alba

being a big city girl, i was pleasantly surprised by des moines, iowa. it’s a fast growing city, with a small, but beautiful downtown. based on the recommendation of a client, b. and i went to alba in the east village, not far from the river. with agreatwine list and knowledgeable servers, alba is agreatplace for modern american cuisine.

wow!!!. we visited during restaurant week and were impressed with the delicious food,greatservice and even greater cocktails. the place was packed but the staff never missed a beat. my only regret is that we had not tried alba earlier. we definitely will be back to check out more of the menu items. i had the beef cheeks stroganoff and my husband had the hangar steak. they were both so flavorful and seasoned perfectly. then i had the best chocolate cake, so rich, so delicious, so ... i can't wait until we go back because i will be ordering that again. my husband had the crème brulee which was also great. our new favorite restaurant!

best meal in des moines - feb 2011. for sure, the best meal of our trip. salt is not a flavor like everywhere else we ate. we booked but there still was a wait, which might annoy some people, but really, here, it was a testament to the fact that no one will rush you while you are eating. people were there for hours, enjoying themselves. the only stressed out person was the hostess. the rest of the staff was flying to and from the kitchen and bar in an enjoyable ballet. we waited at the bar and sat next to a charming des moines resident who recommended almost everything on the menu. cocktails are good: worth showing up early good. bartender is stunning, witty, andgreatat her job. the open kitchen by the bar allows you to witness the insane choreography of a small and effective kitchen. for the food: well made, well presented. we started with the lamb pot stickers: yummy, followed by scallops and the short ribs (deceptively large portion). no room for desserts which in my mind was a crying shame. a must.

an excellent restaurant deserves its due. i first dined at alba a little over a year ago. like many folks in des moines i was still searching for that elusive restaurant withgreatambiance and consistently excellent cuisine. since my first trip to alba i have returned at least a dozen times, and each has been just as good as the last.
not to insult the good people of des moines, but as a non-native iowan i have discovered that the midwestern palate may not lend itself to iowa becoming the next food capital of the world. i have eaten at all of the other fine dining restaurants here in dsm. what i have found is agreatdeal of inconsistency. the most common problem i have encountered is (way) over-salting food, and overcooking.
i'll be fair and say that the service at alba can be a tad slow at times. usually you can get your drinks and order right away, but if you are running low on water you may have to go out of your way to get someone's attention.
alba has a very chic decor which lends it to being somewhere between casual and upscale. the doors on the ceiling are a nice touch, and there are somegreatpieces of art adorning the walls. i'd say it's one of the top spots in dsm for a date night.
now to the food...as i said earlier, without fail, every time i have dined at alba the food has been fantastic. besides just the quality of the food, their menu offers things you simply will not find at any other restaurants here in the city. the last time i ate there, my entree was the braised pork cheeks. i could barely pick them up with my fork they were so tender. my girlfriend got the hawaiian pork burger. it was delicious. as mentioned in another review, alba has some of the best fries in the city.
i want to address one other thing i've seen in reviews here. people seem to complain a lot about the price. is alba a "cheap" restaurant? no. is it "expensive"? certainly not. if two people are planning on eating 3 courses each, plus cocktails/wine, while expecting to get 5 star food, well then you better expect to pay for it. my last meal there we got the jalapeno fritters, hanger steak tartar, pork cheeks, pork burger, and 2 cocktails all for ~$65 dollars if i remember correctly. in my opinion, that is one of the best deals you'll find in the city!
sorry for the long review, but alba deserves all the accolades it receives. after all, you don't get nominated for a james beard award for no reason!

absolutely wonderful. expensive, but i assure you that you will not be going home disappointed. albas has a beautiful atmosphere (for those who enjoy romantic things).greatservice. and some of the best food in des moines. you will defiantly want to visit albas if you truly want a flavorful experience.

okay. i "liked it" on urbanspoon, but i have equal parts apathy and praise about alba.

the menu was nice, with some interesting offerings using local foods. we had an appetizer with house-made chorizo (allegedly). the meat tasted more like italian sausage. not sure where these guys learned/didn't learn to make chorizo?

that curious nitpick aside, the food was mostly good. i wasn't blown away by any of it, as it was fairly standard. the potato gnocchi and prawns in creme fraiche was cooked fine but a little boring both in taste and visually. it was a good entree, just not great. the braised veal was alright, nothing i'd order again. someone at the table ordered salmon, which was...salmon. cooked correctly, nothing wrong with it.

the entree prices were competitive, no complaints there. the atmosphere is great, a bit of minimalism with urban contemporary.

overall, it's an alright place. i'd go back to try more things, but it wouldn't be on the top of my list of places to go. i went shortly after opening; think it could become agreatplace with some more tlc and personality put into the entrees.

agreatfind. immediately seated on a saturday night, we had agreatmeal andgreatservice. our server, greg, was prompt, efficient and friendly . the food wasgreat-- creative, well prepared and at a good value. good wine list. ambiance was warm; crowd tended toward young/hip. easy to carry on a conversation across the table.