Gino's Restaurant has always been a favorite of ours - we've eaten there with big groups of friends and family, and just the two of us, countless times. So we were obviously saddened by the news late last year that the long time Des Moines restaurant was closing it's doors. Thank goodness Gino's chef, James Grove, and dining room manager, Christy Reay, realized how much Gino's needed to be reopened and bought the place. It reopened in April of this year and we headed there last week to celebrate our anniversary - located at 2809 6th Avenue in Des Moines, it's a great metro dining tradition.
There's been a little refurbishing around the place, and some sprucing up in general, but it's still the same 'supper club' atmosphere. We, of course, headed to the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.
It's such a comfortable place to hang out - the warm wood interior is dated, but so cozy.
Grant sipped on a gin and tonic, while I enjoyed a refreshing rum and lemonade.
The menu is the same, which is awesome. All of the homemade italian favorites are there, plus great steaks, seafood, and more. Grant loves the chicken livers here. It is a huge menu, so be prepared to take some time to decide what to have!
I had to start with an order of their homemade toasted ravioli. Served with marinara, they are crispy and so flavorful. (The lighting was not the best for food pics, I apologize in advance that some photos are a bit fuzzy.)
Grant ordered a shrimp cocktail for his appetizer. Big, juicy shrimp were served with a nicely spiced cocktail sauce.
The salads are really big, too, served with your choice of homemade dressing, tomato, and a pepperoncini. And the bread basket is stuffed full of soft Italian bread.
And if you have longtime server, Bev, wait on you, she will even bring you out some sliced tomatoes from her garden! Now that is great service.
We had a bottle of house cabernet to enjoy with dinner. The wine list isn't huge, but it pretty much covers whatever you might want in wine - prices are pretty good, too.
Wow, this photo doesn't do it justice, but this was my dinner, Steak and Shrimp. It's a huge cut of sirloin cooked to perfection, with 4 big hand-breaded shrimp, plus a giant baked potato. The steaks at Gino's are excellent, I highly recommend them.
Grant enjoyed the Italian Fried Chicken - he got all dark meat this time. The chicken is seasoned with Italian herbs and then fried until crispy. You can't beat this juicy chicken, served up with your choice of side. So much food!
Yeah, we're pretty happy that Gino's is back open on 6th Avenue. There are a lot of fancier places to eat in the metro, but Gino's old school vibe and excellent food keeps us coming in. We're always treated so well, service is spot on, and we just feel so comfortable there. If you've never been to Gino's, make plans to stop in - and if, like us, you eat there regularly, keep it up - we want Gino's to stay open for a long, long time!
Gino's Restaurant
2809 6th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50313
515.282.4029