Nick Tillinghast at Hello, Marjorie. | Photo by Kenzie Wyatt.
Long a business hub for the printing and insurance companies, Iowa’s capital town has been increasingly discovering ways to cater to its communities that are own creative, and that growth often starts with a good cocktail bar. “There are a good deal of young professionals at Des Moines, also I think people ’re giving them something they were previously moving to a larger town to get,” says Nick Tillinghast, a Des Moines native and partner at hospitality group DMDT Hospitality & Lifestyle.
Des Moines is home to some young but notable cocktail scene, and that explains why it landed in our Imbibe 75 Destinations listing. Boosted by bars like Hello, Marjorie and Bellhop in DMDT (which stands for “Des Moines Does Things”), town is also home to familiar neighborhood beer bars functioning local brewsand tropical cocktail havens, along with diner-inspired drinking dens. “I think I speak for many of us when I say we want to get to some level of consistency in which Des Moines is considered as a place to rdquo, & cocktail hop; Tillinghast says. Here, he shares his own absolutely mapped-out bar crawl.
Cold-Brew Kickoff
To get Tillinghast, the day starts with a cold brew out of Horizon Line Coffee in the Western Gateway area. “It doesn’t matter the season; it might be below zero [degrees outside] and I might order their brew,&rdquo. Horizon Line opened in 2017, founded by two friends, Brad Penna and Nam Ho, both in Southern California, that sought to make delicious java and an inclusive community at the spacious and pristine store. They serve all the coffee store standards as well as creative seasonal menus,” says Tillinghast, including that if you can’t squeeze in a trip, you can still try their Cold-Brew Cider in the home.
Breakfast Stop(s)
Tillinghast has two breakfast favorites, “therefore I’m going to feign my appetite would be large enough to both,&rdquo. The very first halt is La Mie Elevate, the Caribbean location of the well-established bakery. “La Mie Elevate’s breakfast is fantastic: sometimes the veggie scramble is the go-to, yet on occasion the meat scramble is still your go-to. Both are winners,” he concedes. “I also could readily find myself at St. Kilda’s OG place on 5th St. enjoying The Saint: fried egg, housemade ginger sausage, celery, avocado, red onion, red arugula and tomato jam on a housemade sesame seed bun. ” An Australian-style java shop, St. Kilda, which functions Counter Culture java and Australian wines, has recently increased to comprise 2 café locations, using a restaurant downtown and a second opening that spring. “Much like Horizon Line, the aesthetic provides a guest encounter, & rdquo and is on-point; Tillinghast says.
Midday Refuel
At this time, Tillinghast heads straight back to the center of downtown Des Moines, which demands a halt at El Bait Shop. The cherished bar includes a whopping 260+ beers on tap such as people of neighboring brewers like Barn Town and Cedar Rapids’ Lion Bridge Brewing Company, plus a menu of food using everything from fish tacos to the Spam, egg, and cheese sandwich on grilled Texas toast.
The To Thursday cocktail at The Bartender’s Handshake. Photo by Alli Peters.
Lunch Break
It’s lunchtime, and Tillinghast deliberates involving Hagar’s Manhattan Deli, South Union Bread Cafe, Lucca, and the family-owned and operated B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli in business since 1922. “However, on this afternoon, I think I would have to go with the blackened bacon and chicken wrapping at Bubba, which comprises a wholesome quantity of pimento cheese. I would find a side obviously, because there’s pasta salad and then there’s Bubba pasta salad,” says Tillinghast. “I would wash it down with a set of Weller Special Reserve. ”
Dinner in the Burbs
“It requires a lot for me to head to the suburbs just depending on the ease of living downtown, but Cosi Cucina Italian Grill at Clive is some thing I’ll traveling to at least one time every week,” Tillinghast says. “This is the very best Italian food that you ’re going to have. The restaurant has existed since 1993, but it turned into a juggernaut three decades back when the owner took over and implemented family snacks and his style. ‘Diana’ would be your restaurant’s home sauce, and it’s perfection. There’so no wrong order: pizza, pasta, steak good. I’m believing the Ziti Cucina pizza with this evening, using touch spicy sausage sauce sausage, banana peppers, mozzarella cheese and Diana sauce on top–using a Manhattan on the rocks. ”
Honorable Mention: Clyde’s Fine Diner at the East Village. “Sit at the bar, make the beans, stone a dealer’s pick cocktail from C.J., make happy. ”
Honorable, Honorable Mention: The High Life Lounge. “Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls along with a [Miller] High Life. ”
After-Dinner Drinks
“First stop would be The Bartender’s Handshake on Ingersoll [Avenue],” Tillinghast claims of the newcomer from bartender David Murrin-von Ebers. “The proprietor has put together a staff and is the most talented bartenders in our city. It s a space that is very intimate, and it can be any expertise that you want it to be, from a beer to a superbly done cocktail. ” Their menu provides a treasure trove of thoughtfully made cocktails like the Sinaloan Milk Snake, together with milk-washed mezcal, spiced pear liqueur, yellow Chartreuse and lemon. “I enjoy performing rsquo & a dealer;s no choice here. ”
Pre-Nightcap
A fast stop at Proof, a top-notch restaurant that boasts a terrific beverages program.
Nightcap
If the evening requires beers, Tillinghast heads to Ernie’s Boondock. This venue is “a corner neighborhood bar in the East Village that is reminiscent of something that you ’d visit in Chicago–just hang out and have a fantastic time,&rdquo. “Ernie’s is really Bellhop’rescued me from a lot of nights that are stressful the weeks and s neighbor. In the warm months, they have a hamburger truck on the terrace that generates a no BS, tasty cheeseburger. ” If sodas are more a game for your mood, which suggests falling into Juniper Moon around Ingersoll where initial beverages like the It’s Always Sunny at Des Moines (chamomile-infused rye, aquavit, Suze, lemon and honey ) and the Old Man & The C (tea-infused scotch, Byrrh, coconut, fig, bay leaf and lime) bring unexpected taste combos to town. “They utilize a lot of special ingredients and are able to produce taste profiles that are weird but striking. ”
Okay, Seriously, Last Call
Before calling it a night, Tillinghast ducks into Up-Down, an arcade bar in the East Village, where he orders Toppling Goliath Brewing’therefore Pseudo Sue, a single-hop pale perfect for washing down a piece of cheese .
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