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Phillip "Amazon Phil" Y.'s Profile
Iowa-Nebraska Trip Planner
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1. Wig & Pen Pizza Pub
Wow, we came here for drinks after our first soccer game win in Ankeny. The pizza here was phenomenal. The best pizza since I moved here to Des Moines. I had a local beer on tap called Smitty's or something like that. Great atmosphere with a old…More »
2. Sambetti's
I met up with some friends before heading to the Civic Center that night. We had some wings and pizza and it was pretty good. The atmosphere looked a little more like a pool hall for bikers, etc. It's right across from the Wells Fargo area which…More »
3. Krispy Kreme Donuts
I picked up some donut holes for my colleagues before heading into work. I have had these donuts before on the east coast. So, this was a pleasant surprise. As usual, you have the HOT sign that flashes when they are making fresh donuts. The glass…More »
4. Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar
My friend and I tried out this place on a weeknight. Unfortunately, there was no dueling pianos just a trivia game going on that night. Still, we had a pretty good time with the trivia game. Decent crowd that night and pretty nice prizes if you…More »
5. Freiderich's Coffee
I found this place by accident when I was trying to find the Krispy Kreme. Wow, this is coffee heaven. I had a cup of joe and then had the snickerdoodle coffee beans to take back home. Nice atmosphere and plenty of space to veg out or do work. I…More »
6. Sky Zone
Wow, Des Moines Young Professionals had their outing here and it was amazing. Trampolines to jump in open area, dodgeball area, basketball hoop, and foam block pit to jump into. There are party areas to host your group so DSM YP had pizzas here.…More »
7. 34's Sports Bar
Place here is pretty good. Atmosphere is your typical sports bar. Service is great here and great hang out spot after our soccer game. It was a nice shelter during the storms and tornadoes that were passing by. Someone ordered the cheese puffs…More »
8. Saints Pub and Patio
Pretty nice place but just got bad service here. Waiter took forever to take orders and finally give us our checks right before softball game. The patio is a big plus though. It's heated from above so winter time would be nice here. Live music…More »
9. Civic Music Association
Des Moines, IA 50314
(515) 280-4020
I just came back from their concert at Sheslow Auditorium. The same day in the afternoon, the Civic Music Association had a master class with one of the players from the ensemble. It was wonderful to see him give advice to young pianists at Drake…More »
10. Climb Iowa
Just took a belaying intro class which was alot of fun. Probably will get the discounted membership next month at the hour sale. Great way to meet new folks and build confidence to climb a real mountain if you dare:)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/29/2012
Well, I must say that this is certainly better than the one in Oaks, PA-- near King of Prussia. It… Read more »
11. Springbrook State Park
Wow, I went to the Springbrook Conservation Education Center yesterday and was amazed. There was a Fly Fishing Cabin Retreat for Fly Tying sponsored by the center as well as by Central Iowa Fly Fishing. We stayed in the dorms and had our meals at…More »
12. Des Moines Art Center
Wow, I came here with a friend and was blown away. Coming from Boston then Philadelphia, I thought it probably wasn't worth seeing. Well, it was more than I expected with some Hopper and other famous artists. There is a small cafe which looked…More »
13. Costco Wholesale
Thank goodness for Costco. Living in Boston and Philadelphia, there was a Costco within 15 minutes from me in multiple directions (north/south or east/west). Now in Iowa, only 1 and it's minutes from me. I'll take it since it's soo much better…More »
14. Jordan Creek Mall
Thank goodness for Jordan Creek Mall. This is the only place in Iowa where there is an Apple store. Also, there are tons of great places to shop like Dillards, Pottery Barn, Williams and Sonoma, Scheels, etc. Food court has great selection of…More »
15. Hilton Garden Inn West Des Moines
This is a nice hotel and had the room with 2 queen beds. Best arrangement here than the king bed at the Hilton Garden Inn- Boise, ID. I am not a big fan of the set-your-number sleep mattress. The queen mattress with their regular spring mattress…More »
16. Henry Doorly Zoo
I drove 2.5 miles from Des Moines to see this place. It is everything the brochure advertised and more. This zoo has a wonderful layout which takes about 3 hours to fully appreciate it all. Here are the highlights.
