Set sail to Noah's Ark for pizza, calzone, pepper rings, and lemon cake!

What can be said about Noah’s Ark on Ingersoll we don't know already? One of Des Moines' oldest restaurants. Iconic signage. So old school the wait staff still wear institutional-grade uniforms.

I've enjoyed delivery pizza from Noah's several times over the years but rarely have enjoyed a sit-down meal there. I sorely needed a visit.

For my first meal I started off with Noah's humble but popular love knot roll, drizzled in garlicky butter. Pretty darn good on this occasion, though on the next visit the roll was hard and stiff. In fairness, it was the tail end of lunch that day.

The dinner salad was visually appealing and even more delicious with a flavorful Italian dressing; each leaf of lettuce was thoroughly coated. A few more shards of carrot and cabbage would have been ideal, but the peperoncini and rings of raw onion added some zest.

A basket of bell pepper and onion rings in a tempura like batter were delightful; blond, not overdone. The peppers had just the right amount of give on the bite. Onion rings weren't shabby either, but still its hard to top those tasty pepper rings. The rings are served with a basil infused dipping sauce I didn't mind dunking into; good rings never deserve the injustice of ketchup.

For the main course I enjoyed a small meatball and green pepper pizza. Exhibiting a crispy crust, the green pepper still offered an appealing crunch without tasting raw. Though not a saucy build, the tomato sauce was flavored well with oregano and the odd fennel seed. Still, the overall package with plenty of mozzarella is enjoyable, familiar, and comforting.

Feeling frisky I finished off my meal with a slice of the Lemon Fantasy cake. The lemon cream custard between the layers of cake just pops with bright lemon flavor. Its a lemonparty!

On my next visit I kept it simple with a far-from-simple sausage and roasted red pepper calzone. Oh what a sumptuous affair! Decadently cheesy with a crisp crust and so superbly crusty along the seam. Fennel stands out in the coarsely ground sausage. Absolutely the best calzone I can recall enjoying in these parts. Its what's for dinner on my next return to Noah's Ark.

After such a delicious meal I finished with an equally delicious Cappuccino Milano with anisette, espresso and steamed milk. Supremo!