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EAT + DRINK DSM

TAKE FIVE: HERE FOR THE BEER

Above: You’ll find some 120 beers on tap made by more than 30 Iowa breweries at the Iowa Tap Room. Each of these beer-focused venues serves dozens—if not hundreds—of craft beers, as well as solid bar-grill food. They fall under the Full Court Press umbrella of restaurants, which are dedicated not only to beer, but […]
FINE DINING

PRESENTED BY SPLASH SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL CENTRO 1003 Locust St.; 515-248-1780 centrodesmoines.com Yes. You’ve seen so much of it all before: pizza, bruschetta, fried ravioli, giant meatballs, hearty pasta and crowd-pleasing Italian-American entrees, some sided with (wait for it…) fettuccine Alfredo. The difference is that Centro has put the passion back into the classics. […]
SPONSORS

Eat + Drink dsm 2019 edition brought to you by the following businesses and organizations Presenting Sponsors: Catch Des Moines – Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau Downtown Community Alliance Category Sponsors: Splash Seafood Bar & Grill
TAKE FIVE: JAVA JOINTS

Above: Housed in a renovated 1908 building, DSM Brew invites lingering. To make this list, above all, the venue had to craft superior coffees. We also chose places where we like to linger a while. DSM Brew: To thrive in a crowded field, a coffeehouse must set itself apart. Mission accomplished at DSM Brew. […]
POLISHED CASUAL DINING

AMERICANA 1312 Locust St.; 283-1312 americanadsm.com In a three-way tie, Americana vies with Django and Centro as the downtown hot spot. Which one to choose? The choice is easy when you’re jonesin’ for American comfort food—or, more specifically, contemporary takes on American comfort food. Here, lobster mac-and-cheese gets glammed up with a garlic, tomato and […]
BARS

Above: The distinctively homey lounge Hello, Marjorie says hello to visitors at the R&T Lofts complex, previously home to the Des Moines Register and Tribune. BUBBA—SOUTHERN COMFORTS 200 10th st.; 515-257-4744 bubbadsm.com A handsome wall of whiskey beckons the minute you walk through the door, and that’s your first hint: Bubba is this city’s bourbon […]
CASUAL DINING

Above: With a confident name like Gusto Pizza Co., you’d better roll out some fine pizza. Guess what? They do. Every time. With gusto. CHEESE BAR 2925 Ingersoll Ave; 515-277-7828 cheesebardsm.com With its fierce dedication to all things artisanal, the Cheese Bar is the unofficial headquarters of the slow-food movement in this city. Settle into […]
TAKE FIVE: GO-TO GLOBAL DINING DISHES

Above: Fried, yet light and crisp: Nobody does tempura vegetables better than Miyabi 9. Given the extensive menus at many ethnic restaurants, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some can’t-miss dishes at some of our favorite globally focused spots. Empanadas at Mi Patria: Empanadas—savory hand-held pastries filled with meat or […]
TAKE FIVE: BRUNCH

Above: Centro’s breakfast pizza Brunch used to be rather predictable around town, but in the last few years, these venues have significantly raised the standards both in creativity and quality. Bubba—Southern Comforts: Shrimp and grits, fried green tomato Benedict, chicken-fried steak and eggs—you got it! Many of the weekend brunch offerings here swing […]
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