Martini and tapas restaurant The Stuffed Olive anchors revamped Court Avenue entertainment hub
The Stuffed Olive, home of a long list of martinis and tapas, makes the move to a new home in the Court Avenue entertainment district later this year.
The long-time restaurant plans to move into The CC, the revamped entertainment hub at 216 Court Ave. The restaurant takes over the first floor the former Court Center Building.
Stuffed Olive owner Brendan Kelley hopes the space will open in December. He said he regularly has to turn away patrons to the space at 208 Third St. in Des Moines that opened in 2014. The new space will triple the restaurant's size "and give us a much bigger kitchen and the ability to host private parties. The icing on the cake, though, is the outdoor patio space and all the opportunities that will offer us starting next spring, whether it be evening dining or participating in the popular Downtown Farmer’s Market,” he said in a news statement.
Tony Rose, a local restaurant and bar contractor, is overseeing the transformation that will keep The Stuffed Olive's cozy atmosphere while adding some modern touches.
What is The CC?
The three-story downtown entertainment building on the corner of Court Avenue and Third Street was previously called Court Center and housed six bars under one roof. A Cedar Falls-based ownership group bought the building and implemented plans to revamp the 35,000-plus-square-foot building with a restaurant on the first floor with patio seating, an "entertainment or amusement-type venue" such as a bowling alley on the second floor, and a "Nashville-style live music venue" on the third floor.
Last year, a Des Moines Register report found a disproportionate number of calls for service for assaults and weapons-related crimes compared to other addresses in the district. The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment decided to prevent businesses in the building from selling alcohol after midnight instead of 2 a.m. as a means of reducing crime in the building, which ranged from a series of shootings, assaults and an incident where adult entertainers exposed themselves and performed sex acts at a nightclub.
New owners Tony DeSalvo and Jeff Hassman say they have worked with the city to make The CC a safer environment.
More: Owners seek to revamp now-vacant iconic Court Avenue building into entertainment hub
What is The Stuffed Olive?
The menu at The Stuffed Olive includes more than 100 variations on the martini, from a classic or a Dirty Bird with Grey Goose vodka and olive brine to a Chocolate Bliss with 360 Chocolate, Kahlua, Frangelico, Tippy Cow Chocolate, a splash of cream, and chocolate swirls.
The menu includes sharable dishes such as crispy cauliflower or risotto croquettes as well as poutine or a build-your-own mac-and-cheese option. The restaurant even offers skewers of olives stuffed with prosciutto and provolone, garlic, bacon, sun-dried tomato, or jalapenos for 50 cents each.
Last year, The Stuffed Olive opened a location on the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City and has eyes for another location in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as Omaha. The original location opened in Cedar Falls in 2004.
Where to find The Stuffed Olive
Location: 208 Third St., Des Moines
Contact: stuffedolivedsm.com or 515-243-4456
Hours: Open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Reporting from former Register reporter Francesca Block contributed to this article.
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 sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The Stuffed Olive moves to Court Avenue in Des Moines in December
