Let the people decide. That’s the idea behind dsm’s Top List, and for the fourth year in a row, you let us know your top choices for dining and drinking, shopping and playing. On the list that follows, the top vote-getter in each category is listed first, followed by the runners-up.
Around Town
Top historical building:
Iowa State Capitol
legis.state.ia.us/Resources /tourCapitol.aspx
Runners-up: World Food Prize Hall of Laureates; Salisbury House & Gardens
Staff pick: World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
Top contemporary building:
Des Moines Art Center
desmoinesartcenter.org
Runners-up: Des Moines Central Library; 801 Grand
Staff pick: Des Moines Central Library
Top nonprofit organization:
Animal Rescue League of Iowa
arl-iowa.org
Runners-up: Children and Families of Iowa; Easter Seals Iowa
Staff pick: Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Top local attraction:
Iowa State Fair
iowastatefair.org
Runners-up: John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park; Science Center of Iowa
Staff pick: Des Moines Art Center
Top residential neighborhood:
Beaverdale
beaverdale.org
Runners-up: Sherman Hill;
South of Grand
Staff pick: Owl’s Head Historic District
Playing
Top golf course:
Waveland Golf Course
wavelandgolfcourse.org
Runners-up: Wakonda Club;
Des Moines Golf and Country Club
Staff pick: Wakonda Club
Top private party room:
Des Moines Embassy Club
embassyclub.com
Runners-up: Des Moines Golf and Country Club; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Staff pick: 801 Chophouse
Top annual fundraiser:
Bravo Gala
bravogreaterdesmoines.org
Runners-up: Make-A-Wish Foundation Gala; Winefest Des Moines and Easter Seals Pony Express Ride (a tie)
Staff pick: Bravo Gala
Top spot to enjoy nature:
Gray’s Lake Park
dmgov.org/Departments/Parks/Pages/GraysLakeParkPark.aspx
Runners-up: Water Works Park; Saylorville Lake
Staff pick: Brenton Arboretum
Top hotel:
Des Moines Marriott Downtown
marriott.com
Runners-up: The Suites of 800 Locust; Embassy Suites Hotel Des Moines Downtown
Staff pick: The Suites of 800 Locust
Top bike trail:
High Trestle Trail
inhf.org/Trails/high-trestle.cfm
Runners-up: Bill Riley Trail;
Neal Smith Trail
Staff pick: High Trestle Trail
Top Iowa “staycation”:
Lake Okoboji
vacationokoboji.com
Runners-up: YMCA Camp in Boone; Honey Creek Resort
Staff pick: Honey Creek Resort
Top family attraction:
Adventureland
adventureland-usa.com
Runners-up: Iowa State Fair;
Science Center of Iowa
Staff pick: Living History Farms
Eating and Drinking
Top wine list:
Sbrocoo
sbroccowine.com
Runners-up: Jasper Winery;
801 Chophouse
Staff pick: Splash Seafood Bar & Grill
Top fine-dining restaurant:
801 Chophouse
801chophouse.com
Runners-up: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar; Alba
Staff picks: Baru 66, Alba
Top casual restaurant:
Jethro’s BBQ
jethrosdesmoines.com
Runners-up: Mavericks Sports Pub; Centro
Staff pick: Louie’s Wine Dive
Top restaurant for appetizers:
Trostel’s Dish
dishtrostels.com
Runners-up: Django; Jethro’s BBQ
Staff pick: Alba
Top bakery:
La Mie Bakery
lamiebakery.com
Runners-up: Scratch Cupcakery;
South Union Bakery
Staff pick: La Mie Bakery
Top restaurant for steaks:
801 Chophouse
801chophouse.com
Runners-up: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar; Jesse’s Embers
Staff pick: 801 Chophouse
Top chocolate shop:
Chocolaterie Stam
stamchocolate.com
Runners-up: Chocolate Storybook; Godiva Chocolatier
Staff pick: Chocolaterie Stam
Top spot for seafood:
Splash Seafood Bar & Grill
splash-seafood.com
Runners-up: Waterfront Seafood Market and Restaurant; Hoshi Sushi
Staff pick: Splash Seafood Bar & Grill
Top pizza restaurant:
Fong’s Pizza
fongspizza.com
Runners-up: Gusto Pizza Co.; Centro
Staff pick: Gusto Pizza Co.
