Irina's permanently closes its Urbandale location, two Vietnamese restaurants open and more
Irina's Restaurant & Bar, the longtime Russian restaurant with beef Stroganoff and vodka on the menu, permanently closed in Urbandale, owner Irina Khartchenko confirmed to the Des Moines Register. The location at 2301 Rocklyn Drive in Urbandale originally opened in 2006.
Last year, owners Khartchenko and her husband Dmitry Iakovlev opened a new location in West Des Moines. Irina's Steak & Seafood at 650 S. Prairie View Drive in West Glen features popular dishes such as a bang bang shrimp appetizer and salmon au poivre, a tender salmon filet coated in peppercorns with a cognac cream reduction, asparagus and lobster sweet potatoes as well as its book of vodkas.
The new West Des Moines location also serves a Sunday brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a social hour daily from 3 to 6 p.m. with $4 house cocktails and discounts on beer and wine.
The restaurant also started serving Mishima reserve wagyu rib-eye steaks and New York strips, wet-aged for 28 days and charred in a 1,200-degree broiler.
More: Irina's Steak & Seafood now open in West Des Moines with an elevated dining experience
Aposto holds a pop-up brunch
Aposto, the Italian restaurant in Sherman Hill, brings back its popup Sunday brunch after a two-year hiatus. The two-course prix fixe meal on May 21 features choices such as biscuits and gravy, a zen casserole with vegetables, and the Breakfast of Champions with cheddar gnocchi, pancetta, a poached egg and marsala cream. Sweets include a maple cake, Lou Lou’s bread budding with vanilla custard and raisins, and a flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse. Diners can order a bloody Mary, sangria, peach or orange juice spritzer and more for $6 to $12.Reservations at $30 a pop can be made online at exploretock.com/aposto/. Find Aposto at 644 18th St., Des Moines.
More: How to spend a perfect day in downtown Des Moines with food, drinks and more
Noce kicks off a cabaret night
Noce, the jazz and blues club at 1326 Walnut St. in Des Moines, has a new cabaret night coming with actor Napoleon Douglas at the helm. Each show features music, theatre, and dance on the Noce stage with special guests. The first on May 6 at 10:30 p.m. includes special guest Lauren Vilmain. Tickets start at $7. Shows so far take place every two weeks.
Winefest holds a secret tasting
Winefest fans can get a wine-tasting experience in a secret location during the Unexpected Cellar at 6 p.m. on May 6. The $135 event at a secret location features “unique finds, limited releases and high-end, approachable wines” along with heavy hors d’oeuvres and music throughout the evening.
More: The 10 essential Italian restaurants in the Des Moines metro
A special dinner at Twin Vines with chef Aaron Holt
Twin Vines down in Panora (2821 IA-44) holds a farm-to-table dinner with guest chef Aaron Holt on May 28 from 5 to 9 p.m. Holt recently took over his family farm, Doolittle Farm, which was established in 1905 by his great grandfather outside Story City. The five-course dinner at Twin Vines features locally sourced cuisine, including edible flowers, vegetables, fruits, and microgreens. Holt, who won the Chef of the Year from the Iowa Restaurant Association in 2018, formerly worked at RoCA. Limited seats available. Tickets are $130 per person.
More: The 33 essential restaurants of Des Moines: 2022 edition
Vietnamese sandwich shop Paris Banh Mi opens
Paris Banh Mi opened its first location in the Des Moines metro area. The Vietnamese sandwich and coffee shop offers traditional Vietnamese banh mi options with sizzling beef, pate and pork, shredded chicken or just veggies, as well as fresh-baked baguettes, croissants, and an extensive line of handcrafted specialty drinks. For example, the Paris by Night comes with whole milk, boba and brown sugar while other choices include a milk tea with cheese foam and artichoke tea. The sandwich shop at 6601 University Ave. in Windsor Heights is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
More: Looking for Mother's Day brunch? Here are 9 must-try Des Moines brunches
More Vietnamese cuisine
Viet Thai Taste opened a third central Iowa location at 270 W. First St., Grimes. The restaurant offers pho, vermicelli salad, banh mi, and Vietnamese iced coffee, as well as Thai and Chinese dishes. This location is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. You can find Viet Thai Taste in Newton and Pella as well.
Halal pizza and ice cream on the way
Look for a Sweet Lounge & Halal Pizza to open on the southwest corner of Cottage Grove Avenue and 35th Street in the Drake neighborhood in Des Moines. The new restaurant is being built from scratch.
Have some restaurant news to share? Spot a new restaurant? See a favorite closing? Drop us a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Irina's Restaurant & Bar in Urbandale closes plus more restaurant news
