dsmWeekend: Great Weekends Begin Here

Trellis Cafe overlooks the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden scenery and the downtown vista beyond.

A Weekend of Lunch and Lillies

Don't have Saturday plans yet? The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden has all the sights, sounds and smells of summer with an impressive lunch venue, to boot. Trellis Cafe, run by chef/owner Lisa LaValle, is the ideal complement to a sunny Saturday at the garden.

The restaurant’s terrace overlooks the water garden, which flourishes with water lilies, water irises and three islands of tropical and seasonal plants. Add to that a panorama of downtown Des Moines spread out across the river, and our natural and cultural worlds come together in one exhilarating view.

So, what’s to eat? LaValle describes her cooking as "creative cuisine from the plant world," and indeed, grains, legumes and veggies grace the menu in dishes such as a veggie-tabbouleh salad with pumpkin-mint vinaigrette. But meaty entrees—such as pasta with beef brisket and blue cheese—keep carnivores satisfied, too.

Trellis Cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. The Botanical Garden's hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day.

See more of dsm magazine's Eat+Drink restaurant descriptions here.