Datebook Diner: Mouthwatering items bolster El Chisme

Interior of El Chisme Restaurant, 2920 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines. (Credit: BILL NEIBERGALL/DES MOINES REGISTER)

I love it when my mouth starts to water when I'm driving to a restaurant. That's the case with El Chisme - the pizzas and tacos here can send the food-lover in a reverie just thinking about them.

The look: While bright orange and breezy blue walls cheer up the room, there's no mistaking that this is a super-casual spot, with banquet chairs, plastic booths, a couple relatively unobtrusive TVs and just a few wall decorations here and there. Though the place feels a little more lunchroom-esque than dinner-worthy, bring in your own wine or beer (they don't have a liquor license), and you could have a very good dinner here for a great price.

Menu: You can order Mexican and Italian entrées - from a ribeye steak, carnitas and fajitas to pastas with marinara, Alfredo and a choice of toppings; however, because the place is called a Taqueria y Pizzeria, I stuck to the bread-based creations. Besides, it's hard to order a plate of pasta when the yeasty aromas of pizza crust - freshly made and baking in the oven - seduce you the minute you walk through the door.

First bites: The tacos are open-faced jobbies, with a choice of meats (a favorite was the caramely-tipped steak bits) plus onions and cilantro served on soft-as-a-dust-cloth tortillas. You won't go wrong with the torta, either. This creation sandwiches meat (I chose a spicy-good chorizo) plus sour cream, sliced avocado, beans, onion and cilantro between two slices of well-structured bread.

What I'm dreaming about right now as I write this, however, is the Al Pastor Pizza - a Mexican-Italian hybrid of lusciously moist marinated pork, diced fresh onions, cheese and cilantro on a delightfully puffy crust. One caveat: This is not for fat-phobes. The bits of pork brought plenty of soft, unctuous flab that you're going to like running into - or not.

Service: I appreciated the way that our server asked me almost as many questions about my preferences as I asked her about the food - she simply wanted to make sure I liked what I ordered. Her chef-husband often comes out from the kitchen to shoot the breeze with diners when things slow down - particularly fitting, since El Chisme means "gossip."

Bottom line: Fresh, well-made pizza and tacos served in an unassuming environment.

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