The Gateway Market and the Market Cafe have brought choice food ingredients and prepared food to Des Moines in an amazing package. Just about anything that a cook would want is available here. While the local grocery store might have a dozen different types of olive oil, Gateway Market offers an uncountable number of different oils. South Union Bakery has moved its production to the Market, so there is always the freshest selection of bread available. There is also a full cheese supply, meat, an olive bar, pastries, many imported and specialty beers, and a very sophisticated wine selection that includes less expensive bottles not found in many of the other wine stores. The wine department area is handled by certified sommelier Abbe Hendricks. The Market Cafe was a favorite location for media types covering the last Presidential election and I suspect that they will be back again. One reason for its popularity is the outstanding lunch menu and fast service. Rather than try to itemize the thousands of different products, here is a photo essay:
