Hello, Marjorie named one of USA TODAY’s best bars of 2024: Video
Take a look inside Hello, Marjorie in Des Moines, named one of USA TODAY’s Bars of the Year for 2024.
“The prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines,” a pink LED sign hanging over a fireplace beckons. The quote from Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel “On the Road” defines Hello, Marjorie, a step back in time to the 1950s when mid-century modern décor ruled.
The retro cocktail lounge in the former Des Moines Register & Tribune building from owner Nick Tillinghast serves some of the most creative cocktails in the Midwest. It was named one of the 27 bars included on the 2024 USA TODAY Bars of the Year list, created by USA TODAY Network food writers across the country. The list includes everything from humble dives to high-end cocktail bars.
What makes Hello, Marjorie stand out
Hello, Marjorie opened on the first floor of the former Register & Tribune building in downtown Des Moines in 2017. Its debut signaled a new era of cocktail lounge in Des Moines, where bartenders sling complex drinks with layers of nuance.
Tillinghast carved out conversational seating areas outfitted with retro couches in golds and hunter greens, low-slung chairs and buffets decorated with old books, globes, and lamps.
The renovations inside over the past three years created smaller pockets of seating and even a high-top nook. The side of the room that faces Locust Street feels like smaller parlors with an odd assortment of lampshades hanging overhead to give the room a soft glow.
“It’s slowly becoming the bar that I always envisioned it to be,” Tillinghast said.
More: He goes to Asia every year for inspiration. Now his restaurant was named tops in the US
What to order at Hello, Marjorie
“The bartender is more like the chef than the bartender,” Tillinghast said. “They’ve taken flavors from foods that they like and are turning them into liquid.”
The Marjorie: General manager Todd Patrick recommends ordering the namesake Marjorie, made with elderberry and spiced pear vodka. “It’s definitely one of the easiest to go to when you don’t really know what you want. I feel like everyone’s always more pleasantly surprised by it.”
Editor’s Note: The cocktails features American Prairie Bourbon, Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur, apple bitters smoked in house and simple syrup, with slices of apple and dried apricot as a garnish.
Scarlett Grove: Patrick conjures up many of the cocktails at Hello, Marjorie, including the Scarlett Grove, made with Suntory Whisky Toki, fortified wine, orgeat, and caramelized papaya syrup. Albums such as “Audio Bartending” by Jazinus inspire his drinks, right down to the name. Scarlett Grove took its name from a song by Maribou State.
“I find it’s really easy to play instrumentals and things like that during and after dinner, before late-night stuff, because it really creates nice environment for conversation,” Patrick said as he created the cocktail.
Jalapeno Popcorn: Another cocktail called the jalapeno popcorn uses a popcorn-infused tequila and curacao with lemon curd made in house and a jalapeno basil olive oil. Many of the concoctions such as the lemon curd and elderberry and spiced pear vodka are made in house, infused, pureed and mulled for use in cocktails.
Of course, espresso martinis and Old Fashioneds still fly out of the bar.
The lounge also has spirit-free, composed drinks.
Hello, Marjorie also has Prosecco and rose on tap.
See the full menu.
Did you know?
Hello, Marjorie was named for Tillinghast’s grandmother, whose husband Harry died in 1965 after a heart attack. Marjorie Anderson raised her three daughters alone, and Tillinghast described her as “superwoman” for his mother and aunts. She loved a sloe gin and a cigarette. A painting of her hangs over a Wurlitzer spinet piano in the lounge.
A separate speakeasy, Good News, Darling, sits in the back of the space with its own distinctive menu and vibe. Make reservations in advance or ask the hostess at Hello, Marjorie if there is room. Many times, the speakeasy has its own pop-up going on, such as the current one, Honeymoon, that offers a VIP experience at an outdoor festival vibe, or Naughty List for the holidays.
Details: 717 Locust St., Des Moines, 515-369-2296, hellomarjorie.com.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].
Source link : https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/07/29/hello-marjorie-des-moines-iowa-named-one-of-the-top-bars-of-2024-by-usa-today/73908866007/
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Publish date : 2024-07-30 11:02:32
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