I'd appreciate an app menu application too, would prefer that (and the current desktop as well) visible in the dashboard and being able to add shortcuts to that on desktops. Wouldn't then even need the app menu icon on the dashboard, frequently used apps can be shortcutted to desktops anyway.

As a first aid, can someone share a dbus/shell command to invoke the app menu, that would allow shortcuts? Similar commands for invoking dashboard and desktops might come handy as well.