Van Hemert's Dutch Oven Bakery is a family-owned, full-line scratch bakery since 1983. This is a…read moregood check-off for visitors. We visited on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm and I was glad some of the baked goods were still available. I quickly picked up a few items: Dutch letters, almond horns, almond tarts, and blueberry filled Dutch windmills. The first three items have a strong but not overpowering almond flavor. I especially liked the almond horns which had a crunch but chewy and buttery texture. I also really liked the windmills and wished I had ordered the raspberry ones as well. It was buttery and flakey with just the right about of blueberry cream cheese filling.

What a great little place! As soon as you walk in, all of the staff that are available, turn their…read moreattention to you with a big smile and greet you warmly. It smells absolutely delicious in there and the endless variety that they offer is fantastic. Not only are there donuts and pastries, they have pies and do lunch as well. They also have coffee and tea, and the inside of this little bakery is so quaint and personable. This location is amazing and we highly recommend it.

We ordered four dozen cupcakes from Lovely Sweets and they were DELICIOUS and absolutely beautiful,…read moreexactly what we were looking for. Jena was responsive, easy to communicate with and even offered delivery which was a lifesaver. I wish I could eat cupcakes all day - ha!

From the owner: Lovely Sweets is a local Ankeny home bakery that uses only the best ingredients! We don’t use…read moreinflammatory oils, artificial food dyes, or toxic utensils. We use grass fed butter, King Arthur flour, free range organic eggs, and so much more! We can cater for weddings, gender reveal parties, birthdays, etc. We can work with any occasion! If you don’t see something that you would like on the menu, let us know and we would be happy to try to accommodate you!

Awesome place that really surprised. Clearly a farm to table concept with a varied but overwhelming…read moremenu. Came in on a weeknight with coworkers and received good service and fantastic food. Nice drink menu (I enjoyed their take on the old fashioned) with cocktails and a nice craft beer selection. Everyone loved their food, from the barley soup to the ravioli, burger, Brussels salad, and the salmon I got. Hidden gem perhaps was their incredible dessert selection. The cherry tart was a pleasant surprise and the salted caramel chocolate cake will def fix a choc craving. Would gladly come back.

Since Dad's now a bit more mobility challenged (at 97), I've taken him to Provisions Lot F for…read moredinner during my last 3 visits to Ames. The booths are large, the aisles are wide, and the bathroom is very accessible. He "complains" about the prices, but we both agree how much we like the menu, the service, and atmosphere. Actually, I came by myself the other night and sat at the bar as the restaurant seating was pretty much full. And despite a solid menu, I'm a creature of habit and chose what I "always do (with a glass of white wine). SOUP + SALAD + BREAD cup of soup (my choice: Salmon Chowder), house salad, warm multigrain roll, whipped cottage cheese dip Delicious, relatively healthy, and just the right amount of food. And I don't forget to pick up one of their wonderful baked goods on the way out.

This is only a review of the chocolate and "sugar" cookies. I just had bites of both, and the…read more"sugar" cookie, without frosting, is soooo good! Rich, fresh, full flavored, I've never had a cookie this good before! The chocolate is also good, just the plain sugar one outshines it. As this was brought to me, I can't evaluate the store, but the prices are kinda up there, with a dozen costing nearly $50. If one wants an extravagant tasting sweet, this is it! Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. CyHawkApproved(sugar one only) Worth getting a cookie to share with 1-2 others.

The food was good and the staff was nice. It was very clean and nice in there Ames location had…read morehappy environment.

We are from out of town and met friends from out of state in Ames for a wedding for early Sunday…read morebreakfast. The menu was "brunch"-- had some al a cart items but everything was about $17. They had a larger menu starting at 10 AM-- opened at 7:00. Good coffee, good food, (pepper bacon was'superb') great service, pleasant atmosphere. Good choice.

Disappointed... I came here for restaurant week to try their Thai Menu. It looked good online and…read morethought I'd give them a try. The Cafe has been on my list for a while now. Disappointed to say the least, I came in the back door not realized there was a correct door and was rudely cut off by other patrons at the front desk. I had to wait several minutes to be waited on and the place had plenty of spots. Maybe because I was a party of 1... they didn't seem to care. After I shared what drink I wanted, I learned they were out... fine no problem. I asked about the Thai specials, the waitress was clueless. I had to ask for the restaurant week menu and ask about the specials. She said they looked good but couldn't describe them and hasn't tasted them. I got the salad on special, but get this... they were out of the main restaurant week special... such a let down. The ambiance was mixed, one corner was a cute date night the other corner was crying children. All dimly lit and outdated decor. The whole experience was off, I ended up leaving after my one drink and salad. I hope to give this place a second chance sometime but hope they aren't out of dishes and I can get a trained server. Maybe another night for sure!