- Desert Dome
- Aquarium
- New IMAX…More »
17. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse
I have never been to this steakhouse before. It was next door to my hotel and was too tired to drive elsewhere. I had the stuffed pork chops which was the best I had. It was filled with polenta and grounded proscuto. Waitress was courteous and…More »
18. Fairfield Inn and Suites
This place looks to be new. I had a double queen bed which was nice, the staff was courteous and helpful. I didn't know how long I would stay for home hunting. I just stayed 2 nights and reservation was easily modified. Breakfast was both hot…More »
19. Cost Plus World Market
Wow, I heard about this place from my sister who lives in SF. She took us here a few years ago and we got some great Christmas clearance. Well, my co-worker mentioned this as well so I had to check it out. Wow, this place is even better than your…More »
20. Slumberland Furniture
I got my Natuzzi edition top grain leather sofa here at $699. The sales guy was super nice and told me to come back in a week since it was on sale then. I got it delivered but the delivery guy came 15 minutes early on Friday (delivery during week…More »
21. Science Center of Iowa
I came here on Mixology (1st Friday of the month) which is an after-hours happy hour for 21+. There is a live band and a bar for drinks and beer. Also, there are discounted passes for the Egypt special exhibit. This is a fairly decent sized…More »
22. Southridge Mall
I just realized that you can't microwave metallic lined dinnerware especially those I bought from Younkers. After 2-3 minutes, my plate was sintering and found my veggies charred. The metallic coating was catching on fire and made anything it touch…More »
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2011
I have to give credit to this mall. I have never found amazing bargains at Valley West or Jordan… Read more »
23. Kirkland's
West Des Moines, IA 50266
(515) 440-1703
I didn't expect this place to have what I want but was pleasantly surprised. This store is like a Pier One Imports or Crate and Barrel. The prices are terrific since I couldn't justify paying over $20 for pillows. I didn't want Target ones and…More »
24. Merle Hay Mall
Well, this mall is okay if you compare with the other ones. Yes, it looks nice inside but store selection is slightly better than Southridge. Bargains are hard to find here and the only thing different is the wildlife refuge center that has adopted…More »
25. Valley West Mall
West Des Moines, IA 50266
(515) 225-3631
Categories:
Department Stores,
Shopping Centers
Well, this place has a Von Maur which some folks will shop. I took one look at the tags and left. Even the clearance rack was over my budget. Inside there are the same stores as the Southridge and Jordan Creek malls. Parking is a zoo and traffic…More »
26. Blank Park Zoo
I had a couple of hours to kill before my flight back to Philly. So, I decided to take a stroll through here. Pretty nice zoo which is minutes from the airport. I especially loved the discovery center with tons of animals to see. Construction is…More »
27. Wendy's Ice Cream Shoppe
I was in need of some major relief from the heat. I had a vanilla soft ice cream on waffle cone with crushed pecans. The best treat for me which is just near the neighborhood. Only $2.65 and there is a cupcake stand but looked a bit pricey.…More »
28. Mr Eggroll Chinese Fast Food
I grabbed some lunch here en-route to the DMV in Indianola. This hole in the wall is the best food compared to the average greasy mall food. The spring rolls are the best here as well as the fried chicken done Chinese-style. I just loved the…More »
29. Taco Johns
Pretty decent fast food tacos compared to Taco Bell. I had the Big Taco in soft shell. Plenty of condiments and then added my own hot sauce. Btw, hot sauce is mild and that was the hottest level.
30. BangBang Mongolian Grill
West Des Moines, IA 50266
(515) 440-2264
Categories:
Mongolian,
Asian Fusion
Okay, you come here for the experience. Also, you need to know some cooking recipes since you are putting together the ingredients for your chef at the big wheel stove top. I put too much spicy curry, black pepper, and cumin. My beef with green…More »
31. Hampton Inn of Des Moines Airport
Not exactly what I expected from Hilton but this is close to the airport which is a plus. First, I arrived at around 10:30 PM since construction of I-80 was from East Chicago/Gary to Joilet. Insane traffic which was backed-up and had to wait…More »
Recently updated lists from Phillip Y.
Walmarts and Targets of Des Moines Metro Area (9)A listing of the Walmarts and Targets in the Des Moines Metro area. |
My First Couple of Work Road Trips After Moving To Des Moines (20)I thought this would be pretty interesting to map out our journey from Des Moines to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Springfield, MO. |
Boise, ID Trip Planner (11)My two day trip of Boise, Idaho- actually a nice city to visit:) |
Minneapolis-St. Paul Trip Planner (12)Here are a list of places to hang out while you are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area |
Iowa-Minnesota Trip Planner (15)Here's a bunch of places that I have stopped over for with family, friends, and co-workers from Des Moines to Minneapolis. |
Best Road Trip Route from Mid-Atlantic to Mid-West (39)Here are my stops from Philadelphia to Des Moines. The best road trip ever since I hit alot of spots- outdoors, cities, museums, and restaurants. |
Must See Zoos and Aquariums (9)These are my favorite zoos and aquariums that you must see if you pass through the area. |
Outlet Mall Shopping While On Vacation (23)Here are some decent outlet malls to check out while on vacation... |
Baltimore and Washington DC Trip Planner (16)This is a list of the best places to visit when in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. areas. |
Eastern Shore MD-VA Trip Planner (17)Here are some nice vacation spots along the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. We managed to hit 71 degrees in mid-March at VA Beach. Pretty nice weather with a cool breeze. |
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"Checking out the hidden gems of Des Moines"
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459 Useful, 139 Funny, and 257 Cool
Des Moines, IA
Yelping SinceNovember 2009
Things I LoveEcco & Teva shoes, alternative music, hiking all around, biking on beaten paths, Firefly TV series, dark chocolate, microbrewed beer, cheese and crackers, popcorn, salmon, Prius, automatic transmission, hatchback trunks, eye glasses, baseball hats, Boston Red Sox, NE Patriots, Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles
Find Me InNice sweater with chino pants with Ecco striped bowler's shoes
My HometownBoston, MA
When I'm Not Yelping...Studying for class
Why You Should Read My ReviewsPretty good knowledge of those lesser known treasures of Philly
My Second Favourite Website The Last Great Book I ReadOutliers
My First ConcertColdplay
My Favourite MovieThe Empire Strikes Back
My Last Meal On EarthScallops and Snowpeas with rice
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I am not fluent in Mandarin
Most Recent DiscoveryMusikfest
Current CrushScarlett Johansson