🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🍛 A Windsor Heights spot where the aroma greets you before the host does.
🐾 A chance to get your furry friend on Santa's nice list.
🛍️ Two hundred vendors, one weekend, and a shopping list that writes itself.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Kathmandu Restaurant | 7229 Apple Valley, Windsor Heights |
Photo: Vegetable Chow Mein | Emily Johnson
Photo: Coconut Chicken Curry & Keema Naan | Emily Johnson
🍛 Coconut Chicken Curry Kind of Night – We headed to Kathmandu Restaurant in Windsor Heights for Nepalese favorites and ordered the Coconut Chicken Curry: chicken chunks in a mildly spicy curry made with coconut milk. It smelled amazing the second we walked in, and that first bite was everything I wanted it to be - warm, fragrant, and exactly what we were craving on a chilly Iowa evening. If you're new to Nepalese food, this is a gentle, friendly place to start.
🍜 Noodles Worth Sharing – We also got the Vegetable Chow Mein, stir-fried noodles with cabbage, bell peppers, onions, and carrots in a spicy, savory, delightfully tangy sauce, plus Keema Naan, the tandoor flatbread stuffed with mildly spiced ground lamb. It's always busy when we go in, and always delicious. Come hungry, Friends, and plan to share a few plates across the table.
✨ Cozy, Friendly, and Hard to Leave – The dining room has an inviting feeling inside, and the service is always friendly. Between the lunch buffet, relaxed dinners, and takeout, Kathmandu makes it easy to keep coming back for classic Nepalese plates made fresh. They're open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. (closed Monday). 👉 View the menu here.
🤝 Partner Spotlight: heyhae Gel Nail Strips
Want a cute fall manicure without the salon appointment?
heyhae gel nail strips come in fun seasonal designs, apply at home, and don’t require an LED lamp. Easy, polished, and very low-commitment which is exactly my kind of beauty routine. And mine lasted 2 weeks! #ad
🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
The best bets handpicked for your week
🧘♀️ Sound Healing + Reiki | Iowa C.A.T.S. Dance Company, Clive
Need a quiet reset before the holiday rush? Above + Beyond Cancer is hosting a free Sound Healing + Reiki class at Iowa C.A.T.S. Dance Company. During the 45-minute class, you'll get support relieving stress, tension, and anxiety. It starts with a short guided meditation and Sound Healing, then gentle Reiki, a Japanese technique that promotes wellbeing.
It's free and open to all, but registration is required because space is capped. Bring your own yoga mat and items of comfort.
| Friday, Nov. 6th | 10–11 am | FREE; registration required | 2023 NW 100th St., Clive | Sign up |
🎅 Santa N' Paws | Animal Rescue League of Iowa
The ARL's 40th annual Santa N' Paws is back, and yes, your pets are invited. Reserve a 5-minute slot ($15 deposit that applies to your photo package), smile with jolly Santa, and walk out with holiday cards or prints.
Saturday and Sunday at ARL Main (5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines) are already sold out. At the time of putting this newsletter together, Thursday, Nov. 5th and Friday, Nov. 6th (5–7 pm) still had availability. More dates run through Nov. 22 at Rewind Hotel, Second Chance Ranch, and West End Salvage. Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier.
| Thursday, Nov. 5th & Friday, Nov. 6th (more dates through Nov. 22) | 5–7 pm at ARL Main | $15 reservation toward packages from $25 | Event Info |
🎄 Des Moines Holiday Boutique | EMC Expo Center
One of the metro's biggest holiday shopping weekends is here: 200 vendors and about 14,000 shoppers packing the EMC Expo Center for décor, apparel, toys, treats, and more. Catch Hallmark star Tyler Hynes on the Holiday Entertainment Stage Friday at 1:30 pm (regular admission covers it).
Buy tickets online before opening day to lock in the advance adult price. Kids 12 and under are free, and teachers and school staff get free admission Sunday with a valid ID.
| Friday, Nov. 6th–Sunday, Nov. 8th | Fri. 10 am–9 pm; Sat. 9 am–7 pm; Sun. 10 am–5 pm | Adults $12 advance / $14 at the door (+ fee); 12 and under free | 730 3rd St., Des Moines | Tickets |
🕯️ 1900 Farm Dinners | Living History Farms, Urbandale
Picture a 1900 farmhouse kitchen, a wood-burning stove, and a meal cooked from historic recipes. Living History Farms' 1900 Farm Dinners start in the parlor, move to a family-style supper (chicken or pork, depending on the date), and finish with a lantern-lit barn visit, checkers, or the pump organ before dessert.
Ages 12 and up. Evening seatings meet at 6:15 pm and wrap around 9 pm. You can bring wine (one standard bottle per two adults). Meet your host at the Murray Conference Center off Douglas (Gate 4), not the main Hickman entrance. Dress in layers. This Friday's dinner is already sold out, but other dates this season (including Thursday, Nov. 12th) still have openings, so reserve a seat now.
| Select dates through December | Meet 6:15 pm (ends ~9 pm) | $125 ($110 members); ages 12+ | Event Info |
🎤 Caity Gyorgy | Sheslow Auditorium, Drake University
Canadian jazz vocalist Caity Gyorgy makes her Civic Music Association debut with Mark Limacher on piano, Jordan Richards on bass, and Keith Hall on drums. Expect classics and new work with that warm, intimate jazz-club feel, in a 75-minute set.
Before the show, CMA's "The Art of Listening" starts at 6 pm in Levitt Hall with Waukee Northwest jazz combos, a panel, a cash bar, and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Earlier the same day, Caity leads a free vocal jazz clinic (3–4:30 pm) at Drake's Turner Jazz Center.
| Friday, Nov. 6th | 7:30 pm | Tickets start at $25; students save 40% | Tickets |
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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