The Best of Des Moines voting results are in! Inside the following pages, CITYVIEW reveals the winners of its Best Of Des Moines 2019 poll. We are honored to be entrusted with the annual task of tallying these votes — this year we had more than 12,000, which is more than most city council members [...]
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Iowa Barnstormers prepare to defend their Indoor Football League crown. Predicting the outcome of a 14-game football season before the first snap has been taken is akin to sending an e-prayer via Facebook. While the intention may be good, in reality, it’s useless. The same can be said for football prognostication. Sometimes, as the football [...]
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And other confusing restaurant myths A favorite junior high school English teacher warned our class about “quality.” At the time, my friends were using the word as an adjective meaning super cool. Basically, Miss Evans reminded us that the word was utterly vague without a modifier. “There is high quality, average quality and bad quality, [...]
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A federal grand jury has charged Marty Tirrell with mail fraud, wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and fraudulent use of another person’s credit card. The charges follow years of scams by the one-time sports broadcaster and talk-show host, scams in which he defrauded friends and employers and advertisers and ticket brokers and allegedly [...]
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Two more years of embarrassment will be an object lesson to King voters who looked the other way for years at his racist words and outrageous observations. (Editor’s note: The following column also published in the Carroll and Jefferson newspapers, which are both owned by Doug Burns’ family and serve readers in Congressman Steve King’s district.) The Steve [...]
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Clunky writing takes audiences out of the story while liberal grievances are presented as informed satire “Vice” is a bold film that leans heavily on dark humor and gonzo flair as substitutes for cold, hard facts to tell the story of one of the most secretive political figures of modern times. Adam McKay’s new film [...]
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Ten and 15 years ago, restaurants were trying to reinvent the wheel. Fusion was so free spirited that terrible mistakes were made. Remember bulgogi cupcakes, savory ice cream or haggis pizza? Hopefully you don’t, but I do. Some terrible ideas became ridiculously popular, too, so there will always be more. Think about boneless processed chicken [...]
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The Golden Oldies barbershop quartet produces joy for others while enjoying the music themselves. Energy immediately fills the air as the four gentlemen, in perfect unison, burst into deep chords of harmony, singing: “This is just the kind of day you dream about, when you open up your mouth a song pops out… Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! [...]
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It is with some shame that I acknowledge that I’m a fan of Brené Brown, a shame researcher. I don’t want to be a fan. She is way too popular, way too smart, and way too much a cliché for the manly man I’ve always striven to be. “Jeremiah Johnson,” the old movie Western from 1972, [...]
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The show’s DNA explains its award-winning success. The holidays are behind us, and February continues the ramping up of indoors offerings so Central Iowans can experience the unique thrills of live theatre arts. Six-time Tony Winner graces Civic Center stage “Dear Evan Hansen” opens Feb. 5 for a week, part of Des Moines Performing Arts’ [...]
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Front Row bar is a shrine to the Hawks. Open up the door to the Front Row in Clive, stroll inside and you’re instantly greeted by Herky the Hawk. Walk only a few steps into this sea of black and gold and you’ll find mahogany shelves full of autographed footballs, signed jerseys, shoes — anything [...]
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After a guest fell through the floor, this repurposing project became something special. Construction projects are nothing new for George Risius. The 63-year-old has been a do-it-yourselfer for most of his life, so, after purchasing an old camper, he knew he had the tools and the know-how to make the refurbishing process a success. “I [...]
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Jeff Fleming is the director of the Des Moines Art Center. He’s been in Des Moines now for 20 years, a period that coincides with a golden age for the arts and for food in central Iowa. We asked him to lunch to talk about that, and he chose Jesse’s Embers, a cozy steakhouse on [...]
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Kansas band members signed their first recording contract while in Des Moines. When Kansas returns to Des Moines for a concert at Hoyt Sherman on March 8, it will be like coming home. Rich Williams, a guitarist for Kansas, explains to CITYVIEW why Des Moines holds such special memories. “We had made a demo tape [...]
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Service dog supports those with invisible disabilities. When Amanda Cantwell received a puppy for her 20th birthday, the dog did more than play fetch or go for walks; it helped relieve her anxiety and panic attacks. She initially didn’t intend to train her dog Jocie as a service dog, but… “She fell into the role [...]
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Blues band based its name on an original Italian drummer named Jimmy. With names such as “Jumpin’ Josh” and “Jive Willis,” you’d think these Jimmy the Weasel band members were seasoned, talented blues musicians straight out of New Orleans. You would be right about the talented aspect, but they’re located in Des Moines. Jimmy the [...]
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The hardest nut to crack when developing anything in tech. About a dozen years ago, Jim Carrey released a brand new website. In mid-2000s, Carrey was still one of the biggest stars in the world with Golden Globe wins, the largest paychecks in filmmaking history, and a cultural relevance only rivaled by Mickey Mouse or [...]
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