dsmWeekly: May 22, 2018

Enjoy this personal invitation to our anniversary unveiling (and stay with it to the fun ending).

JOIN US FOR AN ANNIVERSARY BLOWOUT

After a certain age, we get a little touchy about birthdays. But anniversaries! Now that's something to celebrate with gleeful spirits. We at dsm are so grateful that you readers have made us a part of life in Des Moines for 15 years.

Please join us for this special celebration Thursday, May 31, at the city's newest hotel, the Hilton just south of the Iowa Events Center. We're hoping we'll be joined by many of the writers, editors, photographers and other skilled contributors who have helped to make dsm what it is today. We'll distribute an anniversary issue that features people, events, stories and covers from the past, along with a look into the future of our city.

Our Hilton hosts look forward to welcoming us all, between 5 and 7 p.m. We'll have some drinks, hors d'oeuvres, lively conversations and a brief presentation at 6 p.m. Please come and join us; we couldn't produce a magazine without readers, and we'd really like to thank you for the 15 years you've given. Happy Anniversary!

The aroma draws you in; this is what makes you come back—lunch at Gazali's on 25th Street.

LUNCH OF THE MONTH: GAZALI'S

By Wini Moranville

"I wonder if you can buy scented candles that smell like this," my dining buddy said as we walked into Gazali’s. For sure, the fragrance of roasted meat and toasted spices welcomed us into the front room of this casual Drake-area eatery, promising just so much flavor.

It had been too long since I’d been to Gazali’s. What I remember as (mostly) a quick-stop falafel, gyro and soda-pop shop has upped their game since my last visit. The charming separate dining room, sans views of the workaday order-at-the-counter operation, offers pleasant focal points of wine bottle arrangements and storefront windows. You could actually linger here awhile—especially now that they have recently started serving beer and wine.

The restaurant specializes in falafel, chicken shawarma and gyro meats, which you can order either tucked into pitas or served atop salads. I thoroughly enjoyed the falafel salad, with sturdy shredded romaine lettuce and crisp cucumbers topped with plenty of crunchy chickpea fritters, a dollop of hummus and zippy kalamata olives. My dining pal was equally thrilled with her gyro salad, with its generous windfall of moist, irresistibly spiced lamb gyro meat.

Gazali’s is at 1205 25th St., 515-309-8167. Find them on Facebook at Gazali's - Gyros & Mediterranean Specialities.

Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.

From dance to martial arts to table tennis and food, CelebrAsian embraces an entire continent in one city park.

CELEBRASIAN FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

CelebrAsian, Iowa's favorite opportunity to experience the diverse cultures of Asia, returns to Western Gateway Park on Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26, from 11 a..m. to 10 p.m. In past years, over 60,000 people attended the two-day event. Admission into CelebrAsian is free, and the day is packed with authentic Asian foods, crafts, children’s games, sports, cooking demonstrations, traditional and contemporary stage performances, and, of course, table tennis. More information is available from the presenters here: Iowa Asian Alliance - CelebrAsian Heritage Festival. Table tennis tournament details are available here.

Yes, there are five. But through "rock-scissors-paper" or other processes of selection, they decide who will play each week.

BELIN SHOWS STILL FREE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED

The delightfullly elegant Belin Quartet this week resumes its annual series of Friday lunchtime concerts, which began in 2000. The group will perform May 25 from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at People's Plaza, at the corner of East Locust and East Seventh streets. All concerts in the series are free. Upcoming concerts in the series include June 1 on the downtown library lawn and June 8 at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. For details on these and the quartet's other programs, click here.

"The little one on top, right?" Workers check out their own progress in assembling the sculpture "A Monumental Journey."

MONUMENTAL UPRISING

Crews are installing the sculpture "A Monumental Journey" in the pocket park on the northeast corner of Second and Grand avenues. The work honors the legacy of African-American lawyers who founded the National Bar Association in 1925 after being denied membership in the American Bar Association. The public dedication of "A Monumental Journey" will take place on July 12 at 11 a.m. The artist, Kerry James Marshall, will present a lecture at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium at 6 p.m. that day.

Jackson Browne visits the Civic Center June 21.

LOOKING AHEAD ...

As soon as the Parrotheads leave the Well tonight, a rich lineup of concerts falls close behind with performances to suit any budget. Consider these:
HOYT SHERMAN PLACE: June 10, Diana Kroll; June 14, Buddy Guy; June 16, the Temptations. Details.
DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER: June 5, David Byrne; June 21, Jackson Browne. Details.
STONER THEATER: June 22, Chasing Lovely. Details.
NATIONAL GUARD SUMMER SERIES: May 24, Brother Trucker; May 31, Sons of Gladys Kravaitz.
NIGHTFALL ON THE RIVER: May 26, Arch Allies; June 1, Kip Moore; June 2, Euforquestra. Details.

For other fun opportunities, explore a pair of easy-to-use online calendars. We at dsm magazine and the Business Record maintain this calendar with handy filters so you can see just the types of events you're searching for. For even more categories, check Catch Des Moines.