The fiery blend of jerk spices hits your nose as you walk through the parking lot behind Palms DSM. It’s the cornerstone dish at this new restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines that started as a food truck eight years ago and served at farmers markets before finally landing its first brick-and-mortar space in June.
Amara and Dionne Sama opened Palms DSM with a mix of cuisines from Jamaica and West Africa. Amara hails from Liberia, while Dionne moved to Iowa from Chicago. The couple met while going to college at Iowa State University.
“We were vendors, popping up at the farmers market for probably over eight or nine years, but under the Palms name over the last five years,” Dionne Sama said. “We’ve kind of been at this for a very long time. We just took our time, got a good following, and decided it’s time to open a restaurant.”
The Samas rely on family recipes for the dishes on the menu. “A lot of the recipes my husband got from his family. His grandma’s an inspiration,” she said.
A trip to Jamaica a dozen years ago inspired Amara Sama to try his hand at jerk chicken, a dish Dionne Sama never liked until she ate her husband’s rendition.
What the Palms DSM looks like inside
The Samas worked with Indie House, an interior design firm in the East Village, on the décor of the sit-down restaurant. Fresh wallpaper in green, with illustrated figures, decorates the wall at the back entrance, while a black-and-white checkerboard with an illustration of a girl holding flowers sits on the wall at the street entrance. “We wanted it to feel like home,” Dionne Sama said.
Rattan chairs at tables and a banquette along the wall of western windows fill the dining room.
Behind the bar, slats in light wood decorate the wall while the bar itself is lined with yellow stools. A row of lights with rattan shades hangs over the bar.
Outside, a patio on the west side of the building features conversation areas with gray cushioned chairs and sofas, along with yellow chairs and footstools.
What to order at Palms DSM
Jerk chicken, $23: This is the specialty at Palms. The dish features the hindquarters of the chicken, rubbed in jerk seasonings, marinated for 48 hours, then grilled. It comes with the choice of two sides.
Coconut curry wings, $13: The Palms staff roasts six winglets before slathering them in a spicy coconut curry sauce.
Jollof rice, $7: This West African dish features peas and carrots in a tomato sauce.
Mac and cheese, $7: Palms serves a four-cheese version of mac and cheese.
Other menu options at Palms DSM
The restaurant offers jerk chicken tacos and jerk alfredo pasta, as well as braised oxtail served in a brown sauce. The oxtail can be served on a pizza with red onions and spinach.
Wings are served with smoked jerk or a West African honey suya sauce, as well as curried coconut sauce. Suya — a spice blend that uses aji and typically includes ground peanuts, ginger, garlic, and chili powder — also comes with a pepper shrimp dish served with a spicy cream sauce.
Other sides include coconut-curried yams, rice and peas, and fried plantains.
Diners can order from a full bar that includes cocktails such as a rum punch and Palms sangria, a short list of wines by the bottle and glass, and beers, including Red Stripe. Mocktails featured include a Sama punch with fruit juices, ginger beer, and grenadine; the Hibiscus Paradise with ginger juice and mint; and Pine ‘N Ginga with pineapple and ginger juices.
Where to find Palms DSM
Location: 1905 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-214-1213, facebook.com/PalmsDSM, or instagram.com/palms_dsm.
Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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If you see a new restaurant opening or a beloved place closing, send me some details at sstapleton@gannett.com.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Palms DSM brings jerk chicken, braised oxtails to Ingersoll Avenue
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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