OMG, this place is in such a nice area! They have a huge menu with so many amazing options to…read morechoose from. I ordered the Pit Master Sandwich with a side of French onion soup (you get to choose a side with the sandwich). The sandwich was really good! The bread was buttery and soft, and the homemade croutons in the soup were clearly made from fresh bread. The French onion soup wasn't for me--it kind of tasted like acid reflux to me, so I gave it to my mom. She actually thought it was pretty good. The sandwich had perfectly balanced barbecue sauce and cheese, although I thought the barbecue sauce overpowered the cheese a bit. Next time, I'd probably order it without the cheese. The brisket was good, but I would've preferred a fattier cut because I think it would have been more flavorful. I also wasn't a fan of the Gouda since it didn't melt very well, but the other cheese on the sandwich was delicious. Overall, the food was incredible, and this place is an absolute MUST if you're in the area! I noticed they have around 78,000 DoorDash orders, and after eating here, I can definitely see why. I'll actually be coming back in a few days before I leave my vacation because there are so many other delicious items on the menu that I can't wait to try! Staff were also nice!

The food is good service amazing it's a cozy warm bakery smells so good! The sandwiches are good…read moresoups good the smoothies are great

I ordered two dozen cupcakes for a therapy clinic for children with autism and other special needs…read more I was given many options for flavors and told her what I had in mind for design. They turned out beautiful and way better than I had pictured them in my head! She was very polite and accommodating to my schedule and when I needed to pick them up. Best part is they were absolutely delicious!

Excellent products. Very great tasting and done exactly as requested. You can not ask for more. :)…read more We'll definitely use again very soon!

This is one of my favorite places to buy gifts for my wife and is one of the strongest businesses…read moreon Ames' Main Street. Before there was a Wiliams Sonoma store in the state of Iowa Cooks Emporium has been selling high-quality cooking gear and offering classes in downtown Ames. While the location isn't huge you'll find the well-established brands (All-Clad, Le Creuset, Wusthof) that you trust right here. As someone who enjoys cooking, I can spend a lot of time browsing in here for kitchen gadgets. I do the majority of my business here around the holidays and they do a really nice job of wrapping gifts. They are very helpful in answering questions and guiding you toward the right purchase for your task or gift idea. As I write this review I can see many items that we've purchased from the Cooks Emporium. They are local, offer high-quality merchandise, and offer competitive prices on par with even online-retailers.

I love this store, but the employees are hit and miss…read more I am heavily tattooed (at least for Ames, Iowa) and sometimes there is a lady that is just rude and doesn't help me. I can tell it's because I'm young and tattooed by the look on the lady's face. Good thing she doesn't work on commission. If only she knew I graduated from culinary school four years ago and have been baking professionally since then, including wedding cakes. I'm not just some punk kid who can't afford your over-priced stuff. I usually buy my stuff on the internet - so much cheaper. But I love looking here and it's great for small buys (rubber scrapers) and "crap I need this right now and no one else in town is going to have it" impulse buys (mandoline). Great for seeing an item in person so you know what you want to order online.

I don't know about Gemma down there but this cake was the BEST cake I've had in a long time. I came…read morein while my sister was ordering her wedding cake. There were lots of flavors and the owner had perfect mini cake portions (as well as regular sizes). I tried the mocha and the carrot cake and they were both delicious! So light and fresh with decadent flavor. It left me feeling satisfied but not heavy. It was not overly sweet which I enjoyed. The texture of the frosting was almost like whipped cream, yet it was still buttery and flavorful. Plus, he did such an amazing job making my sisters wedding cake vision come to life! Will come again!

Guy was rude... I understand it was a busy time but no. Went somewhere else. Crème, give them your…read morebusiness!

This spot was bumping on a Saturday morning, can tell the locals enjoy visiting here. The drip was…read morewas excellent and the chocolate chip scone was yummy. Friendly staff behind the counter and a homey inviting environment not much to not like.

Coffee was sour and undrinkable. Service was okay, the store looks nice, but the quality of the…read morecoffee is not there.