"The Place to Be Seen in Des Moines -
The 801 Steak and Chop House in downtown Des Moines sits solidly on the second floor of the tallest building between Chicago and Omaha, but a bit like the mystical village of Brigadoon, it really comes alive only once every four years. In the weeks preceding the Iowa caucuses, 801's dark wood booths and cozy tables are filled with the biggest names in politics and broadcasting, drawn from the winter cold by its thick slabs of beef and pork, honest drinks and long wine list. Fun? Sure. But also work, as Tom Brokaw and Edward M. Kennedy table-hop and swap gossip with the likes of Joe Trippi and Brit Hume. Is has stayed open for the last two Sunday nights, just to accommodate the caucus crowds, and though a rival hangout has emerged in this caucus season in near by Centro, and elegant place with brick-oven pizzas, 801 remains to Des Moines what Rick's Bar was to Casablanca: The place everybody goes.
Saturday:
Bob Franken, Jules Witcover, Mark Shields, Judy Woodruff, Jeff Greenfield, Robert Novak, Walter Shapiro, Joe Trippi, Brit Hume, William Kristol and Wolf Blitzer
Sunday:
Senator John Kerry, Senator Charles Grassley, Chris Matthews, New York Times, Tom Brokaw, George Stephanopoulos and Senator Edward M. Kennedy"
Todd S. Purdum, The New York Times, National
"I spent Sunday in my hotel room in Cedar Rapids (Bradley's final Saturday stop) writing my column and hyperventilating that I wouldn't be able to get back to Des Moines in time for my reservation at 801 Grand, the upmarket downtown steak house that is schmooze central for the Iowa caucuses.
At 9 last night, the entrance foyer at 801 Grand looked like the bar scene from "Star Wars". Waiting for my table, I hurtled between conversations with Jeff Greenfield (I had tarried in my room to see myself on CNN in a feature by Greenfield on the sick puppies of the campaign trail who have been doing this for 20 years) and Eleanor Randolph of the "New York Times", nearly bumping into Tom Brokaw in the process."
Walter Shapiro, USA TODAY
"Alan Keyes left the rally at the Val Air Sunday night and headed over to 801 Grand for dinner. By 7 the downtown steakhouse was pretty crowded, but they found room for Keyes and his party of six."
Rob Borsellino, Des Moines Register
"The 801 Steak and Chop House in downtown Des Moines looked a lot like the Capital Grille West on Sunday night, packed as it was with Republican presidential apparatchiks, a pair of candidates and lots of political reporters.
On the eve of the caucuses, they'd come to savor Iowa soul food -- thick slabs of beef and succelent cuts of pork -- not to mention vintage wines and choice cigars."
Annie Groer and Ann Gerhart, The Reliable Source |
