Sonny's Pizza Bistro

A beautiful yet dangerous pre-Christmas blizzard is blowing across Iowa today, but Ryan still agreed to head up to Saylorville to pick up Sonny's for our pre-family-Zoom-Secret-Santa-Christmas getogether. 

Lately I've only been craving Margarita (Margherita?) pizzas.  Maybe I've watched Home Alone too may times since mid-November and I just want to be a step above a plain cheese pizza. I don't care for a red meat and red sauce zza because of the acidity, but Ryan still likes a meatlovers every once in a while. Since I wanted a marg, I recommended we also get an Italian Meat.  There are only 2 size options, 10" or 12". 

If you're one of our seven readers you may have noticed we tend to prefer a fluffy crust.  Ryan especially; the thicker the better. As a crust agnostic I don't have any problems with any types. 

It took Ryan over 30 minutes to get the pizzas home (an hour round trip) in the winter storm and the crust was still crispy! It was a bit toasted around the edges, but had that delicious buttery home-made crunch that makes a zza so yummy.  

The Italian Meat was topped with  italian sausage, capicolla, meatball, and pepperoni. The Margherita was what you expect on a marg, it had red sauce and red onions too. Whole chunks of tomato too! Delicioso. 

I'm beginning to wonder if I should've structured my pizza-rating criteria more specifically.  Like a rubric: toppings 33%, crust 33%, sauce 33%, all the factors that go into our score.  But since we don't have any credibility as food critics (other than we love pizza), we'll just keep going with our gut instincts when we give a score. 

This was good pizza. If you are in the Saylorville area or close by and want to switch it up, check it out. Since we had takeout I can't speak much for the ambiance, only the pie. 

4/5 from both of us. 

DOUGH CO. PIZZA

Earlier this year when I started this project, I was sad to learn that Papa Keno's didn't make it.  I'd had it once when I was on campus for a business meeting, and found the lunch special to be delightful. My sadness has subsided now that I've tried the new pizza place in that spot: Dough Co. Pizza. I later learned that the guys who were franchising that Papa Keno's had opted to cut ties with PK to open their own pizza place, and keeping their lease in the same location. 

Dough-ly moly, this place was yummy. 

"New York style thin crust pizza with a Midwest twist..." 

I probably wouldn't call this thin crust, but maybe that's because I'm still accustomed to thinking of thin-crust like cracker thin pizza from Domino's or something. The dough was definitely crispy, but it had a thickness to it too.  But I've also never had real NY pizza, so I don't know what to compare this to. 

We ordered two pizzas: a Giovanni (Roasted chicken, house pesto, cream cheese, Roma tomato, parmesan) and a Margaret (classic Margherita).  Both were very tasty.  I was skeptical about the cream cheese on the pizza,  it was pretty good, but I preferred the Margo. Ryan absolutely loved the Giovanni. 

On this day, 12/14/20, when the first COVID-19 vaccine doses are being administered across the country, walking into a pizza joint made me feel so hopeful and excited for a future when we can go out to eat again. When we can order a cold tap beer or glass of wine to be served while we wait. To banter with friendly wait staff. Especially this place, which had an adorable mural (you know I love a good pizza pun, in fact, I almost named this blog Dough Moines) and plenty of tables. It will be a great college pizza joint when late night slices are a regular thing again (they probably still are, but I'm a littttttle far removed from late night slices at this point in my life). 

Anyway, back to the pizza. We loved it. I don't actually have a single complaint, which is a welcome change from my last review. Crispy and puffy crust, sweet tasty red sauce, good spice mix. Jack kept saying "more pizza!" but when I tried to get a video of it, he got camera stubborn. 

Here are some photos of my very happy pizza eating family. Way to dough, Dough Co. DSM!

Ryan's rating: 5/5

Chelsea's rating: 5/5

Beerhouse

On Thursday 12/3/2020 I had a major hankering for pizza. I had been in carb mode all day following a celebration for myself finishing grad school the night before. I've really had my eyes on a spot in Ankeny as our next Zza Moines stop, but because it was a Thursday, and we try to stick to a schedule, we weren't really feeling an hour roundtrip for takeout pizza. I noticed The Beerhouse on the list, a bar we'd been to once about four years ago.  I love pub food, and recalled that it wasn't too bad, so we ordered a few pizzas for pickup. 

