Ingersoll Avenue Emerges as Des Moines' Top Food Destination

As Pappajohn Sculpture Park district restaurants struggle, Ingersoll Avenue sees a restaurant boom

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Pappajohn Sculpture Park (PSP) district in Des Moines, once the city's premier restaurant destination, has seen a mass exodus of top restaurants in recent years. Factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, work-from-home trends, and the impact of street festivals and food trucks are blamed for the decline of the PSP area. Meanwhile, Ingersoll Avenue has emerged as the new center of Des Moines' vibrant food scene, with a string of new openings and accolades from the annual Best of Des Moines Awards.

Why it matters

The decline of the once-thriving PSP restaurant district raises questions about the long-term sustainability of certain urban dining hubs, especially as cities grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic and changing consumer habits. Ingersoll Avenue's rise as the new culinary hotspot showcases the adaptability of the local food scene and the importance of creating an environment that supports independent restaurants.

The details

The PSP district, which once attracted a "who's who" of Iowa's top chefs and restaurateurs, has seen the closure of numerous high-profile establishments like Nomad, Americana, Proof, and Django. Factors cited for the decline include the impact of COVID-19, the work-from-home shift, and the disruptive effect of street festivals and food trucks that took over the area on weekends. Restaurateurs like Mike Lavalle and Paul Rottenberg have criticized the city's handling of the situation, arguing that policies like allowing liquor tents near established restaurants have hurt their businesses.

  • The Pappajohn Sculpture Park district was once the best restaurant district in Iowa, attracting top chefs and restaurateurs in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • In the last few years, nearly every top restaurant west of 10th Street on Locust in the PSP area has closed, including Nomad, Americana, Proof, Proof 2, Host, Hot Shots, Ritual Cafe, Django, and others.
  • Django, one of the last remaining restaurants in the PSP district, will be closing after March 14, 2026.

The players

Mike Lavalle

A longtime restaurateur who operated the Embassy Club in 1974 and Eat Your Heart Out in 1983 in the PSP neighborhood.

Paul Rottenberg

The owner of Django, one of the last remaining restaurants in the PSP district that will be closing after March 14, 2026.

Ingersoll Avenue

The street in Des Moines that has emerged as the new center of the city's vibrant food scene, with a string of new restaurant openings and accolades from the annual Best of Des Moines Awards.

Jake Christiansen and Connor Delaney

Visionary developers with big projects on Ingersoll Avenue that feature multiple restaurants.

Jason Simon

The owner of Eatery A, which was named the "queen of Ingersoll" in the 2026 Best of Des Moines Awards.

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What they’re saying

“After 50 years in that neighborhood (Embassy Club in 1974, Eat Your Heart Out in 1983), I can verify there was a need to bring festivals to downtown during its ascension in the 1980s and 1990s — but no longer. Our slowest days at Allora Cafe are festival days and days prior. We have needed an ordinance that one can't set up a liquor tent in the street within a certain distance of established licensee… And non-locals should never have been allowed in.”

— Mike Lavalle, Longtime Restaurateur (dmcityview.com)

“The closing of Americana was a death knell for the district. Django will be the last to leave after March 14. People clamored for reservations after hearing they would close. As with Americana, they increased tenfold.”

— Paul Rottenberg, Owner, Django (dmcityview.com)

What’s next

The city planners will need to address the concerns of restaurateurs in the Pappajohn Sculpture Park district and find ways to support the independent restaurant scene, potentially by regulating street festivals and food trucks in a way that doesn't undercut established businesses.

The takeaway

Ingersoll Avenue's emergence as Des Moines' new culinary hotspot demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of the local food scene, even as other prominent dining districts struggle. This shift underscores the importance of creating an environment that fosters and sustains independent restaurants, which are the lifeblood of a vibrant urban food culture.