🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🍳 A Johnston brunch spot with giant plates, adorable details, and a mole sauce I’m still thinking about.
🍷 Spring weekends are really showing off and this one comes with art, wine slushies, polka, and pizza on the lawn.
🐶 There’s a very good reason to bring your dog to Principal Park next week.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
The Happy Egg Eatery & Bar | 6110 NW 86th Street #106, Johnston
Photo: Menu & cute egg-shaped shakers | Emily Johnson
Photo: Artisanal Mole Crepe | Emily Johnson
Photo: The Happy Egg Chilaquiles (foreground) | Emily Johnson
🍳 Bright, cheerful, and full of personality – The Happy Egg is one of those places that immediately feels upbeat the second you walk in. Yellow booths, wood grain tables, a beautiful bar, branded mugs and glasses, and the cutest egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers on the table. It’s thoughtful in a way that makes the whole brunch feel a little more fun.
🌮 Come hungry because the portions are no joke – I ordered The Happy Egg Chilaquiles with both verde and roja sauces, and it was a solid choice. Crispy corn tortillas, refried beans, red onions, queso fresco, two eggs, sour cream — all served separately, which I promptly ignored and mixed together anyway. Delicious! My husband ordered the Artisanal Mole Crepe, and honestly, that homemade mole sauce nearly stole the whole show. Sweet, salty, warming, rich - spectacular. I’d order a side of it to go next time without hesitation.
🥞 A local family-owned spot worth revisiting – What makes this place especially easy to recommend is that it doesn’t feel cookie-cutter at all. The menu blends Mexican dishes with American breakfast favorites, so you can go savory, sweet, classic, or a little adventurous depending on your mood. I already want to go back for pancakes or one of their specialty benedicts. 👉 View the menu here.
🤝 Partner Spotlight: Cuisinart Portable Gas Grill
Grill. Go. Enjoy.
This Cuisinart portable gas grill makes outdoor cooking feel easy instead of chaotic. The stack-and-go design is simple to carry, the wooden lid doubles as a cutting board, and the whole thing is thoughtfully built to keep setup neat and stress-free. Great for camping, tailgates, or small-space grilling when you want something compact that still grills like the real deal. Check it out on Amazon! #ad
🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
Photo: Jasper Winery Summer Concert Series | B2wins
The best bets handpicked for your week:
🎸 Jasper Winery Summer Concert Series | Jasper Winery
An outdoor concert, lawn chairs, pizza, wine, and a very decent excuse to avoid cooking on a Thursday? That’s a strong start to the weekend in my book. This week features Dueling Guitars with Brian and Brad, and it feels like the kind of easygoing night that works for couples, friend groups, or anyone who just wants live music with a glass in hand.
| Thursday, May 14th | 6–9 pm | Food and drinks available for purchase | https://www.jasperwinery.com/summer-concert-series |
♻️ MEGA SCRUB Event | Polk County River Place Offices
Not glamorous, but incredibly useful — and honestly kind of satisfying. If you’ve got household junk, yard waste, or debris you’ve been meaning to deal with, this is your sign to finally handle it and feel accomplished by lunchtime. A practical weekend win for homeowners, spring cleaners, and anyone tired of staring at “I’ll deal with that later.”
| Saturday, May 16th | 7 am–1 pm | Free | DSM.city/SCRUB |
🎨 Art in the Garden | Ted Lare Garden Center
This one sounds lovely! More than 30 artists, an outdoor garden setting, live music, wine slushies, food, and spring flowers doing what spring flowers do best. It’s a great pick for anyone who wants a slower Saturday with plenty to browse, snack on, and admire without feeling rushed.
| Saturday, May 16th | Event begins in the morning; live music 9 am–2 pm | Free Admission | https://tedsgardens.com/garden-center/special-events/ |
🍺 Maifest at Des Moines Biergarten | Water Works Park
Think Oktoberfest’s cheerful spring cousin. Maifest brings bier, pretzels, polka, maipole dancing, contests, yard games, and enough activity to keep both adults and kids entertained. This feels like one of those events where you show up for “just a little bit” and somehow stay much longer than planned.
| Saturday, May 16th–Sunday, May 17th | Multiple events throughout both days | Free | biergarten-maifest.com |
🐶 ARL Dog Days of Summer | Principal Park
You, your dog, a baseball game, a dog parade, and dog ice cream. I mean, that’s hard to beat. This annual ARL event is one of those outings that feels tailor-made for Des Moines pet people, and the fact that proceeds help pets in need makes it even better.
| Tuesday, May 19th | 5:30–9 pm | $16 | https://arl-iowa.org/event/events/dog-days-of-summer-may/ |
Stop wondering what to do and start doing. Pick one and make it happen!
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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