All Dressed Up (and Someplace to Go)

By Wini Moranville

The scenario: Fabulously dressed, you’ve sampled your way through an appetizer spread at a cocktail party. The party’s over, and now you’re still a little hungry and not quite ready to go home.  The solution: Three top spots for stylish nibbles to complete the evening.

• Splash Raw Bar or the lounge at Splash Seafood Bar & Grill: Great finds include oysters, shellfish cocktails and creative appetizers, such as Kung Pao calamari and shrimp and a smoked sea bass platter. Ask sommelier Ben Nelson to suggest some great end-of-the-night wines to sip alongside. (303 Locust St., 244-5686)
• Centro: Sit in the lounge and watch passers-by through the expansive windows—it’s as big-city as it gets. Enjoy fantastic cheese and charcuterie plates and hearty bruschetta (featuring house-made mozzarella). If you need something substantial, order Mama’s Meatballs, served with a colorful salad of romaine, chickpeas, red onions and roasted red peppers. (1003 Locust St.; 248-1780)
• Trostel’s Dish: One of our first local restaurants to usher in the small-plates style of dining remains a great choice for nibbles-and-sips dining. Sit in one of the romantic curved booths and enjoy creative sliders, cracker-crust pizzas or a variety of Latin, Asian, Mediterranean or American small plates. (12851 University Ave., Clive; 221-3474)

The Raw Bar at Splash Seafood Bar & Grill.
The Raw Bar at Splash Seafood Bar & Grill.

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