual Korean fried chicken operation, Basic Bird, over in Beaverdale." - Karla Walsh
"If you think Iowa is only corn fields and fried food on a stick, do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Head to Harbinger immediately after your flight lands or you drive into town. A businessperson from Los Angeles recently asked where to entertain clients, and he selected Harbinger from my shortlist of suggestions. His review: “I’m very pleasantly surprised. Everything was on par with D.C., and maybe even L.A.!” With a focus on fermentation, preservation, and seasonality, Harbinger’s menu of exciting vegetable-forward small plates celebrates Iowa ingredients while tipping a cap to the culinary team’s extensive travels throughout southeast Asia. “Harbinger is famous for their five-course chef tastings, unique wine list, and, oh my, those steamed bao buns,” Handfelt says. This Ingersoll gem, owned by five-time James Beard-nominated Joe Tripp and with a kitchen run by executive chef Ryan Skinner, is one of the best restaurants in the Midwest, all while being approachable and affordable enough to make it your "Cheers." - Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh is a freelance writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. She has written about travel, health, food, wine, psychology, fitness, beauty, and beyond for more than 15 years. She has visited four continents and near
"Four-time James Beard semifinalist Joe Tripp opened Harbinger two years ago, after a six-year stint at the much-lauded Alba in the East Village. Now he’s slinging New American dishes infused with Asian flavors and focusing primarily on fresh local vegetables; his goal is “to get everyone trying something new. We don’t have hamburgers or steaks or anything like that.” To that end, the restaurant serves mostly small plates a la carte so guests can mix and match, though the correct move is to opt for the five-course chef’s tasting menu." - Gary He
"Forthcoming tapas spot Estadio will have a pop-up on Wednesday, August 14, at quaint cafe the Harbinger." - Erin Perkins
Vegetable-forward, Southeast Asia–inspired menus meet Iowa farms in an intimate Ingersoll setting. Named a Restaurants of the Year pick by USA TODAY and praised by local critics, it’s the city’s benchmark for thoughtful, seasonal dining.