Alba

524 E. Sixth St.; 244-0261

Vintage doors float impossibly over the dining room, lending a dream-world effect to this spare and modern East Village venue. The menu is among the most seasonal in town; you’re likely to spot blueberries on a duck breast in July, a New York strip with sweet-corn succotash in August. The best dishes combine refined and down-home touches without losing focus: It’s global-Iowa cuisine at its in-season best.

Azalea Restaurant and Lounge

400 Walnut St.; 288-9606

The utterly urban room of this grand-scale restaurant crosses postmodern standbys —exposed concrete, clunky pipes and the like — with more sumptuous touches, like half-moon booths and plush drapes falling from the ceiling. The thoroughly modern kitchen pays attention to high-quality ingredients that makes simple-sounding dishes soar.

Baratta’s Restaurant

2320 South Union St.; 243-4516

Four dining rooms help nook-and-cranny up this South Side restaurant, which serves Italian-American favorites, such as veal piccata, chicken cacciatore, spaghetti and meatballs, cavatelli, ravioli and pan-fried chicken livers. A go-to favorite here is the chicken Amaggio — breaded chicken that’s grilled then topped with a garlicky olive oil and wine-based sauce.

Bistro Montage

2724 Ingersoll Ave.; 557-1924

This is Des Moines’ quintessential corner bistro, with a bustling open kitchen, a snug interior with black-and-white food photography on rich red walls, and storefront windows looking out on Ingersoll Avenue. Find terrific French classics, from French onion soup and escargot to salade Niçoise, and even some ultra-authentic dishes such as sweetbreads and calf’s brains.

BOS

401 Locust St.; 284-1267

Natural woods, soft lighting and plush upholstery give this new restaurant in the Renaissance Savery Hotel a pleasantly soothing vibe. The menu changes seasonally and features locally grown and produced products, including Templeton Rye, La Quercia prosciutto from Norwalk, and beef and pork products from Vande Rose Farms in Oskaloosa.

Café Di Scala

644 18th St.; 244-1353

Café di Scala is handily one of the city’s most date-worthy Italian restaurants. Candelabras and swishy lamps throughout the first floor of the Sherman Hill mansion cast a soft, flattering glow on diners, while small tables encourage couples to cozy up. Menu choices toggle between old school (such as cavatelli) and new (e.g., a mint-pesto-rubbed rack of lamb served over baby arugula). A perennial favorite is the chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and wrapped with prosciutto.

Centro

1007 Locust St.; 248-1780

Since its head-turning debut in 2002, Centro continues to be at the center of it all — it’s Des Moines’ see-and-be seen hot spot. Settle into a banquette table and watch a lively crowd of all ages, from 20-somethings enjoying a casual pizza dinner to veteran gourmands tucking into up-to-date New Italian dishes, such as butternut squash tortelloni and goat-cheese-stuffed ravioli. The kitchen is always among the first to try its hand at underappreciated or new-to-Iowa foods such as pork shanks or the Niman Ranch heritage breeds of poultry.

Chef’s Kitchen

1903 Beaver Ave.; 255-4411

This cozy Beaverdale spot combines neighborhood comfort with a touch of refinement in both its menu and ambiance. The crowd-pleasers coming out of the kitchen include steaks, pasta, chicken dishes and pizza. Steak de Burgo ranks among the specialties here; the owners previously owned the late, great Johnnie’s Vets Club, one of the most famous spots ever for the quintessential Des Moines dish.

Christopher’s

2816 Beaver Ave.; 274-3694

This long-standing Beaverdale restaurant is the type of spot where you can get spaghetti and meatballs and suddenly remember why Des Moines fell in love with Southern Italian immigrant cooking in the first place. Yet the place is not all about nostalgia — plenty of updated menu items, such as olive chicken, entice diners, too.

Cosi Cucina

1975 N.W. 86th St., Clive; 278-8148

Cosi Cucina was among the first of our city’s Italian restaurants to veer off the beaten red-sauced pasta path. Today, the restaurant continues to delight regulars with its wood-fired pizzas, wood-oven-roasted seafood and one-of-a-kind pastas. An enduring favorite is the boldly flavored cheese-stuffed ravioli with beef tips, fried potatoes and apple-smoked bacon in cream sauce. Pay attention to the thoughtful starter-salad options, too, including the greens with apples, walnuts and Gorgonzola and the candied-almond salad with feta and dried apricots.

Court Avenue Restaurant 

and Brewing Co.