The menu was pretty robust and we ordered a Honey Garlic Alfredo, toppings included honey alfredo base with chicken, bacon, red onion, spinach and roasted red peppers.  The combo and toppings were good, but I was majorly disappointed when I quickly realized this was a pre-rolled, packaged, probably frozen, flatbready type of pizza. It was not enjoyable, and I was very disappointed. I think this is a fine pizza if you're at the bar drinking and craving pizza.  The clever combo of toppings was well executed, but as long as I'm trying and reviewing all the pizza in Des Moines, this one doesn't really deserve to even be on the list. I won't even link to the restaurant because I don't want to be delivering negative reviews to the world for them.

We also ordered a hot sundried tomato dip that came with pita crisps.  The dip was cheesy yummy, I didn't care for the chips, too crispy, but Ryan dug them. 

Guys, I'm not gonna lie. I was so disappointed about this pizza that I immediately asked Ryan if he would make me "real pizza" over the weekend. Tomorrow (Sunday) he is planning to. Perhaps I'll dedicate a post to the yummy homemades I am lucky enough to have? 

Have any Des Moines pizza places emerged in the last year I should know about?  I have done a bit of editing over the last few weeks to add/remove restaurants but I'm not sure I've covered everything. 

Chelsea’s Rating: 2.5 ⭐️

Ryan’s Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

3 Sons Bar and Grill

Not gonna lie, we have had tons of pizza over the last few months we've been quiet on here, but usually it was from some of our go-tos like Marco's, 7-Stone, or homemade.  Last night we decided it was time to start making some headway on the Zza Moines list again. 

Most of the joints left on our list are a bit of a hike for us, on the Southside or in Ankeny, but I found a West Des Moines spot and took the lazy route to get what's closer.  3 Sons Bar & Grill is a new-ish bar at Ashworth & 60th in WDM.  I am a fan of the graphics in their logo, and I definitely do judge books by their cover, so I was eager to check them out.  

We ordered a sausage, pepper (red, not green, which was a pleasant surprise), onion pizza and 10-wings with Honey BBQ sauce (I'm a wuss about anything spicy hot, don't @ me). 

The wings were just okay. Maybe they would've been better if they were hot, but I put them just a step above Pizza Hut or Domino's wings. We devoured them nonetheless because we were hungry and craving wings. 

The pizza was way above satisfactory! Nothing special about the red sauce, so if you really care about that, then this won't toot your horn. We really liked the crust, it was thick but fluffy, crispy, and a little chewy (in a good way though).  The onions and peppers were minced up pretty small which I found delightful, and they used a great blend of cheese. Definitely recommend if you live in that part of town!

 

Ryan's rating: 4.5/5

Chelsea's rating: 4.5/5

Billy Vee's Italian Restaurant

Four months ago, on July 25th, we continued our tour of Zza Moines and got takeout from the sweetest Italian joint in Valley Junction, Billy Vee's. They don't have a website, but you can find their menu here via the Valley Junction site. 

Of course, now that it's four months later and I neglected to write our review of their zza in a more timely manner, I forgot some of the details.  I do remember that it was delicious, and if you can see Jack's face in this photo -- I think it speaks to how well it went over with the tiny human in our household.  

We ordered a classic Margherita pizza and it was *chefs kiss* delizioso! The crust was crispy, and the appropriate fresh mozzarella for pizza (as in, it didn't get too watery).  I need to figure out what the perfect mozzarella is for homemade pizza, because I am a straight up sucker for melty fresh mozz. These photos refreshed my memory - the tomatoes were super fresh and yummy too.  I will definitely be going back to Billy Vee's! 

Ryan's rating: 4.5/5

Chelsea's rating: 5/5

Leaning Tower of Pizza

There are quite a few Ankeny pizza joints on the Zza Moines list. We’ve been putting it off because Ankeny is a bit of a trek for us on the west side. Today I decided it was time to get a slice of Ankeny and picked up takeout from Leaning Tower of Pizza. Their DMACC location remains closed but the Uptown Ankeny location is open for carry out and delivery.

