dsmWeekly: September 14, 2022

Downtown Indianola's Savor the Rise's Little Italy toast stars house-made sourdough, ricotta cheese, pesto, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan over a bed of arugula and finished with their private label extra virgin olive oil. Photo by Duane Tinkey.

FOOD AND DINING
Savor the Rise Brings Flour Power to Indianola

Writer: Karla Walsh

A short 25-minute drive away from downtown Des Moines, there’s a lot to savor at Deja Keppler’s bakery Savor the Rise (107 E. Salem Ave., Indianola). Scroll through the @savortherise Instagram account for proof; recent speedy sell-out items include cherry-almond croissants, fig tarts with Mascarpone cream and the Saturday special: cinnamon rolls.

In December 2021, Savor the Rise opened its doors on the Indianola square after Keppler spent more than two years selling at farmers markets, developing a list of wholesale accounts and custom orders, and launching her own olive oil and balsamic company (with the same brand name). She now welcomes guests into her cozy coffee shop/bakery that’s overflowing with good energy—and even better aromas.

Even though the space needed a lot of work and took 2 1/2 months to renovate, “with the preexisting customer base, and almost feeling limited to what I could bring the consumer at farmers markets, it just felt like the right next step,” she says.

Keppler’s love of pastries is nothing new: “I stayed home with both of my children when they were younger, so it allowed me a decent amount of time to tinker with things. Baking ended up becoming a wonderful passion for me.”

Savor the Rise often sells out well before the scheduled close time each day, likely the result of all of the products’ local, seasonal ingredients, Keppler says, paired with a healthy dose of nostalgia. “I really love being able to create recipes that make people feel something—an adult version of a childhood favorite, like banana-mocha lattes, ‘adult toaster strudels’ made with berries and cream in puff pastry, or PB&J toast,” she says.

In addition to pasties, Keppler creates loads of loaves. Homemade breads like potato rosemary and sourdough are popular, as well as sandwiches, toasts with a variety of toppings, sweet lattes, fruit-infused balsamic vinegars and some of the richest-tasting olive oil you can find in the state.

The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (or until sold out).

Dancers perform at the 2021 World Food & Music Festival in Western Gateway Park. Photo courtesy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

World Food & Music Festival Returns This Weekend

Although summer is quickly winding down, there's still time to squeeze in a low-stress trip around the world without leaving downtown Des Moines.

The 2022 World Food & Music Festival returns to Western Gateway Park Sept. 16–18 with 50 food and drink vendors representing 27 countries, including Bosnia, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Tanzania and Vietnam. After making the rounds, find recipes to take home at the Culinary Discovery Pavilion highlighting the diversity in Greater Des Moines’ food offerings.

Catch Parranderos Latin Combo on Friday evening, a cooking challenge on Saturday morning, and a range of performances from Ukrainian and Vietnamese vocalists, Gateway Dance Theater, Scottish bagpipe group MacKenzie Highlanders, Native American dancers Morningstar Dance Troupe and more.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. View the program schedule and list of vendors on the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s website.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

“Guys and Dolls” (Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.): This 1930s musical fable set in New York featuring gamblers, showgirls, missionaries and classic songs like “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” kicks off a three-week run at Des Moines Community Playhouse starting Friday. A pre-show talk presented by Playhouse staff starts 30 minutes before the show.

“Sweat” (Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.): Iowa Stage Theatre Company’s production of Lynn Nottage’s story of factory workers as they struggle with labor strife and racial tension will debut at the Stoner Theater. The show runs through Sept. 25.

Des Moines Biergarten (Thursday and Friday 2–10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon-10 p.m.): Join in on the German tradition of beer gardens every weekend in September and October at Water Works Park. You’ll find local and German brews, German-inspired bites, live music and yard games.

Beaverdale Fall Festival (Friday 5–11 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.–11 p.m.): Beaverdale has a host of activities lined up, including live music, a carnival, a market, food vendors, a literary trivia contest and more. The festival will be located in downtown Beaverdale on Beaver and Urbandale avenues between Beaver Crest Drive to the south and Adams Avenue to the north. Parking is limited—carpooling is recommended.

Sonic Butterfly art installation (Thursday 6:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday times vary): Take in a free visual and musical experience at Cowles Commons as Andrea Brook plays a 26-string acoustic long string harp. The strings are a minimum of 60 feet long and span out over the audience.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
No Earth without ‘art’: The Des Moines Arts Festival will hold the inaugural Wine & Clay event on Nov. 12 to celebrate the earth arts, which include pottery, fiber, glass, metal and wood. Browse artists’ works, view demonstrations, and enjoy a glass or flight of wines from Gateway Market. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Valley Junction Activity Center in West Des Moines. Attendees can also purchase a plate handmade by a local artist to fill with Gateway appetizers and take home. Quantity of the plates is limited, so purchasing advanced tickets is recommended. Advance tickets for the plates as well as general admission ($5) will be available online beginning Oct. 4. Earth artists interested in participating can apply through Sept. 23.

FOOD AND DRINK
Bites and sights: The last Eat. Drink. Architecture. event of the year will tour the eateries and sights of the Drake neighborhood and campus on Oct. 8. You’ll start with brunch at the University Library Cafe, then stop at Varsity Theater and Lucky Horse for more food and drink breaks as you take in the area’s modernist landmarks and distinctive religious architecture as part of the tour. Choose from four start times, with the first starting at 10 a.m. Tickets are $40 and are available online.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Authors honored: Des Moines Public Library Foundation will hold the 2022 Iowa Author Awards Dinner Friday, Oct. 14, to honor outstanding Iowa authors and literary champions. This year’s honorees include Art Cullen, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author; Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels; and Nate Staniforth, author of “Here is Real Magic: A Magician’s Search for Wonder in the Modern World.” Learn more about the event and purchase tickets online.

At the new downtown spot Platform, the stars of Impact Pro Wrestling took over the venue.

One Day in Des Moines: 15 Hours, 22 Venues

Writer: Chad Taylor
Photographer: Betsy Rudicil

There’s nothing to do in Des Moines. Spend any time on the Des Moines subreddit, and you’ll find abundant confirmation. We are bereft of nightlife, low on entertainment options and devoid of outdoor events. Welcome to Dead Moines.

Except, that’s clearly not the case. During the Before Times—pre-COVID—the capital city was rife with live music, theater, food trucks and entertainment. Now, two and a half long, stressful years later, the city has opened back up and returned to some form of pre pandemic “normal.”

But what does that “normal” even look and feel like now? To find out, photographer Betsy Rudicil and I set out on the morning of May 21 to see what the city had to offer on a typical Saturday. What we found over the next 15 hours was encouraging, at times unexpected, and completely memorable. Continue reading.

View the full Sept./Oct. issue of dsm Magazine online.