A cynic would say... Des Moines-West Des Moines was named the most affordable metro area in America by Realtor.com. The ratings were based on the percentage of the average annual income required to finance a new mortgage. Raleigh-Carey was second. Los Angeles was dead last. The average price of a house in LA is now $1.1 million. A cynic would explain the news this way: The metro can't recruit new people to town because its water appears to be causing cancers of all kinds. Thus, there is an oversupply of houses and a shrinking buyer market.
Iowa Nice report The World Food Prize Foundation is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for most hunger relief meals packaged in one hour during the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue on Oct. 20 at the EMC Expo Center. Working with Meals from the Heartland, organizers hope to rally more than 1,000 volunteers to package 600,000 meals in one hour, surpassing the current record of 530,064. Half the meals will stay in Iowa and half will go to eight countries around the world.
Prairie Meadows awarded $275,000 to the WesleyLife Foundation across three initiatives serving older adults in central Iowa. The largest share, $200,000, supports the $49.5 million redevelopment of The Village in Indianola, while $65,000 goes to WesleyLife Meals on Wheels and $10,000 to WesleyLife Hospice. Meals on Wheels delivered more than 416,000 meals in 2025, and the hospice program served nearly 650 people across the region.
Weekend deals • Cooper’s BBQ (116 N. Walnut St.in Colfax) will be running a special on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until sold out: pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese and a side of coleslaw for $15. • AJ's at Prairie Meadows has a new all-you-can-eat prime rib and crab legs buffet from 4 p.m. Fridays. • Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University Ave., West Des Moines) offers fish fry lunch specials $16.49-$21 including a pint or two shrimp Fridays. Saturdays feature $33 12-ounce prime rib dinners. • High Life Lounge (200 Second St., Des Moines) has a Friday special fish fry for $11.99. • Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) offers mandi rice on Fridays, with chicken, paneer and vegan choices. • Exile offers half-priced kids meals on Fridays. • Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has $6 buckets of eight pieces of baked chicken on Fridays. • Desi Bites (1475 S.E. Bishop Drive, Waukee) has weekend specials on nine biryanis and five pulavs. • Marianna's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers green enchiladas combos for $10 Fridays and Saturdays and four shrimp tacos for $12 Sundays. • Talk Shop Lounge (3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles) has a steak dinner deal Friday $16. • The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has wings on sale Fridays for $8.
• Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) offers sticky pork rice specials today. • Friday lunch special is $12 Italian beef with fries and soda, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Striking Sparrow (1930 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines). • Most Hy-Vees offer $5 fish and chips Fridays, $14 ribs Saturdays and eight-piece chicken buckets for $10 on Sundays.
• Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni) is offering Philly cheese steak specials today. • Machine Shed (11151 Hickman, Urbandale) offers smoked prime rib on Saturday only. Whatcha Smokin? (Luther) offers smoked Dino beef ribs on Saturday only. • Chicken Alfredo is today's special at Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola). Saturday's will be fish and chips and Sunday's is fried chicken. This week they will close at 2 p.m. Saturday. • Saturday is wine sampling day at Graziano Brothers. • Amruth (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) has 20 dishes on their Saturday and Sunday buffet, noon to 4 p.m. Of course, there will be dosas. • Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell for half price until 4 p.m. • Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) does Saturday and Sunday brunch buffets for $24.99 for adults. Kids 6 and younger eat free. • Rube's steakhouses offer a prime sirloin special on Sundays only, $29. • Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $9 Philly cheesesteaks or hot honey chicken plus $8 biscuit and gravy breakfasts on Fridays. • Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) offers walleye or steak dinner specials tonight and karaoke after 9 p.m. They have a 10 for $10 wings deal on Sundays. • Jethro's Sunday special is burger baskets with fries for $9.95. Fridays they have Texas Dip - chopped Texas brisket with sauteed onions, Swiss cheese on a hoagie with fries and BBQJus. $13.95. • Paula's (Elm at Sixth, Valley Junction) has a Friday special Rachel (turkey Reuben) with fries for $14. • Heavenly Asian (225 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has an all-day Friday sale on orange chicken served with soup, crab Rangoon, egg roll and rice, $14, available for dine-in and phone carry-out. • Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday. • Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99. • It's French dip Friday at Club 2000 (420 Indianola Road, Des Moines). • Price Choppers have sales through Monday on frozen catfish nuggets at $1.99/pound, baby back ribs at $2.99/pound and beef ribs at $8.99/pound.
• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on red grapes at $1.29/pound, mandarins at $2.89/3-pound bag and honeycrisp apples at $2.29/2-pound bag.
• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running sales through Sunday on snow crab clusters at $9.99/pound, and through Tuesday on Bartlett pears at $.99/pound and strawberries at $2.50/pound.
• Hy Vee has specials through Sunday on pasta at $.99, Smart chicken thighs at $1.99/pound, and breakfasts with two meats, two eggs, two pancakes or toast and hash browns at $6.99.
Dinner with a show Grain Powered Duo plays Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday… El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m... Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m. Friday... Christopher Miller plays Exile Brewing Sunday at 5 p.m.... Fred Gazzo Quintet plays at Anna Dolce at 6:30 p.m. Saturday... American Elton: Bill Conners plays at The Ingersoll at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. |