Top spot for barbecue:
Jethro’s BBQ
jethrosdesmoines.com
Runners-up: Smoky D’s BBQ;
Woody’s Smoke Shack
Staff pick: Woody’s Smoke Shack
Top coffeehouse:
Smokey Row Coffee Co.
smokeyrow.com
Runners-up: Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure; Starbucks
Staff pick: Ritual Café
Top new restaurant:
Exile Brewing Co.
exilebrewing.com
Runners-up: HoQ Restaurant; Mavericks Sports Pub
Staff pick: Wasabi Tao
Top ethnic restaurant:
A Dong
facebook.com/pages/A-Dong-Restaurant
Runners-up: Cool Basil; Thai Flavors
Staff pick: Wasabi Tao
Top romantic restaurant:
Café di Scala
cafediscala.com
Runners-up: Bistro Montage;
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Staff pick: Bistro Montage
Top restaurant to impress VIPs:
801 Chophouse
801chophouse.com
Runners-up: Centro; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and
Django (a tie)
Staff pick: 801 Chophouse
Shopping
Top bridal shop:
Schaffer’s Bridal Salon
schaffers.com
Runners-up: Bridal Boutique;
David’s Bridal
Staff pick: Dornink
Top shop for women’s clothing:
Blond Genius
blondgenius.com
Runners-up: Von Maur; Aimée
Staff picks: K.Renee,
Sahar’s Fashion Gallery
Top shop for men’s clothing:
Badowers
badowers.com
Runners-up: Mr. B; Von Maur
Staff pick: Mr. B
Top shop to buy shoes:
Von Maur
vonmaur.com
Runners-up: Blond Genius; DSW
Staff pick: Von Maur
Top specialty market:
Gateway Market
gatewaymarket.com
Runners-up: Whole Foods Market; Trader Joe’s
Staff pick: Gateway Market
Top wine shop:
Ingersoll Wine & Spirits
ingersollwine.com
Runners-up: Gateway Market;
Jasper Winery
Staff pick: Ingersoll Wine & Spirits
Top furniture store:
Homemakers Furniture Inc.
shophomemakers.com
Runners-up: The Mansion;
Projects Contemporary Furniture
Staff pick: Projects Contemporary Furniture
Top jewelry store:
Josephs Jewelers
josephsjewelers.com
Runners-up: Anglo International;
Blond Genius
Staff picks: 2AU Ltd., Elements Ltd.
Top shop for vintage goods:
West End Architectural Salvage
westendsalvage.com
Runners-up: Hill Vintage & Knits;
Found Things
(Disclosure: Hill Vintage & Knits is owned by dsm style director Jessica Miller.)
Staff pick: Beaverdale Vintage
Top floral shop:
Boesen the Florist
boesen.com
Runners-up: Hy-Vee Inc.;
Divine Flowers by Saley
Staff pick: Boesen the Florist
Top auto dealer:
Willis Auto Campus
willisautocampus.com
Runner-up: Bob Brown Chevrolet
Staff pick: European Motorcars
Top children’s store:
Pink Hippo
pinkhippoiowa.com
Runners-up: Von Maur;
Baby Gap/Gap Kids
Staff pick: Von Maur
Services
Top caterer:
Taste! To Go Catering & Events
tastetogo.net
Runners-up: Hy-Vee Inc.;
Gateway Market
Staff pick: Taste! To Go Catering & Events
Top hair salon:
Salon Utopia
experienceutopia.com
Runners-up: Salon Bliss; Serenity
Staff pick: Salon Spa W
Top spa:
The Spa at West Glen
spawestglen.com
Runners-up: Sahar’s Salon and Day Spa; East Village Salon and Day Spa
Staff pick: The Spa at West Glen
Top dry cleaner:
French Way Cleaners
frenchwaycleaners.com
Runners-up: Crown Cleaners;
Victoria Cleaners
Staff pick: French Way Cleaners
Top lawn care service:
Lawns Unlimited
419-8321 (no website available)
Runners-up: A+ Lawn & Landscape; Perficut Lawn & Landscape
Staff pick: Wright Outdoor Solutions
Top Local Attraction
Iowa State Fair
Wind power:
The wind turbine on Expo Hill produces enough energy to provide the equivalent of one quarter of the Iowa State Fairgrounds’ energy needs year-round. That’s about the amount of energy needed to power the entire fairgrounds, including the midway and all its rides, during the 11-day fair.
