altdessertbar

altdessertbar Chef David Patrick Murphy was born and raised in Co. Mayo, Ireland. Food was always hearty and homely.

I grew up in a home where meals were home cooked and I have amazing food sensory memories from my mothers and grandmothers kitchens. I always enjoyed playing around in the kitchen but went in other directions career wise for many years. I shared my passion for all things sweet by bringing treats to my work colleagues mostly so that I wouldn't just eat them all myself - did I mention I have a sweet

tooth?! I finally took the leap into the professional culinary world in 2014 where I attended the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, (now the Atlantic Technological University), Culinary Arts program and I found that my home hobby was actually what I was meant to do after all and I fell in love with it. I learned from an amazing cohort of Chef tutors, who helped fan my flame for all things food, from the joy in tasting something new, to the wonder at using something familiar in a new way to make it like the first time tasting it. I really loved and excelled in the skills classes where my deftness of touch with my knives, my chemical understanding of base ingredients and my patience and attention to detail helped me excel as a Boucher & Poissonnier (Butcher & Fish Chef), Saucier (Sauce Chef - the mad scientist of any kitchen) and Pâtissier (Pastry Chef). It was also there during the first week of classes in September 2014 we were asked as individuals if we were to open a restaurant what would it look like, serve and where would it be located! The year prior to going back to school I happened to meet my now wife, Nora in Dublin, Ireland. This chance meeting lead to my introduction to Des Moines and ultimately ended up with my working in Baru 66, Windsor Heights and Harbinger on Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines. It was during this time at Harbinger where I was introduced to some of the amazing local producers that I will always try to use. I also spent a little time in The Grateful Chef kitchen several years ago where Brandy's infectious joy of food and sharing it with those around her reignited the spark in me to go it on my own as a Pastry Chef following that initial plan I put on paper as a school project those many years ago. So here I am, taking this first leap into putting me on a plate - enjoy! I believe that food comes from the heart and the love that is put into the preparation of food can be tasted in the end! I love food, I love sharing my food with others, I love how the simplicity of sharing a meal with loved ones or strangers can bring a table together but mostly I love how food can ignite conversation or at times can instill a silence that only comes from the pleasure of that first bite or taste of something truly delicious!

12/01/2025
It’s not every day you get to recreate a wedding cake from 1955 to celebrate a couple who’s lived through highs and lows...
06/07/2025

It’s not every day you get to recreate a wedding cake from 1955 to celebrate a couple who’s lived through highs and lows and still hold one other’s hands every day 💞 Cheers to 70 years, Kelly & Irene 🥂
🎂: Three-tiered champagne cake with white chocolate ganache Italian meringue buttercream, vanilla buttercream & fresh berries feat. homegrown edible flowers 🌺

Whether you’re celebrating with your Valentine or Galentine, come on out to on Tuesday, Feb 13th to enjoy a four course...
02/07/2024

Whether you’re celebrating with your Valentine or Galentine, come on out to on Tuesday, Feb 13th to enjoy a four course tasting menu paired with five Plumpjack wines (yep, you counted right: bonus wine!) 🍴🍷🍰

✨ Tickets are limited so get yours now! Check out the menu & reserve your spot at the link in bio

I love any opportunity to bake and spread happiness through food, and celebrating a major life event like a wedding is e...
09/16/2023

I love any opportunity to bake and spread happiness through food, and celebrating a major life event like a wedding is extra special.

My first professional wedding was last month and the week leading up to it, I was feeling all the feels:

😆 excited to contribute to the bride & groom’s special day

😇 grateful for the opportunity to do what I love

😬 nervous about pulling off my largest order (ever!) including a wedding cake, groom’s cake, and four different individual desserts for 200+ guests

😅 anxious about getting every detail just right from flavor to presentation

🤩 eager to share my desserts with the bride and groom, as well as with the wedding guests, so many of whom have welcomed me to this country, cheered me on over the past decade, and contributed to making Iowa feel like home

🤪 That week was one of the busiest weeks of baking I’ve experienced and one of the most fun as well. 🙌

🥳 I’m absolutely ecstatic with how it all turned out, both aesthetically and flavor-wise. 🍒 The cherry on top was that as a wedding guest myself, I got to watch the delight on the faces of guests as they enjoyed the desserts and saw a few go back for seconds (and thirds and fourths…I’m not naming names but you know who you are!! 🤐😜)

🗣️ Shout out to for putting the final touches on the wedding cake so it fit right in with the rest of the stunning floral decor & for sharing space with me - I couldn’t have done it without you!

📸:

If you’re looking for a or in for your next special event or holiday party, I’d be honored to help treat you & your guests to a truly memorable dessert experience. Email or DM for details!

Why settle for just one dessert? Treat your guests to a full selection with a styled dessert table! Featuring strawberry...
08/15/2023

Why settle for just one dessert? Treat your guests to a full selection with a styled dessert table!

Featuring strawberry champagne, lemon raspberry, pistachio mousse, and my take on an old fashioned

Classic meets summer with this strawberry champagne cake adorned with a sunset palette of seasonal flowers 📸: Design & ...
08/15/2023

Classic meets summer with this strawberry champagne cake adorned with a sunset palette of seasonal flowers

📸:
Design & florals:
Venue:

This Friday marks 10 years since I met my wife and 5 years since we gathered with friends and family in Des Moines to ce...
08/08/2023

This Friday marks 10 years since I met my wife and 5 years since we gathered with friends and family in Des Moines to celebrate our marriage at St. Ambrose Cathedral. I’m looking forward to returning to the church to celebrate the wedding of dear friends this weekend, and am so incredibly honored to be invited to make their wedding cake & desserts for their guests. Here’s a little throwback to the first wedding cake I made for my bride in the teeny tiny kitchen of our first apartment (I could literally touch every surface all at once!!), presented on a cake board I made out of wood from her grandfather’s farm. Very grateful to be filling this order out of a professional kitchen this week 😅

New favorite way to end a meal: the mini croquembouche feat orange, pistachio & rum
08/03/2023

New favorite way to end a meal: the mini croquembouche feat orange, pistachio & rum

Served up some peaches & cream for Sunday night dinner with the fam, including some out-of-town guests who just made it ...
07/31/2023

Served up some peaches & cream for Sunday night dinner with the fam, including some out-of-town guests who just made it through their third full RAGBRAI!

Anyone who’s ridden knows Iowa is NOT flat!! Congratulations to all the riders who made it through any portion of the week in this heat & humidity.

When I walk into a market, I always have an idea of what I’m looking for but I’m never quite sure what I’ll end up with ...
07/29/2023

When I walk into a market, I always have an idea of what I’m looking for but I’m never quite sure what I’ll end up with until I see what’s fresh and let the ingredients inspire the courses.

Last week had some gorgeous scallops that paired beautifully with some nice crispy bacon: a classic combo dressed up with a little pea purée

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Clive, IA
50235

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