Resturant Review Gusto Pizza Co.

Gusto Pizza Co.

 

Made a stop at Gusto Pizza Co. in Des Moines and had some great pizza I had no idea what to expect and was pleased. I was encouraged to try the meat balls and I’ll be honest I am (was) not much of a meat ball guy but Gusto has changed that, can’t wait to have some more. Here they are in all their glory.       The marinara Gusto serves is awesome and came with the meatballs and with the cheese bread, It just plain tastes fresh. The pizza had a good crispy crust and topped with what you could tell were quality ingredients. I ordered the “The Duke” which consisted  of Russ & Frank's Sassy BBQ sauce, smoked brisket, mozzarella, colby jack, red onion and cilantro. When I saw brisket I was sold, because I love brisket. Personally I like barbeque sauce less and less and could have used less of the Russ & Franks but overall some good brisket and a great pie.

Besides the meatballs the Spartacus was the surprise of the night is came with  a Red sauce, Graziano's Italian sausage (yum), pepperoni, mozzarella ,and banana peppers.

 

 

This was my favorite of the two. Overall a great place for pizza that has made my top 5 pizza places I’ve ever been.

Service is hard to rate due to the fact you order at the counter but overall a place I’d go back to in a heartbeat.

Gusto Pizza Co.
1905 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50309
515-244-8786

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) everyday

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  4

Service:         4                                                                                   

Food:            5

Value:          3.5

Overall          4.5

 As far as a pure pizza place goes I would give it an overall rating of 5 out of 5

 

Resturant Review: Cosi Cucina

Cosi Cucina

 Made a second trip to Cosi Cucina in Clive and was shocked to find out that I had not reviewed it the first time. Cosi Cucina has a very nice atmosphere, sophisticated but not stuffy, romantic yet not sappy. The service the first time was exceptional, this time a little let’s say weird. The waiter was trying to be funny and failed, and included himself in a toast due to the fact it was national wine day. But as far as service goes he was good. As far as the food goes it is as good as it gets, whenever a person can go to a place and say that they just had the best of something they have ever had that’s good, but when a person can say they just had the best two that’s great. Not too often I would get excited about a salad but the Candied Almond salad left a lasting impression with its feta cheese, blackberry vinaigrette dressing and oh yes the candied almonds. I am a true meat eater but it would not take much to convince me to just have the salad. One of the dishes at the table was the Balsamic Chicken pictured here.

 

It was as good as it looks.  The green beans were amazing! The other dishes were the Ziti Cucina and a tomato linguini both excellent but the dish of the night right shown here

 

 

is causing me to have dreams at night. The Potato Ravioli is the best pasta dish I have ever had. It included bacon and steak tips in a rich brown sauce. I wish I could have more. Overall the serving sizes were generous and when you include the price with the quality of the food the overall value it outstanding, possibly my favorite restaurant in all of Iowa right now.

 

1975 NW 86th St Clive, IA 50325
(515) 278-8148

 

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) a night out

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  5

Service:         4                                                        

Food:            5

Value:          5

Overall          5

Resturant Review: Waveland Cafe

Waveland Café

 

Visited what could possibly be a Des Moines institution, The Waveland Café has been voted the best breakfast in the Metro for like 16 straight years. I’ll say not much for looks but that’s part of its charm. When we arrived the line was almost out the door I asked a regular if we needed to give our name to someone he said no seating is just kind of on the honor system. For a minute it was kind of nerve racking but in the end it just again added to the charm, along with the 80’s rock music playing in the background. I’m not really sure how to best say this but the appearance of the wait staff would make you wonder. But it was some of the best service I’ve had anywhere and they knew how to get people in and out while busing their own tables. Proves you can’t judge a book by its cover. The bacon left a little to be desired, and not often I say this but the eggs really had good flavor. The highlight was definitely the hash browns, not sure how they cook them but they were the best I’ve ever had. They were crisp on the outside and the insides literally melted in your mouth. I can’t wait to go back. The Waveland café just solidifies my phrase if there is not a wait, keep the plate.

