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.

The Graziano Bros. Sausage Mobile food trailer pulled up to where I work at the Crescent building…read morein Urbandale. If you are familiar with the Des Moines metro the Graziano Bros name should be one you already know. Established in 1912 they are a fixture here when it comes to Italian sausage. The ordering process was smooth and the menu was displayed well. The wait wasn't long. I ordered the fried ravioli (beef filled) with marinara and an Italian Chop sandwich. The Italian Chop is almost exactly what it sounds like. It's served cold. Chopped mortadella, pepperoni, capicola, salami, provolone, tomato, onion, pepper rings, and lettuce. Tossed in a creamy Italian dressing. Served on a hoagie roll. The ravoli was served terrifyingly hot. Lol It's a bold tangy marinara. The sandwich is perfect for what it is. Service was excellent for a truck and typical of when there's a line. Busy. Not much time to small talk. I'll definitely be watching our food vendor schedule and trying out more items from the Graziano Bros. Sausage Mobile food trailer. https://www.facebook.com/p/Graziano-Bros-Sausage-Mobile-61572883362883/

3.9 A great old traditional Italian deli/ grocery. Not…read moreChicago, not Detroit level but we love most of it. Great Job!

The restaurant is lovely and the service was spot on. The food is delicious and plentiful. The…read moreprice and quantity for lunch was outstanding. I had the pasta sampler, and my two lunch mates we're equally happy with their choices. I highly recommend.

Our favorite Italian place in Ankeny by far!…read more Fair prices, plenty of food, great portions and service. Definitely try it out!

It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. Just Meh! The pizza was flavorless. I tried the pepperoni and…read moreNonna's Specialty pizza slices. Nothing remarkable The menu is big. Probably too big to do anything well. Service is was below par. I walked in said hi. This is my first time. What do you recommend. He just pointed at the pre-made pies. I made my selections paid and sat down. They brought over my slices after reheating them in the oven on too small paper plates. No follow-up. Only 1 other table with customers.

Took a friend to Nonna's Pizza & Pasta for their 49th birthday... I hadn't really researched it…read moreother than knowing people said they did pizza by the slice and by looking at their menu online before we headed that way. Parking is great. It's in the same building as Filet Steakhouse. Down on the Southeast corner... It's not exactly what I expected. Don't expect the atmosphere of Baratta's, Latin King, or Cosi Cucina. The front dining area is more informal. Don't take that wrong though... I'm not taking anything away from it. The place has a great vibe to it and I felt comfortable. I loved the NYC themed decor and the look of the place. There is at least one more dining area called the Manhattan room. I'm not sure if this is a private room or what it exactly takes to get in there... It sure looked pretty classy through the doorway though! The process is more or less order at the front counter. Pay when you order. Seat yourself. Self serve drinks (Coke products). Silverware and napkins can be picked up by the drink station. While you order at the counter the food is brought to your table when it is ready. Seating is all low top tables and chairs along with a few stools at the bar. I noticed a few people picking up menus, going to a seat and browsing the menu and then going up to order. This is probably what I would do next time if I was ordering anything but the pizza by the slice. The service we had was really good. From the gentlemen at the front counter and register...along with the staff who were working the floor dropping off food and bussing tables. The menu is quite extensive! Everyone can find something. Appetizers, soup, salads, pizza by the slice, round pies, square pies, thin and crispy, gluten free... Calzones, hot and cold sandwiches, pasta dishes, chicken and shrimp entrees, salmon, desserts, and kids meals. While I do like pizza... And they have a HUGE selection of pies in all kinds of combinations...by the slice or baked fresh... We both tried pasta dishes. 1x Shrimp Parmigiana 1x Stuffed Shells sub alfredo 2x House salads (creamy parm and blue cheese) 2x Fountain drinks Complimentary bread with our entrees The wait for our food was short. Our salads came out first. Everything was fresh and tasted good. One thing... Some of the pieces of lettuce could have been chopped a smaller. Made it a little harder to manage than it should have been... Easy fix though... Make sure you grab a knife. I'm not sure if that's normal or if it was a one off. Not a big deal. The pasta dishes hit the table along with the complimentary bread... If you go here just for pizza by the slice... You're really missing out! Their pasta dishes would easily rival any of the places I listed above when I mentioned atmosphere. The portions are large. I had to do something that I don't normally do. I took some home for the next day. I'm usually the guy who gets irritated because someone writes... "I can easily make three meals out of what I was served...!" When I order the same thing where they are...and I clean my plate. Lol All in all a great meal and I think we spent in the mid-$60 range before tip. Definitely going to back to check out some of the other items on the menu... And the pizza! https://nonnaspizzapastas.com/

