Treat yourself to a night out at one of Des Moines' classiest "splurge-on-a-special-occasion" restaurants.
The atmosphere: 801 Steak and Chop evokes a high-end gentleman's lounge ambiance. Forest green leather booths, dark mahogany wood and American agricultural artwork decorate the interior. Wait staff are uniformed and serve food on rolling polished wooden carts.
The service: A few questionable moments.
In spite of reservations, we were seated next to a large, noisy party. Our host obliged when we asked to be moved. Our waitress was attentive, but a bit pushy with pairings. When we didn't begin with wine, she pushed appetizers. We passed on starters, she pushed side dishes. She forgot bread, but another server quickly delivered it.
Two bites into my Hawaiian pink swordfish, I discovered a hair. Our waitress asked to see the hair before offering a replacement - an Iowa pork chop.
The rest of the service was likely more reflective of an 801 experience. The general manager and sommelier brought out the main courses, apologizing for the hair and offering to take the entree off the bill. A classy move.
The menu: Divided into the fresh sheet (seafood), main menu and wine menu. A plethora of appetizers (including lobster corn dogs), salads and sides buttress the heft of the main menu: Steaks, which start at $37.95. Sundays, a three-course prix fixe menu is offered 5-9 p.m. for $29.95.
The food: My partner ordered the lobster and shrimp linguine, which had fennel, cherry tomatoes and garlic in a lobster tarragon sauce. The dish was light and delicious. The Iowa pork chop was grilled, then baked and served with cider jus and roasted apple compote. We split a refreshing French martini with vodka, pineapple juice and chambord served with a lemon twist.
The wrapup: This is the restaurant to go to for a special event, when you're OK with a hefty bill.