 4708 University Ave Des Moines, IA 50311
(515) 279-4341

 

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) everyday

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  5

Service:         5                                            

Food:            5

Value:           4

Overall          5

Resturant Review: Centro

Centro

I recently was able to have a meal at Centro in downtown Des Moines which has been consistently voted the number one restaurant in the capital city. The atmosphere is what I would call sophisticated but not stuffy.  Our waiter was attentive and very friendly and outgoing. However he did not know the soup and everything just happened to be his favorite. I didn’t buy it for a second but overall he was pretty good. We were started off with some bread and oil which was very good.  It was followed by the Centro salad the toasted pecans and the gorgonzola was a refreshing touch. The potato leek soup was full of flavor and something I would definitely have again. The main dishes at our table were all very good. They included Chicken Francese, Ricotta Gnocchi, Chicken and Prosciutto all very good, the Gnocchi was probably the least favorite of the three. But the best dish at the table was the Parmesan-Encrusted Halibut which included a lemon butter sauce, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus. The lemon butter sauce turned what would have been just another piece of fish into a memorable meal. My next statement in many cases would not be seen as a positive one but the best thing of the night was the buttermilk mashed potatoes. Wow, the best mashed potatoes I have ever had. They were creamy yet had chucks of potatoes in them, not sure how they did it but I’m glad they did. Besides the small disappointment in the waiter the biggest let down was the fact that the online menu did not match what they actually had. Still everything else made up for it. A good place to go on any special occasion.

 

Centro
1003 Locust St Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 248-1780

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) special occasion only

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  5

Service:         4

Food:            5

Value:           4

Overall          4.5

Resturant Review: The Radish

The Radish

The Radish is a strange name for a restaurant and yes they do serve a radish with every meal. Upon arrival I had high hopes for the place as it was located in what used to be a house. As we waited for a table the place looked pretty nice complete with a wine selection in plain sight. However that is where the night ended for us. We ended up getting placed in a secluded corner of the restaurant which sounds good in theory. Our table was in an isolated spot right next to the one, unisex bathroom with a nice cold draft running under the table. So under the circumstances the atmosphere for me that night not good. For the service, it almost started out good I do like a waitress that does not need to write the orders down. However the first thing we ordered they were out of, along with the second and yes, the third and it was not that late. The most disappointing thing about the service was that our waitress always had an excuse for the things that happened and threw anyone and everyone else under the bus. It was the guy who seated us that should have told us what they were out of. A Daddy Daughter Dance was the reason they were out of everything by 7:00 pm and when we had to go get our check it somehow was the fault of the bus girl. The radish is a fine dining establishment with fast food service. At this point the food would have to be perfect to be average. I had the walleye if it was my first walleye, it may have very wall been the last. I tried some mashed potatoes that were cold, the bread on both sandwiches was way too hard.  On the positive side the hash browns were good and the red apple coleslaw was amazing; the best coleslaw I’ve ever had. But it was too little too late. With prices of the entrees $20 and up my expectations increase the radish this night was more like a turnip bitter and hard to swallow.

 The Radish

721 E 1st St Grimes, IA 50111
(515) 986-1900

 Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) special occasion ony

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  2

Service:         2

Food:            2

Value:           2

Overall          2

Resturant Review Mullets

Mullets

When it comes to judging a place for atmosphere and or décor a person has to decide to either judge on what they like or if the place pulled off the look they were going for. Mullets definitely pulled off what they were going for. Within reach of where I was sitting there were pictures of Patrick Swayze, Mario Lopez, and Billy Ray Cyrus all sporting, yes mullets. I actually caught myself looking for someone with an actual mullet. The service was very good and the waitress knowledgeable she did mess up one of the orders but completely owned up to it. We started out with ½ orders of both nachos and onion rings. I always appreciated the option of half orders of appetizers. The onion rings were the thin stringy type which can tend to be greasy these were not at all. When we ordered I said no nachos for me but when they arrived I could not help but try them. They were without a doubt the best nachos I have ever had. They were layered with just the right amount of cheese and toppings. At the table we had a Wild West burger with bacon and bbq sauce, a cheese burger, a set of sliders, a strawberry gouda turkey sandwich, and possibly the highlight of the meal were the sweet potato tater tots that were served with a marshmallow sauce that was to die for. It was immediately classified as a dessert. An overall great place to eat with a great view of the Des Moines skyline.

 

Mullets

1300 SE 1st St Des Moines, IA 50315
(515) 244-1443

 

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) everyday

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere:  4

Service:         3

Food:            4

Value:           4

Overall          4