Either/Or is the latest venture from the restaurant group behind Lua Brewing in the Sherman Hill neighborhood of downtown Des Moines.
“Lua is about craft beer and food, and it was our first so [it’ll] always [be] our baby, but it’s small,” said co-owner Scott Selix. “Either/Or is bigger on just about every scale. We still do craft beer and handmade food but we [also] have cocktails, a private event space, a huge patio with green space and a playscape and five fire pits. At Either/Or, you can do date night, a family night or Friendsgiving. It’s flexible for any occasion.”
Situated on Grand Avenue off of 63rd Street, just across the street from Val Air Ballroom and roughly 100 yards east of the West Des Moines border, Either/Or opened its doors in early fall 2023. Selix said he and his co-owner/wife Whitney Selix, as well as their restaurant partners, saw potential in the space right away.
“I played soccer at the soccer fields just south of Either/Or,” said Scott. “The huge patio, the connection to my old soccer club, the great location on Des Moines’ front porch from WDM, it all came together pretty quick with the tremendous team we have.”
The cuisine at Either/Or is best described as elevated American fare with a focus on quality. The burgers are ground in house and made from 100 percent Iowa-sourced Certified Angus Beef, Selix promises. Juices are freshly squeezed for cocktails, and homemade bologna is made through a lengthy process. Chefs Cesar Vargas, Megan Snyder and James Arbaugh also brought Mexican and Asian influences to the menu.
“We pretty much said, ‘let’s create a restaurant we’d want to dine at,’ and that’s what we did! So the food is approachable, but unlike stuff you’ll find elsewhere and always homemade,” Selix said.
I had the pleasure of taking my two daughters with me to Either/Or on a Friday evening. Upon entering, you’re greeted with colorful and eclectic decor. The bar pops and the open kitchen gives you an inside look at how your dishes are assembled. A very cool, casual and comfortable feel right away.
We were seated immediately, although the place was already very busy. The beer list had some impressive variety, but I couldn’t pass up a Lua brew. I went with their latest double IPA, Dancer. I love the hop combo and creamy texture, and although it checks in at 8.6 percent ABV, it’s scarily drinkable. Lua makes some of the best beers in Iowa, and this one is right up there for me as a favorite.
If cheese curds are on the menu, there’s a 99 percent chance that my kids will have me order them. Either/Or’s Mexican cheese curds were more inspired than the average appetizer. House battered and served with pickled fresno chiles, cilantro and a chipotle ranch dressing, these were some of the best cheese curds any of us had ever eaten.
We decided to do a bit of sharing and order a couple of sandwiches. The fried bologna sandwich would make Oscar Mayer blush — the flavor is off the charts, with almost a pepperoni spice. It melts in your mouth, and they stack this sandwich high with it. Another excellent sandwich, the vegetarian Italian mushroom sandwich was loaded with perfectly cooked mushrooms and topped with a delicious homemade giardiniera and a side of jus.
Rice pudding is another of my daughters’ favorites, and Either/Or’s rice pudding was extraordinary. They added some apple compote and then topped their pudding off with a sesame tuile, which is a baked wafer. A great dessert to cap off a really wonderful meal.
The way Either/Or plays with fresh ingredients and caters to the details is commendable and appreciated. I’m really excited to see what they bring to their ever-changing menu in the seasons ahead.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s January 2024 issue.