Cosi Cucina was recommended by a guest at the hotel I was staying at when I asked for a good dinner…read morespot. It turned out to be an excellent suggestion. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the service was attentive, and the food exceeded our expectations. When we mentioned to our waiter that it was our first visit, he surprised us with a complimentary butternut squash dish--a thoughtful touch that set the tone for the evening. My friend and I both ordered the mushroom lasagna, which was every bit as rich and flavorful as we hoped. We also enjoyed a caprese salad and a couple of drinks, all of which rounded out the meal perfectly. By the end of the night, we found ourselves wishing we had more time in Des Moines so we could return and try the pizza selections. Cosi Cucina was a highlight of the trip. We both thought it was one of the best Italian restaurants we have ever dined at.

This is one of our favorite restaurants, hands down. You can tell they take great pride in…read moreeverything they do--it really shows in every detail. We've tried most of the menu, and everything has been consistently delicious, with generous portions every time. One of the things I love most is that the family is there working. It speaks to the level of care and standard they hold for their guests' experience. It just feels genuine, and that makes it even more special.

A small but very tasty Italian restaurant! We had to wait a few minutes for a booth--there are…read moreonly 10 of them! We started with mozzarella sticks and the best tasting red sauce! Our salads came shortly and they are simple iceberg ones with a couple of cucumbers and a cherry tomato. The house Italian dressing is excellent! A warm basket of breadsticks accompanied our pasta. The guys had spaghetti and meatballs, Friend had lasagna, and I had baked cavatelli. Friend and I took some of ours home because the serving was so large! We all loved the red sauce & our dishes. It appears there are only two workers there. The waitress is also in charge of the front desk and there was just one Cook in the kitchen. She was very pleasant and very entertaining! We'll be back because we want to sample more things! The pizza sounds delicious ! You go for the great food - - it's just a pretty simple interior.

I've driven by here on a near-daily basis on my commute. I've been to the taqueria next door…read moreseveral times--thought I would finally give Marino's a try. The lady who answered the phone was very polite. She quoted me a time of 30-35 minutes for the food. I thought that was quite awhile, but decided to proceed with the order anyhow. When I walked in, the restaurant was nearly empty. One room off to the side was dark; it looks like this was a party room in a former life. I saw a solo diner in the main dining room. It was eerily quiet in there. An older lady (whom I believe also answered the phone) was very polite and seemed like she appreciated the business. I wish I could speak more highly of the food. The portions were all very generous, but most all seemed to be lacking in flavor. The breadsticks appear to have been brushed on top with some kind of butter, but no garlic flavor was present and the bottoms had gone untouched. Just bland. The salads I saw online appeared to have had croutons on them but mine did not. The dressing itself had good flavor--likely homemade. The salad was a basic side salad otherwise. The cavatelli was off in several different ways. The pasta appeared to be actual cavatelli, but lacked the firmness I'm used to. The sauce all seemed to have been on one side of the dish. The sausage was Italian sausage. Will probably try again at some point--other reviews seem to indicate better experiences.

We came here for dinner with a reservation, which I definitely recommend making ahead of time. We…read moregot complimentary bread, which was very soft and delicious. You don't have to do the four-course meal for $60--they also let you choose just one course if you don't want to spend that much, and they give you a larger portion when you choose only one. My pasta was $22 for the Ragu Rigatoni, and my mom's was $16 for the Gnocchi Sage, which was homemade. They didn't give her a lot, but that's probably because it was handmade. It was delicious! However, I couldn't eat my pasta because they don't list the ingredients, and after taking my first bite, I realized it was pork. I don't eat pork and avoid it like the plague, so I had to spit it out. I ended up getting it to go and was disappointed that I hadn't asked about the ingredients beforehand. So, if you have any dietary restrictions, definitely make sure to ask before ordering. They packaged up our pasta for us, and the staff was very friendly. It's a cute, small restaurant with a really cool kitchen in the middle where you can watch them prepare the dishes in real time. Our waiter even left us some bread and butter in our to-go bag, which was really nice. I'd definitely come back next time I'm in town, but I'd probably try the spaghetti and pepper dish!

