New in Des Moines: a few spots worth knowing right now

Part of the fun of a city on the rise is that the map keeps changing. Blink and there's a new patio, a new counter, a new reason to leave the house on a Tuesday. A few of the newer Des Moines spots are worth putting on your list this summer.

Heroics, a women's sports bar

Billed as Iowa's first women's sports bar, Heroics opened over the holidays and gave the city something it didn't have: a room built around women's sports, on the screens and in the crowd. Whether you're there for a match, a watch party, or just a good beer in a loud room, it's a fun one, and it's the kind of place that only works because enough people show up. Be one of them.

The Breakfast Club, in a bigger room

A local brunch favorite, The Breakfast Club outgrew its original East Third Street storefront and moved into a larger space at 418 E. Grand Ave. More seats means a shorter wait for the weekend crowd, which is the whole point of brunch. Same reason to go, less time standing on the sidewalk to do it.

And a running list worth bookmarking

Axios Des Moines keeps a steady beat on new dining, most recently rounding up several spots opening around the metro, including a sweet-tooth stop called Home Sweet Cone. It's a good page to check before you make a plan, especially when you want to be the first table in the door.

The best way to keep up, though, is to just go. New places need early regulars, the ones who come back before the reviews are in and tell their friends. Being that person never gets old, and in a city this size, the owner will remember your face.