If you think Iowa is only corn fields and fried food on a stick, do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Head to Harbinger immediately after your flight lands or you drive into town.

Locals’ palates are getting more adventurous,” said Joe Tripp, co-owner and chef at Harbinger and that’s good news for the rest of us. The popular Ingersoll neighborhood dinner and brunch spot is the anti-meat-and-potatoes restaurant, focusing on Southeast Asian flavors and vegetable-based small plates like steamed buns (also available with pork or chicken), locally grown shiitake mushroom tempura, buckwheat, kale and popped groats tarts and Hakurei turnips with local chevre. Tripp, a four-time James Beard Award nominee who ran the kitchen at Alba, shops at the Downtown Farmers Market and preserves massive amounts of produce so winter diners can enjoy treats like fermented ramps and strawberry relish.

Their menu is inspired by the chef’s trips throughout southeast Asia and includes appetizers such as Shishito Pepper Tempura (yuzu kosho aioli, pickled daikon), Watermelon & Tuna Sashimi (tomato ponzu, sushi rice, shiso), and Summer Sweetcorn Dumplings (burnt husk dough, coconut milk broth, almonds). For dinner, enjoy unexpected dishes as Spanish Octopus grilled over charcoal charred eggplant, Chinese black beans, grape vinaigrette, Scallops pan seared sweetcorn congee, pickled shishitos, Thai basil, and Grilled Heritage Chicken brushed with yuzu kosho & honey roasted pepper, grilled peaches, sunflower).

For a celebration with a touch of whimsy, Harbinger from chef Joe Tripp, a five-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Midwest award, is the perfect choice. This quirky restaurant that was named one of the Restaurants of the Year in 2024 by USA TODAY offers a menu inspired by global flavors, with a focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients that focus on vegetables. With its unique décor, inventive cocktails, and lively atmosphere, Harbinger is the perfect place to celebrate with friends or a romantic evening.

Located on Ingersoll Avenue right outside of Downtown DSM, Harbinger is a vegetable-forward farm-to-table restaurant featuring an Asian inspired menu with sharable small plates. The restaurant was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list and was featured on Wine Enthusiast’s list of Des Moines restaurants with great wine lists. The seasonal rotating menu helps guide the selections on the wine list to perfectly compliment co-owner and chef Joe Tripp’s dishes.

Since opening in 2017, Harbinger has outlasted many of its peers on its way to becoming the gold standard of the Des Moines fine dining scene. Its Asian-inspired, vegetable-focused small plates concept has earned chef Joe Tripp multiple James Beard award nominations, not to mention local rockstar status. The hyper-seasonal menu focuses on locally sourced ingredients, served in a modern space that is as intimate and approachable as the food.

Steamed buns come with pork belly, sweet potato tempura, or sweet and sour chicken at Harbinger, 2724 Ingersoll Ave., on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Des Moines. Every day from 4 to 6 p.m., grab happy hour specials that tend to change with the seasons. Look for $8 green garlic naan, Bombay spiced sweet potato chips, radish and butter crespelle, and spring green dumplings, or steam buns at one for $3 or three for $8.

Just as there are narrow-minded people out there who think there are no Des Moines Iowa tourist attractions, there are some people who probably think there’s no Des Moines fine dining. But the dinner you’ll have at Harbinger, a vegetable-focused small plates restaurant is as good as any you’ll find in a larger, more coastal city. Start with one of their cocktails, like Bourbon Acting Like Pho.

Food can be art, too; just ask the chefs at Harbinger and Proof, known for their beautifully plated dishes and multi-course tasting menus. Both have James Beard nominations in spades, and both make beautiful choices for dinner. They're only a mile apart, so if you're feeling incredibly spontaneous (and famished), you could even "Beard hop" to both.

Chef Joe Tripp, a Des Moines native, has earned seven James Beard nominations for Best Chef Midwest. You'll find out why when you sample the vegetable-focused small plates at this eatery just west of downtown. The menu changes frequently but might include options like a duck egg omelet or reticulated sweet potato black garlic tartlet.

Just down the street from Cheese Bar, Harbinger is as lovely and unassuming on the outside as on the inside. It serves small plates that focus on seasonal vegetables, with shareable dishes and a rotating menu that keeps options fresh. Expect dishes like English pea potstickers and sweet-and-sour crispy sweetbreads.

This vegetable-focused small plates restaurant is known for its innovative dishes and seasonally changing menu. During happy hour though you can experience menu items that aren’t available during any other time. These specialty snacks are the perfect size to share among friends or make a dinner of on your own.

There's a tight battle for the title of best restaurant in Iowa, but our pick might just be Harbinger. Tucked away on Ingersoll Avenue, this fusion restaurant by Chef Joe Tripp is heavily inspired by his trips through Asia. It combines classic Asian street food with modern fine dining twists.

Come to Harbinger for a meal prepared by award-winning chef Joe Tripp. The dishes here are vegetable-focused and inspired by Southeast Asian cuisine. Start your meal with a twist on an Asian classic like squash blossom Rangoon, shishito pepper tempura, or summer sweetcorn dumplings.

Chef and co-owner Joe Tripp, a five-time James Beard semi-finalist, forages locally for ingredients for his Asian-inspired menu of creative dishes. The menu changes frequently depending on what's in season in the surrounding countryside. Location: 2724 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines

Harbinger was inspired by the Chef Joe Tripp's journeys through Southeast Asia. The vegetable-focused small dishes are made with locally-sourced ingredients and products. Harbinger is renowned as one of the best restaurants in Des Moines for its creativity and flavorful menu.

If you Google “best restaurants in Des Moines,” you’ll be hard-pressed to find a list that doesn’t include Harbinger. The vegetable-forward, small-plate restaurant co-owned by husband-and-wife duo Joe and Alex Tripp has been a fine dining destination since it opened in 2017.

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (35 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: American, Asian- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 2724 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312-5240- Read more on Tripadvisor

Joe Tripp’s take on Korean fried chicken is hardly a secret. When I went in to pick up the Sunday-only dinner, orders were lined up and the kitchen was in full-hustle mode. Fortunately, the process all ran like clockwork.

Harbinger is a vegetable focused small plates concept, and is absolutely delicious!. The chef, Joe Tripp is a Des Moines native, making this a #deetzfave!. Reservations can be made online in advance, or by calling!

Prepare for an outstanding culinary experience with artistic dishes and mind-blowing cocktails crafted by a talented team. I arrived for my second visit on Sept 6 2023, and ordered 3 dishes. One was with truffles.

2724 Ingersoll AveDes Moines, IA 50312(515) 244-1314 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. The Harbinger is a New American restaurant less than ten minutes away from various must-visit tourist hotspots.

This vegetable-focused small plates restaurant is known for its innovative dishes and seasonally changing menu. Harbinger, 2724 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines

2724 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312Phone: 515-244-1314 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by harbinger (@harbingerdsm)

It all happens behind big windows looking out to a happening stretch of Ingersoll Avenue, just a block and a bit over from Harbinger.