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Press Releases Des Moines RegisterDining These are the press releases we've issued over the last year.
January 17th The Price is right at Yanni's Yanni's Grill & Vineyard brings Greek and Italian cuisine to a sweet, simple location in West Des Moines.
There's a warmth and charm about Yanni's Grill & Vineyard that's refreshing. Faux grapes, cheerfully painted booths and splashes of colors you don't see around here too often. (sunny yellow, bright-sea blue, white-washed white) imbue the rooms with a cheerful and simple Mediterranean motif. But the real draw to this new restaurant, I suspect, will be the reasonable prices. Steak de Burgo which can go for as high as $26 elsewhere, goes for $13.95 here. Pasta choices, at $9.95, include standbys such as lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli, cavatelli as well as less common items, like Gnocchi ala Sorentina and Penne Regina. Italian chicken andveal classics, such as Chicken Marcela and Veal Piccata, plus Mediterranean-inspired seafood choices, round out the menu, all in the $11.95 to $14.95 range.
Lunch (not reviewed here), pastas go for $6.95, Steak de Burgo for $7.95 and a good selection of sandwiches (including Yanni's famous Prime Rib and Yanni's famous Gyros) cost $4.95 to $6.95.
All entrees come with salad, and the choice is an easy one: Go Greek - the Greek-style one here brings imported olives, tangy feta and a zippy homemade vinaigrette. The other option - just doesn't compare.
Steak de Burgo fans should take note of Yanni's version. Good, tender steak sits in a pool of head, rich and buttery sauce, but the standout here is the topping - a handful of fresh herbs and mushrooms and a bracing hint of fresh garlic bits. Another nice touch: Diners can opt out of the usual foil wrapped baked potato option and order a potato croquette.
A special one night (at $1 off the regular price), the lasagna may not have been the best in town, but it was a fine $8.95 version. Though it tasted freshly made, I was hoping for a bolder flavor; still the spice was likely right for the mostly older crowd at the restaurant.
Other dishes we sampled tasted fine, though not extraordinary. The Veal piccata brought good, tender meat, but a sauce that lacked zing. The Gnocchi Sorentina (chewy little dumplings with tomato sauce and cheese) was a little one-dimensionally cheesy for my tastes. And the tiramisu was a dense, slightly dry version, rather than the airy, luscious treat I've enjoyed elsewhere.
Service is friendly enough but felt a little detached in places. One Saturday, I called at 11:10 to ask what the lunch specials were that day. The answer? "They haven't posted them yet." (A better answer? "I'll go see what's cooking.?) When the cook presented the Saganaki (a Greek cheese appetizer flambéed tableside), he couldn't get his lighter to work; he merely apologized and served the cheese un-flamed. In my book, it's just not the same if it's not flamed - the fire makes a great show, and makes the cheese ooze just right.
Fortunately, after we expressed our disappointment, our server cheerfully took the item off our bill.
The bottom line about Yanni's is that atmosphere is charming, the price is right, and a few tweaks here and there will make this cute little place a clear standout among the super-sized restaurants nearby.
February 21st Readers reveal favorite neighborhood spots Yanni's -- 2800 University, WDM, 309-4006 "Yanni's fits the bill" according to Cindy Helgason. "Their spaghetti carbonara is yummy," she adds.
Recent Media Coverage of Yanni's Grill & Vineyard |
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