What to order at Hugo's Wood-Fired Kitchen, the new Mediterranean restaurant near Drake
Whether in the Drake neighborhood for business at Drake University, visiting students on campus or living in the surrounding area, give Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen a try. The restaurant from Lynn Pritchard opened at the end of May in the new WesleyLife Campus on University Avenue just steps away from the home of the Bulldogs.
The restaurant offers casual Mediterranean cuisines from the surrounding regions of North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe.
“I want to do something that is jarring, the unexpected,” Pritchard said before the restaurant opened. “But after you're here, you're left with a feeling of, ‘When can we get back?’ because it was so cool in every sense from how we were greeted to how we receive it. The cocktail program, the food, I mean, it's just something refreshingly thoughtful and interesting.”
What makes Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen stand out?
Pritchard designed the space from the ground up with deep blues and greens reflecting the verdant Mediterranean, while black wood tables and chairs pepper the space that seats 52.
Diners enter from inside the WesleyLife building to see the open kitchen to the right. A wood-burning oven sits behind a half wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room.
A patio sits along University Avenue and will have a fireplace, heat lamps and ceiling fans, enabling it to be open nearly three-fourths of the year. Two sides of the patio are covered which protects it from the wind.
A small bar sits around the corner from the dining room.
What to order at Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen
Pritchard says the initial idea behind Hugo's was an ode to Jason Simon, the restaurateur behind Eatery A, the Mediterranean restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue.
“I love those flavors,” Pritchard said in March while touring the space. “I didn't want to hit copy. In fact, that's the last thing that I wanted to do, but he's done a really good job of introducing some of those North African and eastern Mediterranean cuisines.”
Daniel Gonzalez is the executive chef.
Here’s a look at the menu:
The appetizers all ring in between $10 for dolmas to $16 for crudo with Hamachi in a ponzu broth.
Seasonal hummus: Savory hummus comes topped with goat cheese, peppadew and sunflower seeds. The separate pita comes to the table warm. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes are marked on the menu, and this dish is vegetarian.
Lamb meatballs: A lemon crema gives the tomato sauce on the bottom of the bowl a tart kick. You may want to keep this dish for yourself instead of sharing.
Baked feta: This vegetarian dish is so rich. Crunchy almonds and sweet-and-sour pickles cut the richness, but you’ll want to heap the feta onto warm pita bread for the perfect bite.
Shakshuka: This classic Mediterranean dish comes with soft poached eggs in a pool of vodka sauce. Break the eggs and enjoy.
Falafel: You’ll notice a theme at Hugo’s, Mediterranean classics served well. The tender falafel comes with a bed of tzatziki and pickled vegetables.
A wood-fired oven takes center stage in the open kitchen, so diners can watch as their pizzas go in to bake. Char and chew are the calling cards of this pizza crust. Hugo’s also has gluten-free crust options. The five pizza options range from $16 to $20.
Fig and honey: You could almost order this pizza for dessert with sweet friends fig and honey sprinkled on top. A goat cheese and honeyed walnuts give every bite a creamy and crunchy texture.
Hugo: The namesake pizza offers sausage and alfredo sauce for another rich dish.
The entrees section of the menu is tight, with a select group of dishes for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the rest available from 4 p.m. to close.
At lunch, find a burger topped with marinated feta and pickled onions, a chicken breast on a bed of bulgur wheat and charred Brussels sprouts, a stuffed eggplant with falafel croquettes, and salmon with broccolini and an orzo salad. At lunch, expect to spend $14 to $18, while dinner entrees run from $16 to $22.
Lamb shank: This tender dish incorporates fava beans and a chimichurri sauce for a savory meal.
Haddock: This fish flakes in big chunks with a compound butter on top.
More: The 27 essential restaurants in the Des Moines metro: 2024 edition
Did you know?
Pritchard now has three restaurants in the Des Moines metro, including 503 Cocktail Lounge & Kitchen opened in a slender space in the East Village in 2022 with an ever-changing menu and clever cocktails.
Table 128 remerged in chicer space with a seasonal menu south of MLK Parkway and downtown Des Moines proper in Gray's Landing. Pritchard closed the original Table 128 in Clive in 2021 after a 10-year run.
Hugo’s is named for Pritchard’s son.
More: Table 128 opens in downtown Des Moines with pork shoulder, fancy beets and those Brussels sprouts
Where to find Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen
Location: 3206 University Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-674-2690 or facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557879563305
Hours: Open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with half-priced pizzas from 2 to 4 p.m.
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 [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What to order at Hugo's Wood-Fired Kitchen in Des Moines
