Visiting authors include, clockwise from upper left: Amor Towles, Jeremy Bernard, John Lescroart, Stephanie Powell Watts, Ryan Holiday and Lea Berman.

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING: THE AUTHORS ARE COMING!

Chef Nick Marino is about to make his mark on plates as well as on the Des Moines dining scene.

NEW CHEF IN TOWN: NICK MARINO

By Wini Moranville

The new $101 million Hilton Downtown Des Moines is set to open in March. Located at Fifth Avenue and Park Street, the sleek 330-room hotel will feature the Park Street Kitchen, a restaurant open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The dining room will seat 110, and the patio—with bistro lights and a fireplace—will provide 56 additional spots.

Heading up the kitchen is Nick Marino, a 2002 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. His resume includes a three-year stint at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, where he worked with celebrity chef Richard Sandoval to unveil a new restaurant concept for the hotel. He also worked as sous-chef for RPM Italian, a high-volume venue in Chicago’s River North area. Most recently, Marino was the executive sous-chef at Chicago’s Waldorf Astoria restaurant.

Marino has been sampling the Des Moines dining scene since arriving here a little over a year ago. “It is nice to see the city keeping up with current culinary trends and raising the bar," he says. “I plan to continue to push those boundaries and show what we can do with a lot of the amazing products available to us in Des Moines, using simple techniques and just putting a lot of love into what we do.”  

The menu will include sharable plates, such as cheese and charcuterie arrangements and wood-fired flatbreads. A salt-roasted beet salad and a little gem wedge salad will star on the soup and salad menu, while main plates include scallops, short ribs and house-made fettuccine.

Find more information on the hotel and restaurant here.

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

Ballerinas step out in lively fashion when Runway Ballet returns Feb. 23.

BALLET EVENT AND INTERN

Ballet Des Moines seems downright determined to add "FUN!" to the always elegant image of ballet. What other ballet company would be so eagerly involved with a fashion runway show and a cartoonist?

The dance company's Runway Ballet event offers an evening of collaboration between the grace and artistry of ballet and the elegance of style and fashion. On Feb. 23, dancers will take to the runway, modeling local fashions from Sarah Dornink while performing dances specially choreographed for them, accompanied by award-winning cabaret artist Scilla Hess. Runway Ballet begins at 6 p.m. at River Center, 340 S.W. Third St. Tickets are $125. Find more information here.

And the cartoonist? He's Nathan Wright, the ballet's latest artist-in-residence. Wright is a Des Moines-based illustrator and artist. His work is inspired by science fiction, emerging tech and mythology, says the ballet's executive director, Laurel Knox. "While he is not a traditional choice, we are really intrigued by his proposed project to create a comic book inspired by ballet and our dancers," she says. We're intrigued, too.

At least one dining suggestion will be included in every issue of dsmWeekend, the newest email newsletter from dsm magazine.

FROM DSM TO YOU: IDEAS FOR EVERY WEEKEND

As much as we enjoy these weekly visits with dsmWeekly, we think you deserve more. And here it is: dsmWeekend, a new Friday-morning newsletter with the latest and best things to consider as you finalize your weekend plans.

"dsm has covered the scene and scene-setters for 15 years," noted publisher Kris Maggard in introducing the first issue of dsmWeekend last Friday. "You can trust that our independent recommendations are provided as a service to you, our readers."

The new newsletter joins dsmWeekly (ahem, yours truly) and dsmWealth, dedicated to tips to help readers make smart purchases, investments and other financial decisions. Of course they're all free and easy to receive. Just click here to sign up.

"Driftless Clouds, Endless Fields" is a pastel work by Ellen Wagener, an artist featured in a new exhibit at Olson-Larsen Galleries.

ART EXHIBITS EASE WINTERTIME BLUES

A cast of 15 will sing popular songs from recent musicals as the Des Moines Community Playhouse continues its Countdown to 100.

AGE 100 HAS NEVER BEEN LIVELIER

Des Moines Community Playhouse continues its countdown to turning 100 next year. Friday and Saturday,  Feb. 16 and 17, the Playhouse presents "Countdown to 100: Musicals of the 2000s." The revue features an all-star Playhouse cast of 15 singing popular tunes from shows including "Hairspray," "Les Misérables" and "Wicked."

The celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with hors d'oeuvres and drinks, followed by the musical revue at 7:30 p.m. The revue will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Playhouse lobby will be transformed into a piano lounge following the performance both nights.

The Playhouse's 100th season will include three musicals, plus drama, comedy and family shows. All will be revealed at the 2018-19 season announcement party Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. The festivities begin with a social hour featuring light hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and live music from Francine Griffith.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer and songwriter Jackson Browne comes to Des Moines in June.

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD…

Tickets go on sale Friday for Jackson Browne, who will perform at the Des Moines Civic Center June 21.    Explore more entertainment options with 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.