Lucca is one of THE best dining experiences in Des Moines. The menu design is a four course meal…read morewhere you can choose your own adventure each visit. The meal begins with a salad course followed by a pasta course. The cod cake salad was incredibly delicious! Both the gnocchi and the amatriciana were standout pastas. I had the pork ribeye which was succulent and cooked to perfection and served with a tomatillo sauce that was so tasty! Dessert is family style with an assortment of desserts for the table including a lemon cake and a tres leches cake. The service was great from start to finish including making the reservation (which I highly recommend). We were greeted the moment we walked through the door and quickly shown to our table. Since we were dining early, the venue was quiet for the first half hour or so, but diners kept coming in and by the time we left the place was hopping. It is very cozy and intimate but not so much so that you feel like other diners are on top of you or that you are listening in on their conversations. We brought our own wine, but there is a vast assortment of wines available. We enjoyed Lucca so much that we have made two future reservations already and are very much looking forward to dining with the wonderful crew there soon!

Aposto is literally the best meal I've had this year. I cannot express how f*cking delicious our…read moremeal was. The bone marrow starter was pretty good. But the PASTA I had... my GOODNESS there isn't anything else in Des Moines that even holds a candle to it. 147483919374/10 ambiance for this freakin good pasta. Also! My cocktail, the Pear Butter, was EXQUISITE. So unique and delicious :) Also our server was funny. Definitely would recommend him.

Finally got to try Aposto and at the best time too! Restaurant week at Aposto blew me away. The…read moreentire ambiance is so unique and elegant. The service and staff were friendly and welcoming. The food was also so good. Restaurant week proved they're worth visiting again.

The service was fine the server was attentive. At lunch, they have a buffet.\nThere was a lot of…read moredifferent choices.We'll say italian. The food itself was meh. Meat dish was overcooked. It reminded me of going to a buffet in the seventies. Having said that, I'll have to give it up another chance.Going at night , but I wouldn't go to the buffet again.

Opa! Italian & Greek How I wanted you to be the best dinner night, but you came up short…read more We needed a place to grab dinner and they didn't have a wait on Saturday night. We were running a tight schedule which is our fault. I ordered the Creamy Steak de Burgo with Rosemary Potatoes. I ordered it medium and chose the beef tenderloin. Well it didn't come out medium or rare, but raw. I mean raw. The server agreed and took it back. It took a while to come back and by that time we needed to go to catch the show. We also barely made it to the show. I had to take it to go. The server didn't say anything to the manager or apologize or anything. Again I know I was in a tight schedule, but it is your responsibility to ensure the food is correct and cooked to order. I am not giving up on Opa! because the food is solid, The service could be better. The beef tenderloin was very good with the creamy garlic, wine, & basil sauce. Tossed and topped with mushrooms. The rosemary potatoes were fire, especially with the creamy sauce from the tenderloin. I would ask for more sauce next time. I did the upgrade and it's definitely worth it. They need to work on getting the rare, medium, medium well, and that's not good correct. What I got back was a very well done tenderloin. This is a solid meal and I will be back to give it a shot. We never said we were in a hurry or anything. Just want it cooked correctly. The salad and bread were good. I would get the salad dressing on the side. My gorgeous wife got the lasagna and I got a bite. It was amazing as well. She loved it and would get it again. We hadn't planned on going to Opa! but we did and I absolutely love the atmosphere and feel this is a solid place, just wasn't a great experience. I was so damned hungry through the entire show at the Civic Center and may have been hangry.

Hands down best fresh turkey in town pick up was well organized loved the pie flight pear…read morecranberries along with the brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes can't wait for our Christmas order

You can trust this business. They are helpful and it is a pleasure to shop at West Fortyread more