dsmWeekly: October 30, 2018

A few things have changed since the Fitch Building was churning out soap in the first half of the 20th century. Explore it Friday.

FIRST-EVER 'WEST END ART AMBLE' FRIDAY

The biannual open house at the art studios of the Fitch Building downtown will kick off the first-ever West End Art Amble from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Snag a map at the Fitch entrance, 304 15th St., and explore art shows, jazz, food and comedy happening between 15th and Ninth streets.

Many resident artists will be on hand to show their space and their work, much of which will be for sale. Local artists have used the century-old, four-story Fitch—a onetime soap factory—as studio space since the 1980s.
To learn more, visit the Fitch Building on Facebook. And for more about the West End art district (along Locust, Walnut, Mulberry and Cherry streets between Ninth and 15th), click here.

Get a taste of Kansas City, traveling no farther south than Truman's KC Pizza Tavern, 400 S.E. Sixth St.

CLAIMING A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
By Wini Moranville

The more I travel the U.S., and the more I go out to eat in Des Moines, I've come to a heartening conclusion: The craft beer revolution has thoroughly upgraded casual dining, even at the pizzeria and burger baseline. Eateries that serve a great lineup of craft brews, more often than not, have elevated their food to the level of the beers.

This assumption recently guided me to Truman's KC Tavern. Like other venues in the Full Court Press spate of good-time joints, this one is beer-centric. While the sharpest focus is on beers from Kansas City (Boulevard Brewing, in particular), the 24 taps include craft beers from all over the Midwest.

I loved everything about this place, starting with the cozy knotty pine and gleaming-dark wood interior. Yes, the TVs are ever-present (the venue is dedicated to both KC beers and sports), but they're not in-your-face obnoxious. On a quiet Tuesday night, the bartender patiently pointed me to a beer I thoroughly enjoyed (the smooth and vanilla-y Eastern Cottontail IPA from Waterloo's SingleSpeed Brewing Co.).

Our equally affable server spoke enthusiastically about the Podolak Pizza, topped with Graziano sausage, pepperoni, red peppers, mushrooms, onions and pineapple. The pizza was great —you could tell they'd tested it over and over again to get a signature crust (both hearty-puffy and crisp) and a fine-tuned balance of toppings. It was great in a way I found myself dreaming of the next day.

This may well be my new neighborhood bar, even if it's not exactly in my neighborhood.

Truman's KC Pizza Tavern is at 400 S.E. Sixth St., 515-214-2759; trumanstavern.com.

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

You can see this year’s Sages Over 70 at the awards event next week, but you can see their influence on our city any day. It’s visible in downtown developments. It’s apparent in the community’s social fabric. You can see it in the careers of people they have befriended and mentored. Their names are on buildings, landmarks and cultural programs—on scholarships, honors and awards.

We at dsm magazine are privileged each year to celebrate lives so well lived. This year's honorees are Simon Estes, James Hubbell III, William Kimball, William Lillis, Patsy Shors and Catherine G. Williams. Learn more about them by clicking here.

Please join us in congratulating and celebrating the Sages of 2018 at the recognition reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 8 in the ballroom of the Hilton Des Moines Downtown, 435 Park St. Each of our honorees will share insights into their philosophies and principles—comments that are sure to motivate the best in all of us.

And you can hear from them now, in conversations videotaped by Duane and Dylan Huey of Good Plan Productions. The video is available on our website, dsmMagazine.com. Also on our website, at this page, you will also find details about the event, including how to get tickets, which are $50 each.

As in previous years, event proceeds will benefit the Sages Over 70 Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, our presenting partner. To learn more about the fund and how you can contribute, visit desmoinesfoundation.org.

It isn’t as obvious as the paint behind him, but Chuck Current is leaving his mark on the Des Moines Social Club.

DES MOINES SOCIAL CLUB ON THE RIGHT TRACK

In his second year as executive director of the Des Moines Social Club, Chuck Current's style is more relaxed than it was during his suit-and-tie days as an executive at Principal, Wells Fargo and, most recently, a bank in Maquoketa, where he grew up. At 57, his résumé lists all sorts of things about mortgage lending and insurance underwriting, but he now leads an organization that offers film screenings, cooking demonstrations and classes on something called American Tribal Style Belly Dance (both beginning and advanced).

The club finished both 2016 and 2017 with an operating deficit, but a recent update showed the club’s roughly $580,000 income outpaced expenses by about $30,000 in the first six months of 2018—right on track with budget projections for the year. Click here to read this article free at dsmMagazine.com.

Apparel is just one of the gift categories you'll find at the Holiday Boutique this weekend at the Iowa Events Center.

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE COMING TO EVENTS CENTER

More than 200 vendors are coming together this weekend for the second annual Des Moines Holiday Boutique, Nov. 2-4 at the Iowa Events Center. You'll find jewelry, fashions, gifts, children’s items, and gourmet foods for the holiday season. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12 ($10 if purchased online in advance). For tickets and more information, click here.

Dance Theatre of Harlem performs Tuesday, Nov. 6, as part of the annual dance series presented by Des Moines Performing Arts.

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM SOARS NOV. 6

The beauty of classical ballet and innovative contemporary dance come to the Des Moines Civic Center Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. presented by the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Celebrating its 50th season, the 16-member, multi-ethnic company performs neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as modern works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African-American culture. Dance Theatre of Harlem has performed at the White House and prominent theaters worldwide. Tickets for the Des Moines performance range from $16 to $61; get yours here.

Detail from a painting by Scott Charles Ross, one of the artists featured in an exhibition opening Friday at Moberg Gallery.

MOBERG SHOW FEATURES ARTISTS GRANT, ROSS

A public reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at Moberg Gallery (2921 Ingersoll Ave.) will mark the opening of a monthlong exhibition of works by five prominent artists: Sarah Grant, Scott Charles Ross, Conn Ryder, Toby Penney and Jason Woodside. The exhibition will run through Dec. 1. Moberg's annual Winter Group Show will open Dec. 7.

Our host Chaden Halfhill of Silent Rivers addresses the crowd outside at Monday night's celebration.

OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE IS HERE; READ IT ONLINE

About 400 people took advantage of yesterday's splendid weather to attend the party celebrating the newest issue of dsm magazine and the 25th anniversary of our hosts, Silent Rivers Design+Build. The site was an 1880s building, once the town hall for North Des Moines, now being renovated by Silent Rivers as part of the exciting rejuvenation of the north side's Sixth Avenue Corridor. Thanks to all who attended! You can see more photos on Facebook and our website, dsmmagazine.com. The website also features stories from the new issue.