By Michael Morain Nearly a year after its grand reopening, the historic Val Air Ballroom is ready to host two new underground acts: a minimalist bar and a nostalgic supper club. Both basement spaces are owned and operated by the same team, but their styles are very different. The bar, called Work in Progress, is set to open at 3 p.m. Dec. 30. The restaurant, Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Country Club, named after the Val Air’s late founder, will open on Jan. 31, before country star Ella Langley takes the stage upstairs. The new gathering spots are the final phase of the Val Air’s $15 million renovation that owner Sam Summers initiated after he bought the property at 301 Ashworth Road in early 2022. Now, a side entrance leads directly downstairs, where patrons can turn right for a drink and a casual meal or left for a full-on dinner. “I like to compare them to the High Life and el Bait Shop,” chef Ryan Skinner said, referring to the twin spots that share a building downtown. “There are different menus, different service experiences. They’re completely different, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Skinner joined the Val Air project this fall, after three years in the kitchen at Harbinger, the upscale restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue. He grew up nearby in Windsor Heights and remembers coming to concerts during the ballroom’s previous era. Manager Isaac Alaniz has worked with Summers for about 15 years, including a long stint at Wooly’s, and helped open the ‘85 Bar in the East Village and Waukee. During a walk-through earlier this week, Skinner and Alaniz marveled at the Val Air’s recent transformation. Not so long ago, the basement that will soon host curious crowds was just a dark cavern with a dirt floor. “We used to come down just to take a peek,” Alaniz said. “It was pretty eerie.” Work in Progress Opening Dec. 30 At first glance, the no-frills bar looks pretty stark, with a concrete floor and tables repurposed from big wooden spools that once held electrical cables. Only a virtual fireplace on a flatscreen TV warms up the bare concrete walls. Skinner and Alaniz said they designed the bar to honor Valley Junction’s working-class roots. It’s intentionally un-fancy. A mystery vending machine behind the bar spits out random cans of Natty Ice, Old Milwaukee and the like. But there are some upscale elements, too. A frosty strip on the bar keeps drinks cold, and at least one silly cocktail comes in a hefty glass shaped like a fish. The menu offers snacks like fried pickles, deviled eggs and chicken lips (an eastern Iowa term for chicken tenders), as well as more substantial sandwiches and house-made pasta. One of the first things Skinner ordered for the kitchen was a pasta extruder, which can pump out 15 pounds of fresh pasta in 20 minutes. The bar menu will offer a few vegan options, too. “It’s been fun creating the whole concept from scratch,” Alaniz said. “Let’s make it cool.” Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Supper Club Opening Jan. 31 The cozy wood-paneled dining room with cushy booths and a roomy bar looks like it’s been around forever. (The only giveaway: It’s still spotless.) Framed posters and programs from the Val Air’s past adorn the walls thanks to help from one of Archer’s daughters, Loyce Archer Dunbar. She still owns a house across the street and curated some choice bits of memorabilia, from Lawrence Welk to disco. The menu promises many of the yesteryear classics you’d expect, like relish trays, shrimp cocktails, chicken liver mousse, and spaghetti and meatballs. Chef Skinner is tracking down the Steak de Burgo recipe from Johnny’s Vets Club, a Valley Junction mainstay that closed during the floods of ’93.  He plans to update a few dishes here and there to accommodate current tastes, even while honoring the past. “We all care so much about this place,” Skinner said. “We chose to come and work here because we know what it means to Des Moines.” Read more about the Val Air’s 85-year history in Kyle Munson’s story from earlier this year.