The neighborhood

Locust Tap

Realizing our time living here in the East Village of Des Moines is fleeting, I decided we'd better start partaking in the neighborhood establishments! I took off at 3:30 PM Thursday. One perk of working here on Fridays - I've got lots of hours in. I headed home and worked out - Wii aerobics and hula hoops - 10 straight minutes, yo. Then a half hour of Just Dance 3 aerobics, finishing up just as Pablo walked in from work. How perfect - he doesn't have to watch me make an idiot of myself!

Beechwood Lounge

Paul did a short workout at the loft exercise room and we were ready to check out a couple neighborhood bars I'd been eyeing. I zapped a couple potatoes in the microwave and put them in the pan with the leftovers from Jethros from our Monday night foray - ribs and barbecued chicken, and popped it into the oven on low.

We walked a couple blocks to the Beechwood Lounge on East 4th and Walnut. It was fairly crowded and loud when we got there about 6 p.m. People were dressed up - legislators or lobbyists from the nearby Iowa State Capitol building perhaps? The bartender gave us crap about our Cyclone gear. That was one black mark for that joint - ha! I had a nice Fat Tire, whilst Paul had a Coors Lite. Cozy atmosphere - long and narrow, warm colors. When we finished our bevvies - we were off to the next place.


I've been scoping out the Locust Tap (4th and Locust) for years. It's on my normal walking route from my job in the Wallace Building to several restaurants like Jimmy Johns. It looks like it could be in Creston (kinda looks like a dive...) which earns it bonus points in my book.

The joint was pretty empty at 6:30 on a Wednesday evening, but the bartender greeted us by complementing our Cyclone gear. Now that guy gets good points as opposed to the last place!

They had me at giant bra hanging from Bud sign

We each chose the Pale Ale brewed right in in Knoxville, Iowa. Pretty stout but full-bodied (whatever that means...) After chatting with the bartender about the Cyclone Pinstripe Bowl trip (he'd attended just like we did), we started talking to the kid sitting next to us.

the place has a pay phone! and wall artwork

It turned out his name was Ben, and he was quite friendly, filling us in on other area spots to hit. (Capital City Dog has good wings he said) Ben is a 25 year-old Drake grad and Municipal Bond salesman. He lives in a loft on the west side of the river but his office is near Locust Tap so sometimes he just walks home and leaves his car parked around here. Smart kid! And not hard to look at. Just because I'm old and on a marriage diet doesn't mean I don't appreciate cuteness...

We decided this was a place we could def hang out. Will be back.

Paul sits next to Ben

We headed home - just a few minute walk - to eat our fabulous leftovers from Jethros. Our meal was my bueno! I'll pick out some other places to check out next week - but I think LT (Locust Tap) is a place we'll return to.