Board game cafe coming to downtown Des Moines this spring
Many Des Moines gamers know The Rook Room as a pop-up event at local businesses. Tony Tandeski and Annelise Tarnowski hosted a myriad of game nights over the last six years as they planned to open their own physical space.
In December, they got one step closer to their vision of opening a game lounge and restaurant in downtown Des Moines when they leased the site of the former St. Kilda Cafe and Bakery.
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'If you [told] me even a year ago that I would be standing here in a place like this, ready to open the doors to the general public, I would've told you you're crazy,' said Tandeski. 'We were enjoying the pop-up lifestyle, This was always the goal but it's kind of that thing that's way off in the distance and you don't know if it's going to come to fruition.'
People can expect a restaurant, cafe, bar, events space, and community hub all in one. Tandeski and Tarnowski will have over 800 board games and puzzles, from the classics like Monopoly and Scrabble to newer games.
Each game has stickers to indicate important information like how hard the game is to learn, how many players can play, etc. Tarnowski also said they will have flags for people to leave at their tables to indicate if they're open to socializing or if they want to be left alone.
They are still working on the construction of the space, particularly in the space downstairs. It will also be fully accessible, with an elevator inside. In total, The Rook Room will have 6,000 square feet for gamers in Iowa to enjoy.
However, people aren't obligated to play a game. Tandeski said people can stop by for coffee or food and stay for a few minutes, or they can stay for hours to play one or more games.
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Tarnowski said they're working with the owner and chef at Lachele's Fine Foods to finish their menu, and they will have an exciting twist on a classic.
'The most exciting thing is a dream that we had which is to make our own Hot Pockets. So, we'll have these pizza puffs with rotating flavors that are going to be so great, like the things you love about a hot pocket but with local ingredients,' she said.
The construction of the downstairs section has delayed their original opening plan, however, The Rook Room is still projected to be open sometime this spring.
Tandeski and Tarnowski say they plan to operate Thursdays through Tuesdays when they first open and there will be a cover at the entry for some nights. They also will be hiring soon. More information on The Rook Room can be found on their website.
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Julia is quick to point out Davina's hypocrisy: She had a bastard son, and he still lives under Simon's roof, doesn't he? But Davina outlines the key difference in their situations. Julia is carrying a fatherless child. Brian was and is the laird's son. And Lord Lovat knows it, she says, almost sadly. If Julia decides to keep her baby, Simon will 'get rid of the bairn [child] himself.' Soon, Brian and Murtagh return from the Gathering, both of them heartbroken after having learned of Ellen's pending betrothal. Somehow, Murtagh is clueless enough not to suspect his cousin's crush, perhaps because Murtagh's own undying love for Ellen has proven so enduring. But even with their sullen looks, they straighten their backs to present a report on the Gathering to Simon, initially focusing on which attendees supported the Jacobite cause. Brian, however, soon steers the conversation toward Colum's alliance with the Grants, and, in particular, the ensuing union between Ellen and Malcolm. Initially, Simon reacts exactly as Brian expected he would: He's angry, certain the MacKenzies now seek to turn the Grants—formerly a Fraser ally—against him. 'An engagement can be broken,' Simon plots, playing directly into Brian's hand. But the young Fraser is aghast when his father hatches a nasty plan in response. Lord Lovat decides to launch a rumor, claiming that the reason Ellen has yet to marry is on account of a stained reputation. Brian objects to this idea, hoping for a 'more honorable' way to halt Ellen and Malcolm's wedding. But, really, what other way is there? What did Brian expect from his abusive, cold-hearted, power-hungry father? At least Murtagh's happy with the turn of events! He thinks Brian's scheming is on his behalf. 'If Malcolm refuses Ellen, I may yet have a chance of winning her hand,' he says with glee. 'Suppose I should be thanking you.' Brian, hearing this, grimaces. But he doesn't take the opportunity to correct his best friend. For now, the love between him and Ellen must remain a secret. Elsewhere in Leathers, the secrets are proving impossible to conceal. Realizing she won't be able to deny her pregnancy for much longer—especially now that Davina already suspects it—Julia realizes she has a terrible decision to make. She devises a scheme: She will sleep with Simon Fraser in order to convince him that the baby she's carrying belongs to the laird himself. (Look, I probably should have seen this coming, but the plot twist got me. I gasped.) Maybe, if Julia gives birth to a child Simon believes is Brian's half-sibling, she can keep Henry's baby. But such a plan presents a bevy of problems. If and when Henry does reunite with Julia, Simon will never allow the Beauchamps to depart with a child he believes is his. And what about Brian? How long will he live under the impression he has a new sibling? Might the truth turn him against Julia somehow? Might the Frasers and Beauchamps become enemies? In a letter to her husband that she can't possibly send, Julia pleads for Henry's forgiveness. Like Ellen, mere miles away, Julia is acting for the sake of her family. Let's just hope the men don't find a way to destroy the women's carefully laid plans.
