Iowa

Oak Park, Des Moines, 4/23/26

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
entrance – 3901 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312

Oak Park opened in 2023 in a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired building and under the kitchen of Executive Chef Ian Robertson and his wife Jess Robertson as Executive Pastry Chef.  Together they partner with many local farmers and growers to create a modern American seasonal menu.  He was a semifinalist for the James Beard Best Chef Midwest award in 2026.  The menu was a la carte but there was a chef’s table option however right now it is only available for groups of 4-6.  I urged them to consider a communal table so pairs could participate – we’ll see.    It had a much larger wine list than other Des Moines places we looked into and that’s a plus in their column.  The building looked large from the outside but inside it was divided in a horseshoe shaped set of rooms wrapped around the bar area.  White tablecloths drape the nice sized tables that look out the many windows on the walls.  The opposite walls were brick and decorated with fun art pieces involving food and drink.  Nice jazz music was in the background and the space felt elegant yet comfortable.  Our server, Anthony was very informed about the new spring menu that had rolled out last week and helped us design a tasting of sorts, where we split a number of fun plates.  It should be on your list when you visit Des Moines. Continue reading →

Graziano Brothers, Des Moines, 4/23/26

~ hsnixon ~ 4 Comments
building – 1601 S Union St, Des Moines, IA 50315

Graziano Brothers has been in business since 1912 and are known for their Italian sausage.  It was founded by Francesco and Luigi Graziano who immigrated to America in 1903, then worked for the Great Western Railway and finally settled in Des Moines to start a grocery business.  Now the small grocery is in an area known as Little Italy.  It looks like a large business from the building but it’s a relatively small indoor space that’s packed with shelves of Italian products.  In the back of the store is the deli counter where lots of people were standing with no sign of where to order.  It’s the midwest, though, and people are friendly so conversations start.  In a short while one of the staff behind the counter nods to who’s next and takes their order as well as a few folks behind and then leaves to go make the orders. With a number of people waiting for sandwiches it was hard not to get in the way of the shoppers with baskets but all was congenial.   There are no tables inside or out so all orders are to go or eaten in your car, but there is a lot of parking.  The latter is what we did, which isn’t the best for photos or neatness but the sausage sandwich was worth the trouble.  Give it a try when you’re in the area. Continue reading →