Magnificent flying machine? Meh…
Amelia Earhart saw her first plane at the 1908 Iowa State Fair and was not impressed, calling it “a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked not at all interesting.”
Ouch!
The Women’s Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest held at Pioneer Hall was originally the Rolling Pin Throw. It was changed several years ago for safety reasons.
Notable debuts in fair food history:
Chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick, 1996; pork chop on a stick, 1999; deep-fried candy bars, Twinkies and Oreo cookies, 2003.
3000 E. Grand Ave.; 262.3111 iowastatefair.org
Top Nonprofit Organization
Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL)
Unique rescues:
A serval (a medium-sized African wildcat), a Bengal tiger, macaque monkeys and an alligator.
Largest recent rescue:
More than 250 dogs from a puppy mill in north-central Iowa and 39 horses in Carroll County.
For the love of pit bulls:
“Ambass-A-Bull” is a nationally recognized and award-winning pit bull dog awareness and adoption program. The goal of the program is to reverse negative stereotypes about the breed and promote pit bull awareness and education through positive interaction with the community, including school and nursing home visits. The ARL’s “spokesdog,” Freedom, is a pit bull.
Cost to care for an animal:
$12.50 per day, on average
Number of animals cared for:
The ARL cares for more than 20,000 animals each year. The number includes animals taken into care as well as those in low-income assistance programs.
5452 N.E. 22nd St.; 473.9101; arl-iowa.org
Top Pizza Restaurant
Fong’s Pizza
What’s in a name:
Inspiration came from the name “Fong’s” on a vintage poster. The owners thought it was catchy and that it also captured the essence of what the menu offers.
Most popular pizza:
Crab Rangoon, which outsells the next top-selling pizza by six to one. The morning before the Super Bowl, Fong’s sold 108 large crab Rangoon pizzas.
Strangest pizza topping:
Taco chips. “Someone ordered a pizza with taco chips and honey once,” says Gwen Page, general manager and an owner. “Call it creativity or the munchies.”
That helmet?
Customers don the helmet when attempting the Super Terrific
Kamikaze shot.
“Fongolians” unite:
Regular customers are known as Fongolians, or “ambassadors to the Fong,” who can guide new “Fongers” around the menu and restaurant. “Fongolians can be anyone who appreciates the creativity and fun that goes into our restaurant,” says Page. You can become “Fongolian of the Month” by emailing a fun photo of yourself to fongspizza@gmail.com.
223 Fourth St.; 323.3333; fongspizza.com
Top Dry Cleaning Service
French Way Cleaners
History:
French Way opened in 1909. Mike McBroom bought the business in 1974.
What’s in a name:
Dry cleaning was invented in France in the mid-1800s, hence “French Way” Cleaners.
Dry it:
The process is called “dry cleaning” because it doesn’t use water, but it does use a series of chemical solvents to clean the fabric.
Statues:
At the 413 Euclid Ave. location, there are two statues of men blowing French horns. The building was originally constructed in 1909 to house the business.
Awards:
Excellence in Historic Preservation from the city of Des Moines; beautification award from the Highland Park Business Club; plant design award from American Dry Cleaner magazine.
Several locations; 243.4264; frenchwaycleaners.com
Stories in this section written by Sara Judson Brown.
Model: Amy Roder
Faviana red gown and jewelry all from Schaffer’s Impromptu in West Des Moines.
Photos by Duane Tinkey
