The Beat

Check It:

The concert calendar for our area is pretty bleak until late May and early June, but you better believe once the summer months are in full swing, concert season will be back again. Here are a few dates to look forward to.

311 will be playing at the University of Iowa Field House on April 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for $33.

New Found Glory, Bay Side, Set Your Goals and Shai Hulud will be playing at People’s Court in Des Moines on April 22. The show starts at 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door for $21.

Snocore Tour 2009 at Sokol Auditorium in Omaha will include Static-X, Saliva, Burn Halo and The Flood. The show will start at 7 p.m. on April 29. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and are available for $25.

Coldplay will be chilling at the Wells Fargo Arena June 12 for their first show in an Iowa arena. Having recently won three awards at the 2009 Grammy’s, the band will be promoting their most recent album release “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.” Tickets go on sale March 21 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, Dahl’s Food locations, or at the Arena Box Office. This show is not general admission and therefore ticket prices will vary.

The 2009 KGGO Summer Jam will take place at Water Works Park on June 27. The recently announced lineup will include Cold Filtered, Bad Company with Brian Howe, RATT, April Wine, Great White, and the Pat Travers Band. Tickets go on sale Monday for $20 a pop and are available through Iowatix or at the KGGO studio on 109th Street in Urbandale.

The Dish:

A new eatery in Des Moines’ Court Avenue District is Fong’s Pizza. Located in the old King Ying Low site right off the corner of 4th and Court, Fong’s Pizza is an interesting fusion of Asian favorites and pizzeria. Remaining King Ying Low wall murals are accentuated by the dim light of red hanging lanterns and the glow of the beer cooler’s florescent bulbs. The nook is impressively clean and organized and provides both bar side and booth seating. The idea behind Fong’s comes from the same crowd who cooked up Hessen Haus, the High Life Lounge, and the Royal Mile. By the looks of things, Fong’s Pizza could follow in the successful footsteps of its predecessors. Fong’s offers up a variety of pizza, both Asian-fusion and traditional favorites, such as the Thai Chicken pizza and the Big Delicious. Interesting taste combinations such as the Bacon Popper pizza, a twist on jalapeno poppers, and the Spicy Gordo pizza, a mix of meats and peppers, set this menu apart from its less than satisfying grease-glob peers. They also have appetizers such as Chinese ribs, egg rolls, and garlic breadsticks. If saddling up to the bar sounds more appetizing, Fong’s offers an extensive variety of mixed drinks served in delightfully festive pottery pieces including a blow fish bowl and a monkey head mug. With the kitchen open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily and until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, Fong’s Pizza may prove to be one of Des Moines’ best kept secrets worth checking out.