Uptown Ankeny is like a sweet little gem. I would say “hidden”, but that doesn’t feel fair given my lack of familiarity with the area in general. It seemed like I turned off of a country road and onto a small stretch of a street with storefronts; it felt like the main drag of a small town. Shops and awnings lined the quiet street. LT Pizza was the only place with cars out front on this Sunday evening after the summer holiday. From the outside it looks like a dive bar nestled comfortably among the other shops and businesses. Inside is quaint and classic American Italian decor. Maybe 10 booths and a few more tables in the whole joint with a walk-up window to pay and pick up my food. (I don't know for sure, but it seems like even when dining-in was allowed, this window is where you place your order). I hope someday we can dine-in there. A steady flow of customers ahead of and behind me picking up takeout orders shows this place is clearly a favorite among the Ankenians.


We ordered, surprise, a specialty pizza called Chicken Bacon House or CBH. I also added on a “mini” (6-7 inches at max, pictured below with my hand for scale) pepperoni pizza so we could taste their red sauce.

The "mini" size pizza from Leaning Tower of Pizza. 

The crust is described as stone-cooked, it did not disappoint. It was buttery and crispy and in my opinion the perfect density. As I’ve said before I am crust agnostic, an equal opportunity cruster. That said, sometimes dough that is way too thick and bready puts me off as it can be too filling. I need room for multiple slices per serving, ya dig?

The CBH was yummy with ranch dressing rather than red, grilled chicken and onions and topped with a generous helping of bacon. Yum.

The red sauce on the pepperoni mini was fine. Nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about, a pretty classic red pizza sauce.


I hope to get back to this place again. The crust is so delicious! I’m eager to try again tomorrow for our favorite “next-day-taste-test”, which I have a feeling will pass with flying colors.


Chelsea rating: 5/5

Ryan rating: 4/5

Food Depot Bar & Grill

On Sunday 6/21, we ordered two pizzas and an appetizer from Food Depot Bar & Grill in Grimes.  Ryan picked up the takeout and was displeased at my demands for him to take a photo of the storefront, but he did it anyway.  I needed photos of something other than pizza since I no longer am documenting the restaurant setup and ambiance.

After we reviewed their menu, we ended up going for a Canadian Bacon pizza (totally unlike me but it sounded good) and a BBQ Chicken Pizza (we are suckers for BBQ Chicken, and chicken is my personal fave meat atop a pizza). 

I'm a little embarrassed that we ordered two -we definitely thought these were the smaller (all they offer are 14", and I guess I thought they were like 10" or something? <shrug emoji>). We were eating leftovers for a few days.

They had a few other specialties on the "Depot Pizza" menu that intrigued me, like the Chicken Alfredo and Cheeseburger (but pickles -- ew -- pickles on pizza -- double ew).

The thin crust was tasty.  It had a bit of chewiness to it but I didn't mind it, because the outer slices had the super yummy crispy cheese that I love so much. 

To quote Ryan, the pizzas had a "good cheese volume" and he actually was glad we didn't get to eat it fresh out of the oven, because sometimes super cheesy pizzas are slippy when they are hot.  It was good to eat about 20-30 minutes out, still warm, but the cheese had settled into some durability.

The BBQ sauce was delectable.  I can't find anything on the website about whether they make it in-house or where it's from.  At any rate, it was a perfect tangy/sweet combo that you (well, I) want in BBQ sauce.

In the end it ended up being nice that we had enough pizza to last a few days because this was the type of pizza that was really enjoyable cold and leftover.  In our opinion, pizza should always be judged on its next-day quality, and this did not disappoint.

Finally, we had the Broccoli Cheese bites from the app menu.  They were awesome! They were fried, and a little bit soft from the cooked broccoli, but we like broccoli in most forms over here, so we didn't complain. Of course Jack dipped his in ranch, because Jack pretty much lives for dipping food in ranch.

