Moxie Kitchen + Events is located at 4119 University Ave. Photo: Michael Morain
Writer: Karla Walsh
If your holiday guest list feels like it includes 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping — you get the idea — and there’s no room for everyone at the table, a new events venue can help you host without a hassle. No cleaning, rounding up dishware, shopping or cooking is required, and you can even outsource the drinks to a bartender.
Just head to Moxie Kitchen + Events, 4119 University Ave., which hosted its first private event on Nov. 11. It looks a lot different than the Godfather’s Pizza place that occupied the site until late 2021.
The business is co-owned by a handful of local food entrepreneurs — Beth Jackson of Nourished, Jacob Schroeder of Crafted Food Services and Kali Brudos of DSM Pasta Co. — who use the shared kitchen to prep food for their own respective endeavors and then rent out the kitchen’s spare time to other chefs with culinary projects of their own, such as prepping to-go meals or hosting farm-to-table dinners. The general public can also book the space for cooking classes, cocktail hours, private dinners, brunches and more.
“We have a very versatile space,” Jackson said. “You could have an intimate dinner party, a dress-to-the-nines shindig with a live band or even a party to watch the Super Bowl.”
They’re still taking reservations for the holiday season and into the next year. If you’re interested, just email any of the owners (hello@moxiedesmoines.com) or a caterer from the Moxie portfolio to handle the ingredient sourcing, prep, plating and so forth. If you’d like, you can also hire a Moxie staff bartender to serve beer, wine, cocktails or spirit-free mixed drinks.
As Jackson put it, “This is a blank space where all your ideas and dreams of an event can come true.”
It’s also the only shared-use kitchen in Iowa that offers retail and grab-and-go for the owners and any interested chef renters. Early next year, Moxie will have fresh salads, grain bowls, dried pastas, jarred pasta sauces, bone broths, soups, desserts and a weekly wrap. That means you can stroll in and snag some tasty, nourishing fare — no reservation required.
