9 things to know about the farm-to-table restaurant Table 128, reopening in Des Moines
Table 128, the former farm-to-table restaurant from owner and chef Lynn Pritchard, finally plans to reopen in new digs just south of downtown Des Moines.
The Clive restaurant closed in July 2021 and planned to move into space at a Gray's Landing commercial mixed-use building at 220 S.W. Ninth St. in Des Moines by November 2021. Interest rates, his father’s death, a new investor and more all came since 2021, Pritchard told the Iowa Podcast.
Now the restaurant has an opening date. “I'm aiming to do soft opens the week of spring break,” he told the Iowa Podcast, pinpointing the week of March 11-15.
Note that Pritchard opened 503 Cocktail Lab & Tasting Room in 2022 in the East Village. He also plans to open Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen next to the new WesleyLife Meals on Wheels location at 3206 University Ave., Des Moines, in the Drake neighborhood. There, Pritchard will serve Mediterranean food in the space named for his son, Wini’s Food Stories reported.
More: The 17 biggest restaurant openings in the Des Moines metro in 2024
Here are nine things you need to know about Table 128 before it returns.
1. Jacob Demars, the former executive chef behind the now-closed Barbarian inside Kinship Brewing Co., is the chef de cuisine at Table 128, the restaurant announced on Facebook. Barbarian closed in November when the brewery was unable to pay its staff.
2. Garrett Dotsch, the former general manager at the East Village restaurant Alba, came on board as the general manager at Table 128.
3. The Brussels sprouts salad, one of the most iconic dishes at the restaurant, returns on the menu, Pritchard told the podcast. The warm salad came with La Quercia prosciutto, marcona almonds, shaved Manchego, mustard seed vinaigrette, and Parmesan.
4. Lynn’s Burger also returns with pickled pear, brie, crispy onion, Dijon aioli, and a flaxseed bun.
5. Also returning, the chocolate chip cookies, although Pritchard said they are available at his East Village restaurant, 503 Cocktail Lab & Tasting Room.
6. Pritchard told the podcast that contractors are laying carpet and hanging wallpaper in the Table 128 space that is 65 square feet smaller than the Clive location, now home to St. Kilda.
7. Customers should not expect it to look anything like the Clive location. Pritchard told the Iowa Podcast that the new space would feature an art deco look with jewel tones including golds, deep blues, emerald greens, and pops of coral and brass. “Elegant without being pretentious,” he said.
8. Diners can expect to find a rooftop terrace and a 36-seat patio as well that is larger than the Clive location. Overall, expect about 120 seats with the outdoor seating. The patio will have some "soft seating venues" as well, he said on the podcast.
9. Expect a private dining room that seats eight, another nugget he revealed on the podcast.
Who is Lynn Pritchard?
Pritchard is the chef and owner behind Table 128, an upscale modern American restaurant focused on seasonal ingredients and artistic presentations. Before he opened Table 128 Bistro + Bar in Clive in 2013, he operated Tartine in the space.
He worked at Red Crow Grill as the executive chef for more than six years in Bettendorf, and before that, worked as the food and beverage director of Jumer's Castle Lodge when it was in Bettendorf.
Pritchard graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.
Where to find Table 128
Location: 220 S.W. Ninth St. in Des Moines
Contact: facebook.com/Table128 or instagram.com/table_128
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Table 128 from Lynn Pritchard to open in Des Moines
