Sonny's Pizza Bistro

Sonny's Pizza Bistro is a family-owned Italian restaurant in Des Moines, built around family recipes. The kitchen makes its own sauces, sausages and meatballs, and the pizza dough is made in house. Ready-to-go pasta by the pan serves 8 to 20 guests and can be ordered by phone. Owners John and Quinby Vacco opened the restaurant in 2006 and bring more than 30 years of restaurant experience to the kitchen.

The dining room is small and casual, seating about 50, so it feels intimate. Guests can dine in or call ahead for carry-out, and there is a full bar and an outdoor patio for a glass of wine, a martini or a cold beer. Local musicians play on the patio on Saturday nights during the summer. Jars of the spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce are sold at the restaurant and at local grocery stores.