Why eat at a chain Wednesday: Sam & Gabes Fine Italian Bistro

Sam & Gabes Fine Italian Bistro is a Des Moines institution, yet the first time I heard about them was back when they moved to the neighborhood, over just west of 86^th Street and north of Hickman Road. Before, they were located off University Avenue and really never a place I thought of much. I remember my first time to Sam & Gabes I was somewhat in awe of their food prices because I didn’t realize it was a fine dining establishment – I only knew them as Sam & Gabes…without the Fine Italian Bistro. Truth be told, I didn’t know much what fine dining was back then as I was too young to have really had much experience.

As I have matured, my appetite for fine dining restaurants has grown because the food is typically fantastic, which usually makes up for the increase in price point. Sam & Gabes falls into that category, a fine dining establishment with amazing food that makes me forget how much I paid for it.

My last trip to Sam & Gabes was for my wife’s birthday, which was just a few weeks ago.  We started our meal with a bottle of Casa di Rocco Moscato, which is one of her favorite sweet wines. We considered adding an appetizer, but with the bread they bring out and our appetites, we decided against it. For dinner, my lovely bride had the Chicken Asiago, which is two 4-oz chicken breasts lightly dredged in seasonal flour, sautéed to golden brown, topped with melted Asiago cheese with a choice of red or white sauce. Jamie decided to go with the white sauce and I know she loved it because she planned to take most of it home for left over’s. I say planned because, unfortunately, the bus boy threw the meal away before the server could get it into the box. We laughed it off as we were more than pleased with the meal – and the wine may have hit us a little too.  I tried the Lazagne al Forno, which has homemade pasta sheets, layered with Ricotta, Italian sausage, and Italian cheeses. I was blown away by the freshness of my Lasagna and really enjoyed the meal.

All in all, Sam & Gabes was a very good choice for us and was not as expensive as I thought. We were able to celebrate her birthday and our reservation meant we didn’t have to wait to get seated. All though, come to think of it, I don’t remember anyone waiting to be seated. If there were people waiting, they were over in the bar listening to live jazz music and enjoying a drink.

After all, why would you eat at a chain restaurant when you can eat at Sam & Gabes?