Oak Park: a garden, a chef's table, and caviar cones on Ingersoll

One of USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year, with a kitchen garden next door and a wine list that goes back to 1990.

When USA TODAY named its Restaurants of the Year, Oak Park made the list, and anyone who has been already knew why. The New American restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue is the kind of place you save for the big night: a beautiful dining room, a menu that changes with the seasons, and a team that treats dinner like an event. It's also on our Des Moines restaurant tier list.

Start with the caviar cones

The caviar cones are one of Oak Park's signature dishes: Royal Ossetra caviar with smoked crème fraîche, almonds, and cauliflower puree. If you're celebrating, go further with caviar and housemade chips, or the classic caviar service. Other small plates worth ordering include the bourbon candied bacon, garlic butter oysters, grilled octopus from the Josper charcoal oven, and a wagyu short rib raviolo.

From the garden and the grill

The kitchen works with local farmers, and many of the ingredients come from Oak Park's own neighborhood culinary garden next door. You'll see it in dishes like the carrot Wellington, slow-roasted carrots and goat cheese in puff pastry. From the Josper charcoal grill, there's a filet mignon with bone marrow butter, an Iowa Berkshire pork chop with cherry bacon glaze, and a ribeye with poached oysters and romesco. The lobster risotto and Chilean sea bass are favorites on the seafood side.

The wine and the bar

Oak Park calls its wine program the best in Iowa, with vintages going back to 1990 and bottles from just about every great region in the world. The bar pours classic cocktails and the bar team's own creations, some made with ingredients straight from the garden.

Book the chef's table

For a night you'll talk about for years, reserve the chef's table: a seat for four to six guests inside the kitchen, with an exclusive tasting menu and optional wine pairings. Oak Park also hosts special dinners through the year. A Stag's Leap Wine Cellars dinner is on Thursday, November 19, and a cocktail infusion dinner is on Thursday, December 10.