The Continental: Get a look at the new East Village space

After being away for two years, The Continental is back in Des Moines' East Village and it's serving up some classic favorites, as well as new menu items.

State of play: The Continental reopened in the former Dirt Burger space near Raygun in late June.

• They had to close their longtime location in 2020 because their landlord doubled their rent.
• While the new space has held more casual restaurants over the years, it's taken on a new life as a dark, classy lounge thanks to the owner, Jennifer DuBay and her husband, Kevin.
• "We wanted to make it as close to the original as possible," Jennifer said.

The menu: You'll find plenty of shareable plates, gourmet fries, salads, sandwiches and a beignet dessert.

The restaurant is starting with a limited seasonal menu as it builds back up, but expect to find some old favorites including spicy meatballs ($10.50), the blackened chicken sandwich ($11.50) and pomme frites — shoestring fries with truffle salt, an egg and Sriracha ketchup ($8.50).

The drinks: The star of The Continental is its extensive bar menu, including its Smashes and Mojitos.

What they're saying: If there's a former dish that you miss, don't fret, Jennifer said — it will likely come back at a later date.

Open: 11am-11pm Mon.-Thurs.; 11am-2am Fri.-Sat.. Located at 407 East 5th Street, Des Moines.