I’m not writing this to create controversy between us strong and proud and deeply rooted east-siders against the rest of Des Moines. It’s no secret which side of town I identify with, but in the interest of fairness, that bias (for now) is out the window. With sound mind and even better taste buds, there’s no question where the city’s best family-owned Italian food, and especially pizza, can be found.

Z’s Eatery and Draught Haus is located at 1501 N. 1st St. in Indianola. Wesley Zeitz, general manager and part owner of Z’s Eatery and Draught Haus in Indianola, celebrated the two-year anniversary of the restaurant on May 1. “For my inspiration, I have always known that I wanted to cook great food that makes people happy,” said Zeitz, also known as Chef Z.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at Perry Public Library Community Room. The final spring market will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the Perry Public Library Community Room before the Perry Farmers Market returns for the summer season in June. These indoor spring markets will be limited to 4-8 vendors per market but are expected to have a wide variety of offerings, including seasonal produce when available, jams and jellies, fresh baked goods and handcrafted items.

Join us for Food Truck Thursdays on May 12th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the main Shuler parking lot! Charlotte's Kitchen & Totally Rolled Ice Cream food trucks are coming out to serve delicious food & yummy ice cream! They will donate a portion of their profit to our Shuler kiddos…so skip cooking dinner for the night, & enjoy time with other Shuler families!

Restaurant kingpins Alexander and Whitney Hall have an empire on their hands. The couple owned five cafes in New York City before moving to Des Moines, opening their first St. Kilda Café & Bakery on MLK Boulevard south of downtown on the bottom floor of Harbach Lofts in 2017. Whitney, who grew up in Urbandale, convinced her London-born husband to give up the New York life and move to the slower pace of bucolic Iowa.

The Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market returned for the 2022 season on May 7 with 275 vendors, including 30-plus newbies. The market spans Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines from Second Avenue to Fifth Street, with side streets along the way filled with vendors. The Des Moines Partnership, which manages the farmers market, expected 40,000 people for opening day, but usually about 25,000 walk the streets from 7 a.m. to noon.