309 Court Ave.; 282-2739

A friendly staff combines with an atmosphere of exposed brick, nostalgic beer ads and soft  hanging lamps to bring energy and warmth to this downtown brewpub. For steaks and chops, the restaurant sources Hereford beef and Duroc pork from Vande Rose Farms in Mahaska County. Their CabCo Sandy — a shaved prime-rib sandwich — ranks among one of the best French-dip style sandwiches in history.

Django

210 10th St.; 288-0268

All French—No Attitude: This restaurant’s slogan perfectly describes the unpretentious vibe at Django, the easygoing brasserie-style restaurant in the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Casual French classics, such as steak frites, duck cassoulet and roast chicken, satisfy hearty appetites, while grazers looking for appetizers and sips enjoy the restaurant’s seafood platters and extensive hors d’oeuvres selections, including sweetbreads, escargot and a luscious Alsatian caramelized onion tart.

Dos Rios

316 Court Ave.; 282-2995

Welcome to a thrilling, cosmopolitan style of Latin American dining. With crimson-red cushions on banquette seating and the energetic hum of a kitchen half-cached behind silhouetted screens, this Court Avenue venue pulsates with irresistible urban energy. Handmade to order, the margaritas bring blue agave tequila with house-made sour mixes for alluring concoctions. The menu features longstanding Mexican favorites, such as tacos, enchiladas, skirt steak and seafood, often with refined touches. Case in point: the Niman Ranch pork chop with agave-chili glaze, cumin sweet potato mash and bacon spinach sauté.

FireCreek Grill

800 S. 50th St., Suite 110, 
West Des Moines; 224-0500

From the fireplaces in every room to the harmonious color scheme of muted browns and tans, a toasty-warm glow imbues the ambience here. You’ll find an extensive selection of American fine-dining favorites, including prime rib, steaks, seafood, chicken and pasta. Many dishes bring refining touches, such as an Asiago cheese crust on the chicken, fresh fruit salsa on the mahi-mahi and a mixed apple sauté on the grilled quail and duck breast duo.

Gateway Market Café

2002 Woodland Ave.; 243-1754

Ponderosa Center in Glen Oaks; 343-5640

All hail Gateway Market! This food-lovers paradise finally brought Des Moines painstakingly purveyed gourmet foods and the extensive cheese counter we yearned for. The two lively market cafés serve generous portions of casual-yet-refined comfort food, starting with hearty breakfasts in the morning and at lunch and dinner, colorful salads, meaty sandwiches and delicately flavored ramen noodle dishes. Entrées exclusive to dinner include fish tacos, vegetarian enchiladas and pasta dishes.

Grand Piano Bistro

506 E. Grand Ave.; 243-2380

A contemporary menu of small plates and reasonably priced entrées along with dueling pianos, a lively crowd and an edgy, minimalist décor combine to make this place a one-stop spot for an entire evening’s worth of entertainment. Menu highlights include the now-famous duck sliders (mini duck-breast sandwiches) and the grilled romaine salad, a bold yet refined main-dish salad with cashews, golden raisins and a curry vinaigrette.

Graze

5513 Mills Civic Parkway, 
West Des Moines; 223-5477

This West Glen restaurant specializes in “team eating.” The appetizers, skewers, pizza, bruschetta, sliders, wraps and rolls are all meant to be shared among a table of friends while sipping wines and jewel-toned martinis. With half-moon booths, a striking backlit bar and tubular lamps casting a muted glow on diners, the place exudes a swank nightclub-like appeal.

Irina’s Restaurant and Bar

2301 Rocklyn Drive, Urbandale; 331-0399

Des Moines meets Moscow in this restaurant, which is richly yet tastefully decorated with brick walls, low lighting and swags of red curtains between the booths. The menu offers plenty of American fine-dining favorites, such as steaks, ribs and shrimp, but also Russian specialties, such as beef Stroganoff, skewered pork and a Moscow filet, stuffed with mushrooms, onions and spinach.

Jimmy’s American Cafe

1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines; 224-1212

As its name suggests, this casual restaurant specializes in America’s favorite restaurant foods — which, of course, can come from anywhere. Find bruschetta, fish and chips, crab rangoon, nachos and pot stickers here, as well as burgers, steaks and seafood. Favorites include Jack Daniel’s beef skewers, almond-crusted chicken fingers and a turkey tango-mango salad. Crème brûlée and Snickers bar pie top the list of the most popular desserts.

Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse

6800 Fleur Dr. (Radisson Hotel); 287-0847

6075 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines; 333-5665

The atmosphere at Johnny’s calls for a martini — these restaurants are inspired by 1940s-esque supper clubs, where diners stayed all evening for drinks in the lounge, then dinner in stylish dining rooms. Today, Johnny’s menus meld long-time Italian steakhouse favorites (char-broiled steaks, hot spinach salad) and updated favorites, such as

Parmesan-crusted New York strip and salmon, spinach and artichoke pasta.

Latin King

2200 Hubbell Ave.; 266-4466

In business since 1947, Latin King has deep roots in old-school Italian-American cooking, and the kitchen turns out heaping platters of the red-sauced specialties our city grew up on. Yet there’s plenty here to please the sophisticates, too, including an admirable gnocchi as well as shrimp Angelo — butterflied shrimp in a delicate white-wine and butter sauce punctuated by soft, mellow pieces of garlic. Chicken spiedini —breaded and broiled chicken kabobs — continues to rank as a go-to specialty here.

Le Jardin

841 42nd St.; 943-1926

Low-key Le Jardin serves the type of simple, beautiful everyday French cooking that you’d find at back-street bistros throughout la belle France — places that don’t make it into guidebooks but that fill up night after night with a core of neighborhood habitués. Head here for casual bistro classics, including crêpes, duck breast, omelets, hanger steak, true-to-France pâtés and imported cheeses, along with admirably priced everyday French wines to enhance the experience.

Lucca

420 E. Locust St.; 243-1115

Tired of dining in a room filled with sweatshirt-clad doofuses? With its sleek furnishings and exposed brick walls, this oblong East Village spot rarely fails to attract a dashing clientele. The New Italian food here is stylish yet grounded, never fussy yet never ordinary. And it serves possibly the best gnocchi in town .

Mezzodi’s

4519 Fleur Drive; 287-3333

A playfully geometric décor, with arcs and curves and svelte oblong lanterns amid the neutral color scheme, adds panache to the dining experience here. Italian-inspired steaks, seafood, pasta, pizza, and sandwiches range from classic to contemporary. Try the Frico’s appetizer, a pizza-esque, potato-pancake-like concoction that’s stuffed with sausage, chicken and/or mushrooms.

Mojo’s on 86th

6163 N.W. 86th St., Johnston; 334-3699

Plains-inspired photography on the walls combines with playful lamps that resemble floating hatboxes for a cool and au courant suburban look. Popular dishes here include rib-eye steak, pork cutlets with savory homemade chorizo and, on the last weekend of every month, the restaurant’s famed cold-smoked scallops and steaks. Launched just this summer, the new patio appetizer menu includes lamb sliders, a pork tostada tower and crab-dip-stuffed roasted artichokes.

Ohana Steakhouse

2900 University Ave., 
West Des Moines; 225-3325

Rather than dinner and a show, Ohana Steakhouse offers dinner that is a show. Here, the chefs double as magicians, jugglers and comedians as they theatrically cook the food at hibachi tables in front of diners. Options include steaks, seafood, sesame chicken or a vegetarian mix, and all dinners come with soup, salad, appetizer, vegetables, rice and noodles. A fun menu of tropical cocktails, such as a Volcano, Bahama Mama and Paradise Punch, offer colorful ways to kick off the meal.

Phat Chefs

1300 50th St., Suite 206, 
West Des Moines; 327-9211

Phat Chefs’ kitchen focuses on contemporary dining with a French, Moroccan and Mediterranean angle. Seasonal takes on pork shoulder — such as applewood-smoked confit of shoulder with sweet cornbread pudding and grilled spring onions — are mainstays here. Other dishes have included halibut with shaved fennel, lemon salad and chorizo oil.

Proof

1301 Locust St.; 244-0655

No art hangs on the walls at this chic and sleek spot; instead, storefront windows frame the sumptuous green-scape of Gateway Park and Des Moines' cityscape beyond. The artistic touches here are in the food. At lunch, the inventive salads, flatbread-based creations and grain-based dishes keep a sharp focus on fresh. On Friday nights, Mediterranean bistro fare stars on the ever-changing prix-fixe menu.

Rock River Grill & Tavern

700 Grand Ave.; 245-5500

Carved deep into the second floor of the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, this restaurant feels plush and inviting, yet not at all stuffy. Amber-glowing light fixtures cast a caramel glow over a red, gold and royal-blue color scheme. The menu ranges from sandwiches to more substantial entrées; comforting classics, such as meatloaf, share the table with more refined dishes, such as an espresso and cocoa-crusted porterhouse.