If thin crust is your jam, we recommend this place.  It's honestly nothing "special" but we enjoyed our pizzas and I'd be down to hit up this bar someday when the world is a bit safer.

We both rated it a solid 4/5.  Happy to be back on the pizza grind!  Next week we are thinking we need to make the trek out to Ankeny.  So many spots on our list are out there, and we avoid it because it's on the total other side of town from us -- but we might plan for a picnic or something and hit up a park with our pizza.  Stay tuned!

We're Back!

The last time we went out for a stop on the Zza Moines tour was March 14, 14 weeks ago. That’s also the last time we went out to eat a restaurant, period.

That same weekend in March I got inspired and spontaneously started another blog called Life in Social Isolation.  And while the pandemic is still reeling in the United States, it’s become clear that our shock has worn off a bit. That shock was writing motivation for me and almost a dozen guests whose stories I spotlighted on the blog. So I decided to start talking about pizza again. 

Reviewing the data set for Zza Moines was a slight bummer as I realized Papa Keno's in Drake neighborhood recently closed permanently. I was disappointed Ryan didn't get a chance to try it. I had it one day during a lunch break from a business meeting down at Drake and it was pretty yummy!

At any rate, while I can’t leave the level of reviews I was when we were dining in, I still want to try all the Zza and tell you about it. Probs lucky for y'all that my posts will be shorter without me talking about the ambiance of the restaurant. 

Over the past few months we've adapted a new little tradition of pizza Sunday. We eat in the living room, which Jack loves because he can mix playtime with pizza time. We had some takeout pizza from our fave, 7 Stone Pizzeria, but Ryan has been working a lot on his homemade deliciousness!  (That is, until the yeast ran out).

Ryan's pan pizza. 

We picked up the Zza Moines tour tonight with takeout from The Food Depot in Grimes. Stay tuned for the review!

Baratta’s

We had a date with some friends to hit up Baratta’s on Friday the 13th. I have never been there! What a gem of the southside. It looks from the outside like a small, kinda divey place but inside it has tons of seating room and a classic 90s Italian restaurant feel. 

We arrived at 5:30 with four adults and a toddler and were seated right away. Our service was great, super friendly and attentive. They even bought a trough of ranch dressing for my girlfriend who has crust-dipping requirements.

The wine and beer menu was more than enough to cover all of our needs. The wine pours were generous.  Lucky me!

We shared bruschetta and raviolis to start. I forgot to get a photo but their homemade raviolis are unique, a large thin layer of dough encompassing a small ball of ground beef mixture. Yum. Bruschetta seemed fresh, very flavorful. 

We ordered two pizzas: pesto (with Grazi’s sausage) and classic Margherita. The crust was a bit misleading. It was thin, which I don’t mind, but at first glance it looked crispy around the edges. The crispness unfortunately didn’t hold up under the toppings, and it was quite soft underneath. Bummer.

The toppings were all delish.  The mozzarella cheese was fresh and flavorful.  The Grazi’s sausage had been prepared into a link and sliced up like medallions (which Ryan didn’t prefer, but I didn’t mind.)

Our friends also ordered and shared homemade tortellini. Tasty alert! Half red sauce half white sauce; highly recommend. 

Our fun meal was cut short off by Jack getting a bit of cheese stuck in his throat. His gag reflex works really well though: he proceeded to puke. A LOT. Like everywhere. It was gross and embarrassing but yes Jack is okay. It wasn’t even that scary, the choking lasted a mere instant before the gagging/puking.  This seems like a parenting rite of passage to deal with a puking kid in a restaurant? Right?

I mostly feel bad for our friends, who have witnessed Jack vom over two meals now (once last summer when he was pretty sick). They’re worried that he’s allergic to him. At least Jack showed them his belly button a few times, his current favorite trick. I hope they’ll dine with us again someday! 

Ryan 🍕 Rating: 3.5/5

Chelsea 🍕 Rating: 4/5

Coach’s Pizza

Coach’s Pizza in West Glen. First of all HOW MUCH STUFF is in West Glen I didn’t know about? It’s very vast out there.

