Jersey Guys

Finally got my first taste of Jersey Guys Pizza in Beaverdale.  I've heard a lot of good things about it being pretty authentic to Jersey.  The owners are young guys straight from the East Coast.

I'll start by saying that being from Boston, my hubby and I have been trying unsuccessfully to find New England House of Pizza-style pizza since we moved here.  There is definitely a difference between Jersey-style and what we've been searching for, but this is the closest we've found.  And don't get me wrong, head downtown to Pizzeria Regina in the North End in Boston and this is exactly what you'll find.  But hey, this is Jersey Guys and not Mass guys, so we weren't expecting it to be exactly the same =) 

The Greek-style which is what you'd find in a House of Pizza is more of a crunchy and buttery on the bottom and chewy on the top crust, but the toppings were close.  This pizza was mighty fine though.  This style is also very popular in Italian restaurants that aren't House of Pizzas in Boston and they hit it right on.  Their sauce it excellent and makes a difference in the taste of everything they make, not just the pizza.

What stuck out to me were the hoagies.  Perfect mixture of seasoning, cheese and the most awesome tangy marinara sauce.  I prefer an actual fried chicken breast as opposed to chicken fingers to be used in my chicken Parmesan subs, but that was a small detail.  It was the best chicken parm I've had since I've been in Iowa.  And it was HUGE, easily sharable by two people with big appetites.

I also liked the pizza fries.  They didn't just put sauce and cheese on top, but they made the effort to make a few layers so there was sauce and cheese on each fry.  A creative dish.

All-in-all this was a great meal.  The have a lunch special that includes two slices of pizza (with a select topping) and a can of soda for about $4.25. Great deal if you just want to try the pizza.  But I'd recommend giving a sandwich and pizza fries a shot too.  Good stuff.

Capital Pub & Hot Dog/Mad Meatball

Capital Pub & Hot Dog is located just south of the East Village at 400 SE 6th street in Des Moines.  It's easily accessible and an over-all fun place to be.  The atmosphere is casual and friendly and I've yet to walk in and not be welcomed by the super nice owners or a smiling staff member.

Normally, hot dogs aren't my thing.  But, perusing the menu at Capital Pub makes you hungry for a "Heart Attack" which is a bacon-wrapped hot dog served with cream cheese on a fresh bun. Yum!  Or a classic "Chicago Dog" with onions, mustard and relish.  Try a "Chili dog" loaded with cheese and onions.  They even have corn dogs and a fun kids menu.  This is a pub you can feel good bringing the whole family, but also the kind of place you can ride your bike to, have a cold one and relax with friends.

The onion rings are thin are crispy and the waffle fries are always hot and crunchy on the outside.  If you aren't a drinker, the root beer float was really good!

It's so cool that they are just opened a sister restaurant right next door called Mad Meatball, serving up pizza and meatball dishes with the same comfortable atmosphere.  We got to sample the pizza and meatballs at the last Dishcrawl event and at the Grand Opening and boy were they tasty!

I think the two restaurants being so close with such different menu items is just a fabulous combination. Take one trip to SE 6th street and try both!

Dishcrawling on Ingersol

We had a great time at the latest installment of the Des Moines Dishcrawl.  This time we were crawling around Ingersol Ave in Des Moines.  We hit up three popular area restaurants and then had cupcakes catered by a newer bakery in town.


We started at Noah's Ark.  We've been to Noah's Ark before and enjoy it a lot.  But we had yet to try the pizza there.  I'm so glad we had the opportunity to try it!  It was pretty awesome.  Crispy thinner crust with quality ingredients made for a great pie.  The Bayou pizza was the hit of the table with fire roasted creole tomatoes, prosciutto and goat cheese. Yum!  They also offer gluten free pizza.  We'll be back for pizza here!



The second stop was Palmer's Deli.  They had a selection of sandwiches and pasta salad.  They were good, but not sure that they showcased the awesomeness of what Palmer's is capable of.  It was nice that we had the party room all to ourselves and were able to hear about the charity that was supported by this particular Dishcrawl, Bidwell Riverside.  A portion of each ticket sold for Dishcrawl events go to a selected charity.

