Why DSM Food Lovers Should Check Out Ankeny
Flavory Bistro is your lunchtime destination, but the area's food/gourmet shops make it worth sticking around a while.
From the Interstate, Ankeny might seem like just another sprawling suburb, but after spending the better part of last Thursday digging deeper, I left with an unexpected soft spot for the area. Flavory Bistro was my destination for lunch, but while there, I poked in and out shops that are well worth the attention of food-lovers—from a specialty meat market to a sweet little macaron shop. I also stumbled upon a compelling Thanksgiving meal-prep option. Oh, and the best layer cake I’ve had in ages.
P.S.: I know some of you live in Ankeny, so I’m sorry if this sounds Des Moines-centric. But many of my readers don’t live there. I hope everyone gets something out of this column!
Worth a Drive: Flavory Bistro


1450 SW Main St.
(515) 443-7272
Closed Sundays and Mondays.
The trouble with being a restaurant reporter is that you’ll see so many of the same things, restaurant after restaurant, especially at spots focused on …