This place is a “hangout”. They have regulars who hang at the bar, drinking and meeting up with friends. It’s a a casual “sit wherever you like” vibe. Quick, friendly service. Kid friendly. There was a big table of ladies ranging from about age ten to age 60, family celebrating a younger gal’s birthday together. The birthday girl got a bowl of ice cream with a sparkler in it! So fun. Jack totally flirted with ALL of them the whole time.

We went on a Thursday, the special was any large pizza for the price of a medium (the only two sizes they have). No drink specials that night although they have drink specials listed on their website. They have decent beer and wine menus.

We ordered the “Crack Pizza” because damn, it sounded good and it was! Alfredo sauce, tomato, bacon, chicken, and basil. Can you tell we have a type? I LOVE chicken on pizza!

The only downfall to ordering this type of zza is I can’t review the red sauce, a critical pizza component. The Alfredo was yummy though. 

The crust is New York Style: thin and soft right out of the oven. Leftover it was crispier. I think this was Jack’s favorite spot so far - he devoured it and the lucky guy got a leftover piece sent to daycare for lunch today! 

If I ever get back to this place I want to try the almond crusted chicken fingers. I saw someone order these and they looked bomb dot com. 

They had a Thelma’s cooler for desserts and  a couple arcade games like Ms. Pac Man. It’s a fun, chill place.

Ryan gave 4.5/5. I give 4/5. 

Side bar: My cousin suggested the best way to judge a pizza place is to order a pepperoni pizza. I also caught Ryan comparing restaurants to one another. That’s a fine approach for some, but not my motive here. I am not on a quest to find the BEST pizza in Des Moines, I’m just on a quest to try it all. Thanks for coming to my pizza TED talk. 

Next week we have a Baratta’s date with some friends! Until then. 

Scornovacca’s (Scorno’s)

Scornos 

“You’ve tried the rest, now try the best!” 

Friday night pizza and beers. Does it get any better? Scornos is a southside staple, so much so that I am sure I must’ve eaten there at some point in my life. “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best!” 

You can’t beat the service in a place like this. Iowa Nice to the nth degree - a friendly and chatty welcome, seating, and conversation throughout your meal.

Friday nights is half off onion rings with an order of a speciality pizza. The onion rings were thinly sliced with a thick coating of batter so they ate like a big ring. Yum.

We ordered the Deluxe pizza - fiery red peppers, spicy sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and cappacola. My heartburned heart was warm to break my red meat streak for this zza. 

They make the dough, sauce, and sausage all in-house! YUM. 

The crust style is a go-to for the classic Italian places around Des Moines and also seems to be favored for a lot of pub pizzas. Ryan affectionately has referred to it as “tavern style” but upon some research has learned it’s actually called St. Louis style! Ryan doesn’t prefer this crust style (too thin for him), and wants to give a disclaimer that’s the main thing that impacted his rating. 

The crust was crispy and buttery, the red sauce almost had a roasted flavor. The zza was a bit too spicy for my little guy, but our lovely server brought him some crackers to keep occupied. 

Happy Hour Tues-Sat 3-6 PM includes $1 off beers. Of course I had two. The options were limited to bottles - I had two Busch Lights like a good Iowa girl and Ryan had two Peronis. 

Overall, I’m giving it a 4/5 and Ryan a 3.5/5. Average rating from us 3.75/5. 

7 Stone Pizzeria

1st Stop: 7 Stone Pizzeria 

The address says West Des Moines, but it's practically Waukee.  For you west-side haters, you are missing out.  This place was a magnifico way to start the pizza tour of Zza Moines! 

Very first early impression: they are accommodating to kiddos!  We went on a Wednesday night after daycare pickup and running a few other errands and headed straight to the bathroom for a diaper change.  Was pleased to find a changing table in the bathroom and then easily located the high chairs and booster seats for littles. 

This is a spacious yet quaint spot in a strip mall.  You choose between two crust types: thick (deep dish but not Chicago style deep dish), or thin (wood-fire crispy).  We'd already decided on the thin when Ryan went up to the counter to place our order.  After seeing a deep dish behind the counter and an almost convincing declaration from a very enthusiastic patron waiting for her take-out deep-dish, we almost switched it up but decided to stick to our original plan. 

