AllSpice Culinarium is our primary go-to when we are replenishing our spice pantry. Beyond stocking…read morea wide variety of dry spices from across the globe, they also carry a large variety of oils and vinegars (which can be taste-tested) for your culinary projects (for those familiar, think vomFASS). AllSpice's staff are usually friendly, always informative, and able to connect you with the right item(s). Their goods come in a variety of sizes making it easy to experiment with something new (umami dust? Porcini mushroom sea salt? Yes to both) or refill a favorite. You can also find a few curated products on their shelves - an example (and our favorite): Col. Pabst Private Stash All-Malt Amber Lager Worcestershire sauce as well as a variety of storage containers, shakers, dispensers, and related kitchenware. Things to know: * AllSpice is located in Des Moines' East Village. * Metered street parking is available, if you can get it. There is lot and ramp parking within a couple of blocks. The East Village offers a variety of shopping, entertainment, and dinning experiences. Consider taking a morning or afternoon to browse. * https://allspiceonline.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooh-GUU8RVZQsW_JUciATjU1HYdSzt6hO8togRDE7l1NhsWMiEL

Nice and well stocked little spice shop in downtown Des Moines. The staff were very friendly and…read morehelpful and will assist you in finding anything that you may be looking for. They have lots of spices and kitchen related accessories.

Excellent flavor! Dry Rub and Traditional sauce better than any store brand!! Blues Hog look out!read more

From the owner: Producing custom, handmade, small-batch sauces and spice blends to enhance the flavor of the foods…read moreyou eat. Custom made-to-order 16oz bottles of barbecue sauce and a 5oz bottles of barbecue spice rub made in my kitchen and shipped directly to you.

Tones is a wonderful spice company that has tons of flavor…read more I love to drive by the plant when they are producing cinnamon and baking spices!! Smells heavenly. The quality is great, and they stand by their products. I have heard it is a great place to work from some friends who have or are still working here! They take good care of their employees.

I only buy Tone spices to cook Top of the line foods!! The resturant black pepper, to me is more…read moreflaverful then the granulated. Makes your food feel it!! The garlic salt is just perfect for garlic cheeze bread! One of my favs!!! Then there is the extracts, vanilla, banana, almond, etc... that make scrumptious cakes, candies, pies, cobblerz, etc... I have tried other spices, but none were more flavorful as the goodness you get with tone's!!! I worked at tones spice plant in Ankeny!! Wow, the assembly lines with spices going everywhere was a thrill a minute!! On the days we filled the Paprika, the fun had only begun!! Upon leaving the plant, you could take a shower there, or opt out, go home and shower!! By then, the car and your home, smell of the spice "Big Time"! Not to include your shower turns colors, especially if it was Paprika, Red Chili Flakes, etc..! Got to say the funnest times were the holidays, someone always made samples with the product, we would get to sample all the yum yum ! Loved those days the best!! My special Thanx to Tones, I will be a faithful buyer of your product forever!!

Love me a exquisite tea place. Attended jingle in the junction yesterday in Valley Junction where…read morethis place is located and I will be coming back for more. They had two samples of tea and both were nectarous but I had to have more of the hot toddy. This place is a must have. I immensely recommend!

From the owner: Discover a world of flavor at The Spice & Tea Exchange! We have it all - fine spices, handcrafted…read moreseasonings, loose-leaf teas, salts, sugars, gifts, and more! Our friendly staff is here to assist whether you're a culinary novice, a business owner, or just want to spice things up. With over 85 handcrafted seasonings mixed daily in-store, we have the perfect menu additions for you! Come experience the best at The Spice & Tea Exchange.

Yum! So excited in exploring the downtown Des Moines area to find a section referred to as little…read moreItaly. Within the little Italy area is an Italian grocery that has been here for well over 100 years. Graziano Bros offers, sausages, cheeses, breads, meatballs, etc. plus dry goods offered in wholesale amounts for additional savings. A wonderful little shop with a feeling of nostalgia and a focus on excellent customer service. It has a wonderful aroma of amazing food selections. During lunchtime, they offer amazing Italian sandwiches. This is a must stop for your pantry and or freezer when in the Des Moines area. Bring an ice block!

