dsmWeekly: January 15, 2019

Served in a jar, Reed Hollow’s smoked chicken is one example of why we list the Beaverdale restaurant as a "singular sensation."

NEW GUIDE: 'THIS IS HOW WE DO DES MOINES'

We love our city, so we're very excited about a new guide to the local places and things we enjoy most about Greater Des Moines. "This Is How We Do Des Moines" is a selective, rather than comprehensive, guide to the city, highlighting details that are favorites of our dsm editors and collaborators, the places we go and recommend to our friends and visitors.

You can get a printed copy in our offices here in The Depot, 100 Fourth St., or simply click through it online in this section of our website, dsmMagazine.com. You'll find recommendations for shopping, bars and restaurants, arts and cultural attractions, and our region's wonderful parks and trails. Read up and reserve some time to "Do Des Moines" as we do.

Learn about local pizza from an expert—and from the guys who bake the pies—on an upcoming pizza tour.

FOLLOW A PIZZA EXPERT ON A LOCAL PIZZA TOUR

By Wini Moranville

For most of us, February is a "dead zone" when it comes to travel. Why not fix this via an afternoon of culinary exploration in our own fine city? Alessandra Meschini, of Cooking with Alessandra, has paired up with Eric Prosperi, who runs Wow! Des Moines Tours, to host the Wow! Des Moines Pizza Tour on select weekend afternoons from Feb. 9 through March 10. To explore the history of pizza in our city and the many styles of pie available here, the tour will stop at a number of venues—from iconic to relative newcomers—for tastings and a chance to meet with owners or managers of each spot.

What are some of the stops? "There are so many great pizza restaurants in Des Moines, so we change the restaurants up with each tour," says Meschini. "On past tours, we have visited Noah’s, Chuck’s, Red Rossa, Scornavacca’s, Papa Kenos and Gusto."

I asked Meschini if, at some point, she revealed her favorite style of pizza—she is Italian, after all, and inquiring minds would love an "insider's scoop." She said that while she and Prosperi do have some favorites, the tour is really about trying new places and new varieties. "We spend a lot of time working with the restaurants to uncover their stories, like recipe origins, off-the-menu varieties, family stories, building histories, etc. This is the real insider scoop."

Each tour costs $60 to $70 depending on the number in your party (save $10 if four or more sign up). Tours are limited to 17-24 people and start at 2 p.m. Get tickets and further details at Eventbrite.com.

P.S.: In case you haven't heard, as reported on my All Things Food - DSM Facebook page, St. Kilda Cafe is expanding to a second location this spring. They'll be moving into the former Starbuck's space in the Temple for Performing Arts.

Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.

From yoga classes to paintings, Heritage Gallery serves many goals. Next up, a juried show of local photography opens Monday.

HERITAGE GALLERY HOSTS LOCAL PHOTO EXHIBIT

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Polk County Heritage Gallery is hosting "Captured in Des Moines," the gallery's first juried show of local photography. The exhibit, which opens Monday, Jan. 21, and runs through March 8, aims to highlight our city through the lenses of the area's most talented photographers.

Located downtown in the county's public services complex at 111 Court Ave., the gallery occupies a 1908 structure that was Des Moines' main post office at the time. Run completely by volunteers, the gallery is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A detail from "Apollo and Venus." On the right is her son, Cupid. You can see the painting in person, restored, starting next week.

APOLLO AND VENUS: THEIR TRIUMPHANT RETURN

That most famous couple at Hoyt Sherman Place, Apollo and Venus, go on public display at last, starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. A presentation will follow at 6 p.m., then a free public reception from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

This event marks the completion of an eight-year restoration program for artwork acquired by the Des Moines Women's Club over the past 125 years. To date, 53 paintings from the collection have been revived by Chicago painting conservator Barry Bauman, including works by Thomas Moran, George Inness, and Edwin Lord Weeks.

As for "Apollo and Venus," the 400-year-old work attributed to Flemish artist Otto Van Veen, the painting had been lost in the shadows of a storeroom until discovered in February 2016 by Executive Director Robert Warren, during a search for some Civil War flags. You first read about it in this dsm magazine story.

Singer and songwriter Blake Shelton will be in Des Moines March 14, along with other country music stars.

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD ...

Blake Shelton headlines a March 14 show coming to the Iowa Events Center, along with Lauren Alaina, the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins. For other fun opportunities, explore a pair of easy-to-use online calendars. We at dsm magazine and the Business Record maintain this calendar with handy filters so you can see just the types of events you're searching for. For even more categories, check Catch Des Moines.