Since January I have almost entirely eliminated pork and beef from my diet, so our toppings choices are a little restrictive.  (Note: this dietary change may fluctuate a bit for the pizza tour).  We ordered a large with chicken, spinach, and feta. 

We loved this place!  The chicken was cooked very well, super tender.  The red sauce was so rich and flavorful, and they put it all over the top of the pizza too.  

The "thin" crust was crispy and tasty (and even better cold the next day!) 

On Wednesdays they have 1/2 price beers, so of course I had two. With eight beers on tap, including a good mix of domestic and micro-brews, I enjoyed the Pompeii's alongside my zza. They appeared to have a good selection of wine too.

The atmosphere is very cute (I forgot to grab a pic of the sign that basically describes my life: "Money can't buy happiness but it can buy pizza and that's pretty much the same thing.") Ben Schuh art covers the walls making it feel very "Des Moines-y".

Jack thoroughly enjoyed and ate an entire slice to himself!  If we weren't embarking on a pizza tour, this place would become one of our go-to's.  Super friendly staff who were eager to hear about our new pizz-adventure. 

We both rated it ☆☆☆☆☆

Zza Moines Master Data can be viewed here at any time. 

Slice to Meet You!

(photo credit: the amazing Sophie Rae). 

We are the Legner family and we love pizza.

Chelsea - The Matriarch

• Des Moines native and life-long lover of zza
• Overseeing the Des Moines Pizza Tour (logistics and project management)
• Crust preference: agnostic. An equal opportunity pizza lover
• Toppings preferences: anything but olives.  Avoids meat-lovers because heartburn. 
• Currently taking suggestions for further pizza puns

Ryan - The Faaaaather

• Des Moines transplant (originally from NW Indiana and former Indianapolis resident).
• Enthusiastically participating in the Des Moines Pizza Tour
• Crust preference: Neopolitan, Traditional Pan
• Toppings preference: anything but olives.  General rule of thumb is "the less the merrier".  Prefers three or less toppings on his pie. 
• Dabbling in specializing in homemade pizza

Jack - The Next Gen 

• Youngest pizza lover in our family
• Featured here for cuteness 
• Has yet to express specific pizza preferences 

How it All Began

In February 2020, the Des Moines Register updated and re-circulated its 2018 comprehensive guide to The Essential Pizza Restaurants of Des Moines.  Upon review, it occurred to me that I had only indulged in about 30% or less of these restaurants.

Something had to change.  

We eat pizza about once a week, but here are all these pizza places that I've never even tried?  Unacceptable!

We have some staples in our house (like Gusto, Marco's, Cosi Cucina, Eatery A -- to name a few).  And those staples will forever hold a pizza my heart (see what I did there?), but this seemed like a great opportunity to branch out and really get a slice (I have to run out of these soon, right?) of what all these hard-working restaurants in Des Moines have to offer.

Right now is a great time to start, because I'm on a brief hiatus from grad school.  After two months of too-much-free time since the hiatus started, I'm ready to take on a new project. And I'm pretty excited to share it with you all.

The Plan

Using the Register list as a baseline, I pulled together a list of all the area pizza places we haven't tried.  I am going to organize the list by neighborhood/part of town, type of pizza, and eventually add ratings to the list too.  The most challenging part is probably just going to be getting out of our bubble and into other areas in Dough Des Moines.  

Once we've made our way through all 38 pizza joints on this list, we'll probably circle back to the rest of the spots on the list that we'd had before and get them ranked and filed here as well.  But we had to start somewhere. 

View the list here at any time. 

The Ratings 

We'll keep this on a simple 5-star rating scale.  Knowing that our preferences vary a bit, the ratings are bound to get biased, but that's why I started this blog so we can share in more detail about the crust, the toppings, the atmosphere, and other offerings.  

We got started right away.  Literally the same day we decided to do this.  Can't wait to share this with you all.

Saluti!

PS -- I'll finish grad school eventually, so don't give me any grief.