El Rodeo - Urbandale
A and D find this an interesting restaurant. A has eaten here for years; D tried it the first time on this visit for lunch on a Sunday. The restaurant was packed with customers... (see full review)
D tried Samurai for lunch. The first warning should have been the enormous interior with no customers. This place is like a barn with so much empty space that it is jarring. The hibachi room is equall... (see full review)
Django
A and D made reservations at Django for their first visit on a Tuesday evening.
Parking on the street is difficult, but the new city parking garage across the street works well. Park, us... (see full review)
A and D took the plunge. In two words: Pure Crap.
SSG:
When you take the money and artificially defend mediocre performance, you are open to public criticism. This is how the public assures it spends its money wisely and receives good value. Some ... (see full review)
A and D reviewed Red Rosa almost two years ago, and it was time for a second review: Still Superb.
If you appreciate locally-owned attention to basics and a great food product, Red Rosa is the plac... (see full review)
Torocco!
Now that this unfortunate restaurant is apparently out of business, we would refer Chef Andrew Meek to our first review of Torocco!.
Regardless of how many friends you recruit to write ... (see full review)
We tried Tacos Mariana's for the first time on a Saturday at noon. It was packed and with people who know great Mexican food -- Mexican families.
Here is the authentic food of Jalisco. It doesn't ... (see full review)
Torroco!
Andrew Meek has left the comfort zone of the chef/owner of one restaurant with control and has moved to the position of being a multiple restaurant owner without control of the new endeavo... (see full review)
A and D visited Pagliai's Pizza in Johnston for the first time. A had a cheese and garlic, D a sausage and pepperoni, both 10-inch.
This is superb pizza. Perfect sauce, perfect sausage, perfect ch... (see full review)
The Waterfront Restaurant
December 21, 2007
A and D regularly visit The Waterfront. Prior reviews on DesMoinesAlive cover the excellent sushi and their seafood dishes. In checking just five years ... (see full review)
Simon's
J. Benjamin's
November 6, 2007
Here is a review it is very gratifying to write. A and D reviewed J. Benjamin's on April 7, 2006-19 months ago-under the then new owner Simon Goheen, an... (see full review)
Shane's Rib Shack
October 24, 2007
Again, on the strength of the Des Moines Register review, A and D tried this chain rib restaurant for dinner. It is order at the counter, expect and get plastic,... (see full review)
Yanni's Grill and Restaurant
NEW ADDRESS: 1500 22nd Street, West Des Moines (in the Gordman's shopping plaza)
A and D were intrigued by the 4-star review in the Des Moines Register DateBook for Ya... (see full review)
Bravo Cucina Italiana
A and D have visited Bravo six times since its first day open, so the dining experience review should have a sense of overall continuity.
Both A and D consider this chain r... (see full review)
Azalea
With Azalea, Mr. Jeremy Morrow has created a new restaurant in downtown Des Moines to equal or exceed Restaurant 43 or Bistro 43, his previous successes at Hotel Fort Des Moines.
Azalea ... (see full review)
Waterfront
April 24, 2007
A and D visit the Waterfront often. A enjoys fresh shrimp in almost any dish; D is a sushi lover. Most often, we go for dinner, but this time it was lunch. Even though... (see full review)
Trostel’s Greenbriar
April 4, 2007
A and D returned to Trostel’s Greenbriar to review Wednesday evening dining. The last review was nearly 16 months ago and A and D have eaten there together a... (see full review)
Mosaix Restaurant & Wine Bar
A and D last reviewed Mosaix over a year ago. We have been back several times and, as we say in the last review, found several of the dishes to lack a certain sparkle a... (see full review)
Everybody has their preferences when it comes to pizza, but AandD think Red Rossa gets it right! Red Rossa is a thin crust Tuscan style pizza that boasts incredibly fresh ingredients from the crust to... (see full review)
Appare Japanese Steakhouse
March 17, 2007
A and D frequently try Japanese restaurants, particularly for the sushi, tempura and the various katsu and katsu-don dishes. We are not followers of the T... (see full review)
La Dolce Vita
March 14, 2007
A and D re-reviewed La Dolce Vita a year to the date from our first visit. In the interim 12 months, we have eaten there three times, so the re-review is fair. Things ... (see full review)
A and D have had many great lunches at Francies. This is a place that has to be taken for what it is: a well-run, well-maintained local bar and grill. It is clean, relatively smoke-free, and has excep... (see full review)
Sage The Restaurant
6877 University Avenue
Windsor Heights
Des Moines IA
Tel. (515) 255 7722
Chef Andrew Meek's Sage The Restaurant has been a favorite of A and D since its opening in November... (see full review)
"A" and "D" took Memorial Day week-end off from food exploration and visited a few local bars we had not tried before for a selection of draft beers and Bloody Gin Mary's.
Tim Flanagan's is a treat... (see full review)