We had a reservation for 5:45. We arrived a little after 5 to have a pre dinner drink at the bar. The wine selection was extensive but not overwhelming like some wine menus can be. I was able to enjoy a glass of wine while my boyfriend had two glasses of beer until we were seated promptly at 5:45.

Our survey was Colby, and they were very accommodating for my gluten allergy and allowed us to enjoy our meal with the perfectly timed check-ins. We were very happy with Colby for making this dining experience so amazing!

Caviar Cones My boyfriend ordered the caviar cones and has only had caviar a few other times previously. They didn’t stand out to him as a must order.

Caesar Salad For our first course we selected the Caesar salad which came split on separate plates, which was ideal for my allergy. It was the perfect portion, well balanced dressing to lettuce ratio. My boyfriend said all croutons need to be like the ones on this salad. They were soft, yet crunchy, but didn’t crumble at the fork.

Filet Mignon I got the 8oz filet, I’ve gotten filets at a ton of similar restaurants in the dsm area and while is wasn’t super special it was perfectly cooked, the addition of the potato puree was the perfect amount to compliment the steak. I can never pass up a filet and I would definitely order this again.

Bacon Glazed Chop The standout of our experience was the pork chop. WOW. I’m personally not usually a fan of pork chop but we heard from many people to order it. We both loved the flavor, tenderness, and overall thought this was the highlight of our meal!

Whether you’re dining with a partner or out with a group, someone has to order the bacon glazed chop! You won’t regret it!

Hot Fudge Sundae We decided to end our meal with a sundae, we normally don’t save room but we knew we wanted to try a dessert. The salted caramel and vanilla ice cream were so delicious. They make their ice cream in house which is what encouraged us to get something with ice cream. The candied pecans were delicious and perfectly sweet. The chantilly cream, man I could eat a bucket of that, it was so good. It was a great end to our experience at Oak Park.

Atmosphere - we loved the vibe of the space, the bar was so unique and we loved that everyone got a window for dinner and it didn’t feel over crowded. We felt we had plenty of space between other guests so enjoy our time and chat at a normal level.

Overall our favorite experience at a higher end restaurant in Des Moines!

ETA: one of the memorable things was out coats from coat check. They kept them warm, so we had warm coats before leaving! A great service for a winter out.