Posted March 06, 2024in Lunch With...
Clark Williams is a musician, writer, chef, graphic designer, publisher and proud Son of St. Patrick. We asked him to lunch, and he chose West End Architectural Salvage, a downtown coffeeshop surrounded by wonderous things that have passed into second-hand status. Williams worked at two of the best-ever seafood restaurants
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Posted January 31, 2024in Lunch With...
Tim and Wendie O’Brien are horse people with a challenging love story. Because it’s St. Valentine’s month, we asked them to lunch, and they chose Ted’s Coney Island, an Ingersoll stalwart that occupies the iconic International House of Pancakes building that it succeeded. Ted’s has been around Des Moines since
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Posted January 03, 2024in Lunch With...
Kim Perez is the new president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. We asked her to lunch, and she chose Trellis, the restaurant under the Garden’s dome. Since we both prefer soups and salads during the winter months, we were in the right place. No one does
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Posted December 06, 2023in Lunch With...
Bill Mulstay is a former fireman, carney and an artist with more than 60 years of significant work in Des Moines. Mike Hughes is a guitar maker, post beam constructionist and greeting card (“Good for You”) creator. We asked them to lunch at Manhattan Deli. We went after 1 p.m.
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Posted November 01, 2023in Lunch With...
More than anyone else, Mike Lavalle elevated the Des Moines dining scene over the last 50 years. Right or wrongly, he has been a step ahead of everyone else in Iowa. We asked him to lunch, and he invited us to his new project, Purveyor in East Village. Our old
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Posted October 04, 2023in Lunch With...
On Sept. 28, Nicola Dance was installed as the fifth-ever dean of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, under the watch of the recently installed Bishop of the Diocese of Iowa, Betsey Monnet. Because this is a second career for Dance, who was a professor of engineering at Iowa State University, and
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Posted September 06, 2023in Lunch With...
Nick Tillinghast owns and manages DM Does Things, which controls three Des Moines bars associated with the cooler, younger third millennium Des Moines. We asked him to lunch, and he chose Bubba. “I love this place. I eat here every Sunday.” So over whiskey pecan pie and chicken pimento wraps
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Posted August 02, 2023in Lunch With...
Elaine Rose Graham Estes was the longtime director for Des Moines Public Library. She is also the first woman of color to hold that title. A Civil Rights pioneer long before that was a thing, she is a survivor of the Jim Crow South. She is also a tireless world
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Posted July 05, 2023in Lunch With...
Joe Giunta is maestro of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra (DMSO). He has had opportunities to conduct top orchestras all over Europe, South America and the U.S., and he has remained loyal to Des Moines Symphony since 1989. We asked him to lunch recently, and he chose Fresko. “They serve
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Posted May 31, 2023in Lunch With...
Willie Farrell is Des Moines’ resident comedian. He has lived here his entire life, though his talent could have opened big doors out east and west. He is also the scion of Des Moines’ most famous Mafia connection. Lou Farrell was an Al Capone lieutenant. Willie is father to arguably
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