If someone is looking for great Italian food in Iowa, it’s not hard to find a candidate! The land of pasta, tiramisu, and parmigiana has definitely exported many of its classics over to the U.S., and we’ve embraced it! But with so many options, it can be hard to find the right one – but going to a long-time family-owned joint rarely steers us wrong!

That’s definitely the case for Tumea & Sons Restaurant, which has been holding court in Des Moines since 1998. This family-owned Italian restaurant in Iowa was founded by Joe and Lucretia Tumea, both of whom immigrated from Italy as teenagers before meeting, marrying, and raising a family. The Tumeas would eventually team up with their four sons to open Tumea & Sons, which the family still operates today – and you can taste the difference in every recipe!