We crawled over to Wellman's Pub for the third stop.  We started off this meal with chicken tortilla soup.  It got some mixed reactions at the table.  One diner mentioned that it was similar to a Velveeta party dip and I would agree.  Tasty, but not too noteworthy.  The next course though was their signature wings which were delicious.  The sweet chili sauce was very good and the buffalo was pretty spicy.  They also served a breaded porkloin sandwich with the thin and crunchy onion rings that we love so much from Wellman's.  Very good.


Tuesday night at 8pm is trivia night at Wellman's and Mandi (The Dishcrawl Coordiantor) made sure we hit it just right to get to play.  Really good prizes and a fun host.  Check it out! Prizes after every round and Wellman's gift cards for the winning team.

The highlight of the evening for me was the dessert.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Rogue Sweets specializes in Vegan and Gluten Free cupcakes.  Their signature cupcake is a Gluten Free/Vegan Puppy chow cupcake and it was delicious!  They also brought Vegan Maple Bacon cupcakes!  Yes...Vegan.  No one could tell it wasn't real bacon until they told us. They also brought tipsy turtle cupcakes which were a hit as well.  "Like" them on facebook and tell them we sent you for free delivery on your next order!

If you are sad now that you missed this installment, no fear!  There is another event coming up on June 17th! 7:00pm!  You can buy tickets here. Use code: eatplaylovedsm5off for $5 off each ticket you buy! Hope to see you at a Dishcrawl soon!

Wellman's Pub & Rooftop

Wellman's has two locations in the metro.  One in West Des Moines near West Glen and the original on Ingersol in Des Moines.  Both locations are fun spots to hang our with friends and have a few drinks.  

They also have a pretty good menu.  They have a good selection of pizza, sandwiches, salads and your typical bar-food favorites like nachos and wings.

We decided to check out the "Beatles Brunch" at the WDM location last week.  Some of the brunch offerings included french toast, chorizo biscuits and gravy, breakfast pizza, omelets and more.  I liked that you could also order off the main menu and still get the bottomless mimosas and bloody marys for $12


I went with lunch while the hubby went with breakfast.  The hit of the meal was the half order of onion rings for about $4 that was a massive pile of thin and crispy straws of goodness that our 5 year old ordered.  There was enough for at least 4 people to eat.  And that was the half order.


Josh liked his french toast but said it wasn't particularly noteworthy.  

I really liked my chipotle shrimp wrap, although the sauce could have been a little more evenly distributed.  All-in-all pretty tasty though.

In past visits I've tried the nachos, the santa fe salad and the pizza.  Everything has been tasty and everything goes well with your favorite beer, wine or cocktail.  And they say everything tastes exponentially better when it's 70 degrees out and you eat it on the rooftop.
Grab some friends and come check out Wellman's if you haven't already.  It's a pretty popular place!

Fun at The Farmer's Market

The Farmer's Markets in town kicked off their seasons this week!  It might have been a chilly start, but better weather is in sight!  If you want the freshest local produce, prepared food and specialty items, the Farmer's Market is where to get them.  

How awesome is it that we have such great Farmer's Markets in the area.  Where else can you find such a wide variety of ethnic delicacies alongside the best of Iowa.  The Downtown Des Moines market is the largest one, followed by the Valley Junction one.  It's wonderful because Downtown includes Breakfast burritos, breakfast pizza, pasties along with BBQ, Indian, Moroccan, Bosnian (and many more!) delights for lunch.  Valley Junction will take care of your dinner and you can buy the baked goods and pastries to take him for breakfast the next day!

Two of my "must haves" at the market are 1. A cutlet form Saloo's India (a potato cake filled with meat or veggies-gluten free) 2. A breakfast burrito or bowl from Farm Boys. YUM! 

Oh, and of course it's not all about the food.  Vendors also have handmade items of all kinds like clothing, jewelry, soap, decorations and much more.


Here is a list and info from their websites for some of the larger local ones.  Check your town to see if they host one too. I know Waukee, Johnston and many others have them too!


Ames: Saturdays, 8 a.m. - 12 noon Starting May 4 

Fresh fruits, veggies, meats & breads. Hand crafted goods. Family entertainment. The Ames Main Street Farmers' Market has it all!  www.amesmainstreetfarmersmarket.com

Ankeny: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays beginning May 18. Uptown Ankeny. The Uptown Ankeny Farmer's Market vendors provide a wide variety of products to the public. In the past, the market has seen everything from fresh seasonal produce, home-made baked goods, specialty food items, BBQ cooked on-site, perennial plants, hand-made items, and much more.www.uptownankeny.org.

Downtown Des Moines:   7am-noon (8am-noon in Oct.) Support local agriculture and buy direct from Iowa farmers while shopping the Downtown Farmers’ Market – presented by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines. The Downtown Farmers’ Market presents Iowa producers from 51 counties across Iowa, offering fresh fruit, vegetables and so much more. You’ll find fresh herbs, beautiful flowers, farm fresh eggs, local wineries, a delicious assortment of goat cheese, an endless selection of baked goods, and many varieties of Iowa raised meat such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, buffalo, ostrich, and tilapia. http://desmoinesfarmersmarket.com

Southridge Mall: Mondays 3:30 to 6:30pm, Meet us in the parking lot North of Sears every Monday for fresh produce, yummy treats and MUCH MORE! http://www.shopsouthridgemall.com/events/Details/164417?startDate=4%2F13%2F2013

West Des Moines: 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, Valley Junction. Farmers Market is home to over 100 weekly vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, plants and flowers, arts and crafts and prepared foods. Join your friends and neighbors. www.valleyjunction.com.

Django-Don't worry about pronouncing it, just go!

Man, I love Django.  If you think this place is going to be too stuffy for you, you're wrong.  The atmosphere is definitely businesses casual, but the food is upscale, jazzed up French/American comfort food.  It's on 10th street in Downtown Des Moines attached to the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

You'll find menu items that you'd expect from your favorite steakhouse but all with a French flair. Appetizers likes onion rings with curry ketchup and spinach and goat cheese ravioli. Of course poutine makes the menu too. They use lots of local ingredients as well.

The best scallops I've ever had were here. (And that's saying a lot when I'm from Massachusetts) Of course I didn't catch a photo that day but I urge you to try the Seared Scallop entree served with lobster sweet corn pomme puree, grilled asparagus and sweet corn red onion butter sauce.  Perfect.

You can't go wrong with anything on the menu really.  Pictured to the right is a steak entree I had during restaurant week at Django a while back.  It was served with their specialty "frites" that are wonderfully seasoned along with a fresh veggie medley.

They do a nice job recommending wine pairings as well and have wine flights at reasonable prices if you can't decide.

They also offer a Sunday Brunch that includes bananas foster french toast along with specialty crepes, burgers, sandwiches and omelets.  They also have a great kids selection, not only for the brunch but on their every day menu as well.

Django is one of the few restaurants in town that takes reservations and we think that's awesome.

Django is perfect for a date-night, family celebration, or just when you're in the mood for a great meal. Check out the happy hour too!  Stop by on your way home from work from 4-6 Monday through Friday for $1 oysters.

The Taverns: I, II, and South

We celebrated my father's birthday last night at the Tavern in West Des Moines. There are three Tavern's which are located in Valley Junction, the south side, and West Des Moines. We ate at the one on 50th Street between University and Westown Pkwy. This restaurant is part of Des Moines history. It was founded in the Great Depression, transferred owners just a few times, and is still serving authentic Italian today.  This isn't our first (or second or even third) visit to this pizza place.  We've been enjoying the crispy crust for years now! 

Tavern's crispy crust pizza
has been popular for years! 

I LOVE thin crust pizza. So much so that I skipped my normal Paleo-ish lifestyle to eat a cheese & tomato thin-crust pizza. It was delicious! I took advantage of the Daily Special which was a 7" pizza, salad, and drink for $8.95. This worked well for me since I'm the only one that loves tomato pizza. My husband and boys shared a large sausage and they devoured that one very quickly. They do have a kid's menu but our boys just ate the regular pizza. 

There was a group of 12 of us and we were sat quickly at a long table. The kids had a fun placemat to work on while the grown-ups had salads before the meal. We also checked out the assortments of gelato "ice cream" before we left but didn't order any. We were too full and decided that would be a "must" on our next trip. They also have sandwiches, pasta, burgers, and more if you aren't in the pizza mood. 

The Tavern II in West Des Moines has a large party room too! Be sure to add The Tavern, The Tavern II, and Tavern South to your next must-try pizza places!