Hello! I’m Hannah, a retail reporter at The Register, and my Akita hybrid Sheba and I are new to Des Moines-so let’s be friends!

Welcome to after hours, this is the new weekly newsletter on all entertainment content from Des Moines Register. Written by journalists and occasional guest writers, we show you what we do during off-hours-from camping to concerts to crocheting and everything in between. Can we get three cheers this weekend?

This is the deal: moving is terrible. There are heavy furniture, there is more trash to pick up than you think, and there are many novelties and changes. My dog ​​is terrified, it is expensive and stressful.

To clarify, I am one of the newbies in the registry. I arrived by subway from Quad Cities in May 2021. It’s not very far, but there are still a lot of boxes.

Six months later, fortunately, Des Moines began to feel at home. The summer finally got colder, and as we entered autumn, I began to adapt to the rhythm of the city.

My first task is to find a reliable source of caffeine. Looking for a good local coffee after moving is my favorite way to feel at home in a new city. Establishing a new routine can help me feel settled-and coffee is the true cornerstone of my routine.

Fortunately, Des Moines has many local coffee shops. Of course, the first one I visited was the one within walking distance of my new apartment.

Smokey Row Coffee is located on the edge of the historic Sherman Hill community, where oak trees form a 100-year-old house. The location of Smokey Row makes it more attractive, especially in the fall when the tall trees change from green to yellow to orange.

Walking around is a simple pleasure, counting squirrels and dogs on my way to get a glass of iced American oat milk (and maybe a tiramisu). Maybe I'm just addicted to caffeine and sugar, but Smokey Row is where I feel at home for the first time in Des Moines. It is often bustling, with college students buried in laptops and textbooks, and smiling people happily talking about their days.

Drinking coffee in Smokey Row, usually with a book or a friend, makes me feel that I am part of the community and part of the Des Moines ecosystem. When you first arrive in a city, sometimes you just need to find a perfect cup.

I am always looking for my next fix! When I learn more about the coffee scene of Des Moines, please send me your favorite places to drink coffee. Email me herodriguez@registermedia.com or find me @byherodriguez on Twitter.

1. Daisy chain coffee: Attached to Raygun East Village is a daisy chain. Dan Bosman used to be a Mars Coffee store and opened a redesigned coffee bar in 2020. The menu revolves around the honey he picked locally. Take advantage of Dan’s beekeeping and order a honey and cinnamon miel latte, honey lavender latte or refreshing honey lemonade.

2. The Slow Down Coffee Co.: Slow Down Coffee Co. is located near the historic Highland Park in Des Moines and is a real meeting place. Stop for a book club party or read poetry while sipping their mouth-watering seasonal latte. Brown Sugar Bourbon, S'mores and Salted Maple Black Walnut are currently rotating.

3. West End Architectural Salvage: The custom furniture recycling/activity center is three times the size of the coffee bar-it is one of the coolest places in Des Moines. Since I doubled the Cuban coffee and white chocolate raspberry latte in a recent visit, I have been following their HGTV series. Pro tip: Order food first, and then give yourself plenty of time to sip and browse the room full of antiques.

More: After get off work hours: "Meat" is the best butcher in Des Moines, yoga and cheese corn cake in a plant oasis

Pumpkin Rangoonies, $4 and $6: Lucky Lotus's Pumpkin Rangoonies—fried ravioli stuffed with cream cheese pumpkin puree and mixed with cinnamon sugar—are a warm treat we deserve this fall. I will stick to pumpkin spice until after Thanksgiving (at least), so I ordered a sweet and nutty pumpkin spice Thai tea with coconut milk ($4) to complete the perfect dessert.

Get: Lucky Lotus serves lunch and dinner on weekdays, dinner on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays.

Army and Navy, $9: When I first moved to Des Moines, people always asked me if I had been to Bartender's Handshake. I am happy to report that the trendy cocktail bar lives up to expectations. Their army and navy performances are sacred. Egg whites and nutmeg add creamy warmth to a rich classic cocktail.

Access: Open daily from 2pm to 12am 

Thursday night: From 5pm to 7pm, enjoy some drinks and retail therapy during Valley Junction Sip & Shop to get your weekend started early. Participating local retailers provide drinks while customers shop. Five Monkeys Inc. is a self-painted pottery studio. The party lasts from 7pm to 8:30pm, so shoppers can customize their own ceramic wine glasses for $25.

Friday evening: On the first Friday of each month, Mainframe Studios will host a free open day event. You can visit the artist’s studio while enjoying food and live music planned around a specific theme. This Friday, you can come to participate in activities celebrating Latin and black culture, including film screenings, photography exhibitions, and fashion and flower shows. Don't miss the fun from 5pm to 8pm, otherwise you will have to wait until December.

Saturday night: Since moving to Des Moines, I am the newest fan of the Iowa Wolves team-I love watching basketball games. On November 6, I will cheer for the NBA G League basketball team in Des Moines in the season opener against Sioux Falls Skyforce at Well Fargo Arena. The game starts at 7pm, and the ticket prices vary. 

More: After get off work: Celebrate Halloween in Des Moines, watch horror movies, glass pies and murder mysteries

As its comment on GoodReads said, Trick Mirror is "about shaping our motivations and how difficult it is to clearly see ourselves in a self-centered culture." I just finished Jia Tolentio’s Trick Mirror and I have Many ideas. Pick it at Beaverdale Books, enjoy it with one of the cozy lattes, and let's start the book club! 

What books have you read recently that you can’t put down? Please tell me what I should choose next via herodriguez@registermedia.com or Twitter @byherodriguez.

Thank you for reading and sharing my words! Send me a DM on Twitter @byherodriguez, or follow my work on Register. Recently, I have been writing about the impact of the pandemic on Thanksgiving shopping, Hy-Vee's pranks, and the latest news about the Valley West Mall. Come back next week to listen to our first guest author, Barb Becker, who is the brewer of Clive 515 Brewing.

Not subscribed? Receive the newsletter in your inbox every Thursday.