My mom is visiting from out of town. She loves charcuterie so we stopped in for some cheese and…read moremeat. She left with it bag of other little things off the shelf- lemon tarts and fresh bread and biscotti and sparkling water and bottled tea and marinated mushrooms and olives and cherry BBQ chips ... Its a little expensive but the staff are friendly and the store is clean and cozy. The deli worker gave my 1 year old a slice of spicy pepperoni after she cried when a man in front of us sampled it.

I found these authentic, delicious meat pies at the Waukee Hy Vee a few weeks ago. When I returned…read moreto restock my freezer I found none in the store. After some research, I found they are made by our friends at St Kilda. I will be ordering directly from them. On the cold, miserable winter day in Iowa, I closed my eyes and enjoyed savory meat pies and imagined I was on the beach "Down Under."

My boyfriend found PIE MATES pies at Hyvee's frozen food section. Its marketed as handcrafted by…read moreAustralian artisan bakers from a 100 year old recipe. My boyfriend bought the 14-hour braised steak (rich peppercorn reduction & balsamic infused caramelized onions). We both wanted to try it so we split it in half and the half portion was plenty filling for each of us AND it was absolutely delicious! When I found out it was a local brand I had to go to Hyvee to try the other flavors. So far the other flavor I've tried is the Chicken Sun dried & cherry tomatoes in a basil béchamel. It was so good! I started with a half portion but it was so good I ate the other in the same sitting. That was a mistake on my part because I was too full eating the whole thing! The pie may seem small but it is plenty filling for two meals. The nutrition facts on the back are based on a half serving and at half size the caloric intake is over 400 calories. But it's to be expected because these things are so good! I can't wait to try the other different flavors I bought of PIE MATES from Hyvee.

Curiosity brought me through the doors of Little Woods Herbs & Teas. I was looking for a matcha…read morewhisk to replace the metal one I've been making do with at home. We were greeted right away. The young lady behind the counter explained that they have a variety of herbs and teas and could mix and match any to our liking. They had a lot to choose from as well as hot and cold teas you could consume on the spot. I ordered a matcha. My wife and mother each had a chai latte. We enjoyed our teas at one of the small tables outside the shop and made the most of a beautiful spring morning in Ames. We visit Ames fairly often and will keep Little Woods on our short list. I am pretty sure I will still need a matcha whisk .

I love coming here not only for tea but herbs to make elderberry syrup for my family and they have…read morean amazing book collection! Such a gift to downtown Ames!

Quaint cheese shop in the middle of Des Moines right off of I235…read more Tiny shop with great selection of craft cheeses. Walk right in and was helped immediately. Good service and efficient. Able to taste test and try all sorts of meat and cheeses. Also a tiny bistro like restaurant to the side of the shop. Visited on Black Friday and it was packed out! Came for the craft cheeses to look for something unique. Walked out with $70 worth of cheese and salami and a loaf of La Mie ciabatta bread sold in this store. Pretty pleased with the whole experience. Would visit again!

One of my favorite places! If you're looking for the spot to get hard to get cheeses in Iowa, this…read moreis the place. I've been stopping here ever since I was in college. I used to be part of the cheese subscription but I found out there are some cheese to funky for me pretty fast lol. I recently stopped in for the first time in a while and saw they'd expanded their dine in area, where it used to just be a sandwich of the day and a table or two, they now have about 5 tables and a menu with multiple options. I think I can confidently say this is the best sandwich I've had in Des Moines! The service is always great and insightful, and I love the vibe of the shop. Planning on stopping in almost every time I'm back in town now!

well i should to have seen misty T review first. july 2023…read moreand yea same experience. green meats in the counter. dates on things were old old old. rust on lids, hummm kind of surprised the city or state has not looked in on this one. that health code thing. i thought i was buying some thing safe. but it was old they used to be a cool place to stop in. but in this post pandemic thing. yea pass on this one till they get it back together.

There is a horrid smell when you walk in. Unfortunately almost everything we picked up was expired,…read moresome as far back as 2016 and 2017. We went to another store a few miles away and it was so much better.