Sbrocco

208 Court Ave.; 282-3663

Andrew Meek, the former chef/owner of Sage restaurant, recently took over the kitchen of this Court Avenue wine shop and restaurant. The extensive menu brings a few favorites from Sage, such as the sautéed chicken liver salad and the skate wing on seafood-studded polenta, plus plenty of casual-yet-refined dishes that fit right into the charmingly funky downtown scene.

Shane’s Rib Shack

12695 University Ave, Clive; 327-7427

It’s all about the barbecue at Shane’s, where comfy, color-splashed booths and clever stylized road signs (e.g., “Danger! Rib Work Ahead!”) enliven the casual, order-at-the-counter spot. Ribs, chicken, chopped pork and chopped chicken crowd the menu, along with burgers, salads, wings and chicken tenders. Southern-inspired accompaniments include collard greens, fried okra and Texas toast.

Splash

303 Locust St.; 244-5686

With its dramatic seascape murals and colorful aquariums, the atmosphere of Des Moines’ premier seafood restaurant leans toward a swishy, playful side of elegance. Fresh seafood is presented just-from-the-fire hot, yet still glimmering with the ocean’s sparkle. Preparations range from inventive to classic, and when it comes to serving fish in a traditional meunière style —l ightly dusted with a browned butter sauce — nobody does it better. Also check out Splash Raw Oyster Bar and Fish Market, Splash’s more casual spinoff, located in the same building.

Star Bar

2811 Ingersoll Ave.; 244-0790

Sometimes you want a burger and fries, sometimes you want something more refined, like a crab cakes special. And sometimes you want to be part of a scene — without dressing up. Star Bar has seized this nice little niche like no other restaurant in town. Though this bar-restaurant attracts its share of twenty-somethings sipping sweet and colorful neo-martinis, the 35-and-over crowd piles in just as often. Few places please so many people.

Trostel’s Dish

12851 University Ave., Clive; 221-3474

The small plates can thrill big time at this energetic tapas-style restaurant. Showing off just how globally inspired the kitchen is, the menu is divided into five regional categories (American, European, Asian, Spanish and Latin American); there’s also a selection of creative mini-burgers, cracker-crust pizza and cheese flights. Specialty martinis and thoughtful wine flights also help make this a dashing spot to head with friends for an evening of nibbles and sips. 

Trostel’s Greenbriar Restaurant and Bar

5810 Merle Hay Road., Johnston; 253-0124

With choices like prime rib, Alaskan king crab legs, beef tenderloin Oscar, chicken marsala and salmon with hollandaise sauce, many of the options at this longtime fine-dining favorite are as classic as the red roses in vases atop each white-linen-draped table. Yet a few touches — including a pizza with applewood-smoked pork tenderloin and asparagus and the blue crab cakes with jicama slaw — show an up-to-date side to the kitchen, too. The experience is enhanced by a staff of keyed-in professionals who care deeply about the details of fine dining.

Waterfront Restaurant and Seafood Market

2900 University Ave. (Clocktower Square), West Des Moines; 223-5106

2414 S.E. Tones Drive, Ankeny; 963-1940

Trends come and go, chefs’ stars rise and fall, but night after night, year after year, you can always rely on Waterfront for a fresh piece of high-quality fish. Served just about any way you like it, seafood and fish crowd the menu at this casual yet inviting spot, and if you have to wait for a table, the lounge, especially at the West Des Moines location, is a buzzing scene in itself. Always check out the Wednesday specials, as that’s when the kitchen highlights seasonal delicacies, such as coho salmon and Great Lakes walleye, and regional specialties, such as Hawaii Night or a Door County Fish Boil.

Woody’s Smoke Shack

2511 Cottage Grove Ave.; 277-0005

Housed in a charming brick storefront building, Woody’s serves the award-winning barbecue of Cheryl and Woody Wasson. The duo’s bragging rights include honors snagged at the World Pork Expo, the American Royal in Kansas City, and the Jack Daniels Invitational in Lynchburg, Tenn. They also stake a claim for “The Best Cornbread in Iowa.”

Zen Sushi and Noodle Bar

400 Walnut St.; 288-9637

Banquette seating surrounds the sushi bar like a mini-amphitheater at this energetic downtown spot. Here, Asian noodles share the menu with a few stir-fries and sushi. An admirable wine list, specialty martinis and a proximity to Court Avenue (downtown’s party central) makes this place especially appealing to a stylish urban crowd.