The Chicken
- Thread starter Remo Gaggi
- Start date
Oh man, I'd buy his dinner for him and hit him over the head with a drumstick!
Speaking of choking your chicken...If you've ever seen him do this live, he can barely keep from cracking up while singing it...
Only been there via the Great Western (bike) trail, but would never have described it in relation to "West Des Moines". It is way out in the sticks (but I realize perspective is different when you are traveling via bike).
I really like the place. Kinda of cool the way it is off by itself. I've heard their biggest challenge to date isn't customers but trying to get get employees. It is not a very populated area. Is a great halfway stop between DSM and Cumming when doing the round trip. (insert your own joke here)
To the earlier comment, this is owned by Full Court Press (e.g....Royal Mile, Truman's, Fong's Pizza, El Bait Shop, etc.etc. etc. Related somewhat - in his Thursday "Beer with Bruno" morning spot on KXMO, Bruno has been talking quite a bit about their latest venture "Skol". Will be a whiskey bar located next to Truman's in the former Mad Meatball building. . As the name suggests, the decor will be very Nordic from my understanding.
I get the Truman to KC name recognition but if Skol means they are going to try and make it a Minnesota bar, they should have called it something like Humphrey's.
It's not going to be a Minnesota bar. Its going to be Scandinavian I think, with food and drinks that reflect that culture. Chris is a big Vikings fan and was trying to get Bruno to commit to having it be a Vikings game watch bar too, but he didn't seem thrilled at that idea.
Supposedly only temporarily. There is a newer building on E 6th Street (about a block away from their former location) that has first floor commercial space available. They are supposed to be going in that space but I haven't noticed any activity going on yet there.
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/220-se-6th
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Yeah, I'm a Vike's fan too and was pretty excited when I heard about this originally as I assumed it was same idea as Truman's is to KC pro sports -- only for Minny. It would have made sense given the # of Vikings fans in the metro plus the Wild and Timberwolves both having minor league teams based in DSM.
Still very intrigued by the concept and sounds like the decor will be really rustic and unique. Specialty will be whiskeys. I do see they've poured a new foundation indicating they are adding onto the building on one end. There is also a sign up that indicates they'll be sprucing up the area in general (finished parking lot) which will help upgrade what is now pretty hodge podge mix of gravel and hard surface.
As an aside - kind of an amazing transformation of this part of town in a pretty short time span. It was really a rundown, forgotten, industrial part of downtown less than a decade ago. The expansion of MLK parkway and growth of the East Village probably get credit. What once seemed like a head scratcher location for a bar/restaurant, now seems like a no-brainer. These 3 big apartment/loft complexes are all going up within a block of Truman's and Skol along SE 6th (2 of them are almost topped off, the third is still proposed).
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/connolly-lofts (proposed across from Truman's)
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/district-at-6th (under construction)
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/rowat-lofts (under construction)
Completed:
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/eagle-view-lofts
https://urbandsm.com/downtown/eagle-view-townhomes
Technically it's in West Des Moines. The bar across the street is Orilla. That is why they had to take down the big Chicken statue. City of WDM would not allow it because of it's size.
Suburbs -- we strive to be as sterile as possible!
Orilla is about a half mile east and a mile and a half north of Cumming if traveling by car
I knew Orilla years ago when Lyle Smith had the meat locker. I sold 4-H calves to him to butcher. The first time I went into the cooler I almost fainted at the sight of tongues hanging off the rail
