Des Moines' best breakfasts

Farm Boys breakfast burrito

Eat it: $5.50, 7 a.m.-noon, Downtown Farmers Market (the stand is located across from the Royal Mile on Fourth Street)

Hundreds of Des Moinesians have made ordering a breakfast burrito at the Downtown Farmers Market a weekly ritual. Don’t be surprised when you’re greeted with a long line of hungry locals, trying to keep their dogs, kids and purchases in order as they wait for their meal. Reaching the register offers a feeling of triumph alone. After that wait you’ll want to take a long look at the all the fresh toppings and absorb the bustling activity behind the counter, but have your money ready and start ordering — the line isn’t getting any shorter.

Start with a warm flour tortilla, then choose between scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, seasoned potatoes, cheese, sour cream, salsa, onions and jalapenos. Ordering every topping won’t be a mistake. The shredded cheese melts instantly over the piping hot eggs, and the seasoned potatoes add a soft puffiness to each bite. Don’t skip the jalapenos; the little rings of heat are the perfect complement to the cool salsa. When they’ve slapped the fat burrito in your hand, step out of the hustle and bustle so you can really savor it. After all, you came the whole way downtown for this moment.

— Jessica Knight