House of Bricks bar/wait staff are training the new Rooftop Bar hires. From left to right, Meagan Tron toasts with a signature Watermelon martini (made from real watermelons), Heather Davis sips a locally-brewed Red Rambler, Molly Kinsey shows off another local beer from Madhouse and Katie McCoy holds the minty Mojito, all along the ledge overlooking East 6th and Grand.

By Amber Williams

If the House of Bricks is the “beast” of bar scenes, then The Rooftop Bar that just opened above it is the “beauty.” While tattooed and pierced rebels rage on the ground floor, a martini-sipping dinner crowd hardly notices from above. They are two opposing forces harmoniously co-existing in the East Village.

The Rooftop Bar opened in early July, bringing yet another unique attribute to the eclectic, old neighborhood. From the patio, patrons can gaze down at the bustling intersection of East Sixth Street and Grand, a convenient stop for exploring shoppers, visitors and tourists. Still in its infancy, though, it does take some exploring to find The Rooftop, which is a bit hidden above the grizzly guise of the House of Bricks.

“We moved the House of Bricks here in 2005, and we knew this place had a bad roof,” said co-owner JC Wilson.

“We figured, if we have to rip the roof off anyway, let’s make it worthwhile,” added his business partner, Nancy Wilson.

As the need for a new roof became more present, the necessity evolved into a luxury — a vision of an open patio restaurant and bar far different from the Rock-n-Roll counterpart from which it grew. They set to work in September of last year, and 10 months later The Rooftop Bar became a stellar reality.

“There’s nothing like this — everybody keeps saying that — there’s nothing like this in Des Moines, and it’s a nice place to have in the East Village,” JC said.

If such a Jeckyll-and-Hyde duality can manifest and thrive anywhere in the city, the East Village has proven to be the place, according to Nancy, who volunteers for Historic East Village Inc. (the neighborhood association). But unlike the good Dr. Hyde and his evil alter-ego, the House of Bricks and The Rooftop Bar “feed off each other,” she said.

“The bands and the fans hang out up here before and after shows. On our comedy nights, the comedians are up here before they go on, because they like hanging out on the roof,” she laughed. “It’s just a cool place to hang out.”

Speaking of cool, JC and Nancy said The Rooftop will open depending on the weather, even in a temperate winter. On hot days, it’s blocked just enough from the sun to let the breeze cool things down, and its indoor/outdoor design makes it fairly easy to keep the bar heated on chillier days, JC said. The roll-up, metal doors make it as quick to open as a Little League concession stand, but its décor is far from simple. A sleek, marble bar top stretches across the indoor section of the bar, while stylish, wooden tables are garnished with candles and flowers on the patio. Add a string quartet in the corner, and guests will quickly forget the punk rockers they passed at the door downstairs.

“We didn’t want to just market to the same people. With The Rooftop, we can reach a broader audience. We can reach everybody,” she said. CV

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The Rooftop Bar

525 E. Grand Ave., 2nd Floor

(515) 277-4370

Hours: 5 p.m.-close, Mon.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-close, Sat.-Sun.

Kitchen Hours: Sun.-Thurs. open-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., open-10 p.m.

Capacity: about 200