Food Falls, Scarf Dakota

Thanks for the notes: fun food stuff around the web

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:49:34 -0500

One of the perks of writing a blog about eating, is friends, family and even readers(!) send in tips, stories, grotesque food-related websites and the like to me all the time.

And I love it. Below is a quick roundup of a few from just the last day:

1. I’ve not been to Vegas in years, but it really is an outstanding place to get in trouble. And by that I mean eat way-too-much and way too well. In that vein, my friend Jesse Smith sent this link to me this morning:
10 burgers to eat right now: A beefy to-do list for Vegas diners. Yum.

2. The construction dumpster has disappeared from the front of the upcoming Five Guys Burgers and Fries building, and lately there have been trucks and cars parked in front of it during the day. Is the much-anticipated burger joint getting closer to opening? I don’t know, but do know that the Sioux Falls Business Journal is currently updating that story, so we should know soon.

BUT, when they do open, did you know they have a mobile app that you can actually order and pay from? Convenient AND dangerous for a guy who can see the front door out of my office window! Thanks to John Boerigter for this one.

3. Lastly, from my wife, Megan Myers, who knows my love of salted, cured meats, pretzel buns, and most things gluttony better than anyone: The Saltwich. (photo above, courtesy NPR) Had to be horrible and delicious, right?

Keep sending me stuff! Either here on the blog, or at ctmyers@argusleader.com

Minervas Buffalo Wellington is for real

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:54:05 -0500

In my continued effort to eat good food AND support my own company’s efforts, I hit up another Falls Taste Tour - Chefs Challenge participant recently: Minervas for the Buffalo Wellington.

For me, the great thing about the Chefs Challenge is, most of the participating places are restaurants I frequent anyway. Minervas, for example, is consistently good, and a place you KNOW you’re going to get a great piece of meat, a great meal and service.

That being said, I was still surprised at how much I enjoyed the Buffalo Wellington. Billed as a South Dakota-raised buffalo tenderloin with a garlic and herb oyster mushroom duxelle, and sautéed baby vegetables atop a Burgundy demi-glace.

That’s quite a mouthful, but to boil it down, the buffalo was tender, medium-rare and gorgeous inside the buttery, toasty pastry, and the garlic/herb/mushroom filling around the meat was outstandingly rich and made me happy!

And I like being happy!

What is a Beef O'Brady's? No, really. Tell me!

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:30:00 -0500

I though Beef O’Brady’s was just a college bowl game! Apparently, they are a family restaurant chain and one is coming to Sioux Falls at the Sanford Sports Complex, according to the Sioux Falls Business Journal.

I’ve never been to one. Who has, and what can we expect?

One thing to try: Pretzel Roll and Beer Cheese dip at Skelly's

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:55:07 -0500

My friends, at least many of them, make fun of me for liking Skelly’s. They say it’s weird, it’s old and it’s dirty. And to all of that I say: they’re right.

But I don’t care! I’m going to keep trying to make it a thing because I think that as far as pub food goes, Skelly’s does a lot of things right. And I’ve had more than a few very enjoyable lunches there.

The last time I headed over there with my friend and co-worker Michael Klinski, they had something new on the menu: a pretzel roll with beer cheese dip appetizer. Of course we ordered it.

First, the beer cheese dip was great. Not too cheesy, not too bitter, but just right. And super rich. Secondly, that pretzel roll, toasted and lightly buttered was solid. Sprinkled with salt over the top like a good pretzel should.

If you’re willing to ‘brave’ Skelly’s, check this one out. It’s worth it.

The Six-step Process of the CH Patisserie Meltaways

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:26:00 -0500

These is my suggested how-to guide to your first CH Patisserie visit. Along with getting a pistachio macaron. Step 2 is really the most important if you want to be a good person, as you’ll see.

Step 1: Go to CH Patisserie and purchase a tube of the Vanilla Caramel Meltaways. They are different than the Vanilla Bean Soft Caramels I sampled earlier.

Step 2: Give some out to your friends and co-workers.

Step 3: Try one for yourself.

Step 4: Feel the immediate regret of sharing these rich, buttery, oh-so-vanilla (the good stuff, no crap) little chunks of heaven with your greedy friends and co-workers. They should have all been for ME! (This, however, is the SAME feeling you get from the Vanilla Bean Soft Caramels. Lesson: Don’t share CHP)

Step 5: Eat the rest of container. Feel glorious.

Step 6: Keep said container (seen above) at your desk for a week to look at longingly numerous times a day.

Enjoy!

Food lineup for the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta...on May 11!

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:06:17 -0500

So what if the celebration is going to be a week after the ACTUAL holiday of Cinco de Mayo? The Sioux Falls Fiesta is one of my favorite events of the summer, if only for the Mexican food trucks.

Plus, this year it looks like the weather is going to be beautiful. So join me down at Falls Park tomorrow! Check out the food menu:

La Tapatia: Elotes (Mexican style corn on the cob), Fruta Picada (Mexican style fruit)
Linda’s Concessions: Burritos, Tacos, Tortas etc.
Nikki’s Burrito Express: Churros, Burritos, Tacos
Pueblo de Dios: Pupusas, Colombian Tamales
Puerto Vallarta: Enchiladas, Burritos, Nachos, Chips & Salsa
Taqueria Sanchez: Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Tortas etc.
Valentina’s: Enchiladas, Mexican Tamales
Garza Insurance: Grilled Chicken
Kettlecorn Castle: Kettlecorn, Carmel-glazed Kettlecorn, Ice Cream Bubbles Ice Cream: Ice Cream

Three delicious sliders at Wild Sage Grille. So good....

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:23:00 -0500

Three delicious sliders at Wild Sage Grille. So good. #fallstastetour

In order of my preference:
Cuban Pork with homemade zucchini pickles and mustard was just right up my alley. I think my exact words were “I’ll have nine more of these, now, please!”
Dubliner Buffalo Roast with homemade tomato jam, and Guinness caramelized onions. Was sweeter than I thought it would be, and not in a bad way, just unexpected. I could eat a lot of this.
Thai Chicken with spicy peanut sauce and pickled carrot slaw. Third only because the first two were so much better. Tangy, not very spicy, and yum.

The Wild Sage entry in the Chefs Challenge is a definite go-get-it-now sort of meal. Friend and fellow eater Abby agreed.

Is Instagram + Food making me obese? This video says yes

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:41:42 -0500

Yeah, I take pictures of my food when I eat out. Partly because I love food, and partly because I have to feed the food blog beast. Like the above GORGEOUS photo of Mama’s Ladas I took last week.

And I know some cringe at the now ever-present documentation of eating and sharing on Facebook and Instagram. But I’ve always said (and still say) ‘get over it.’

Anyway, here’s a video saying it’s highly possible taking photos of my food is making me fat. Whatever Patrick Jones! You and the Huffington Post can go kick rocks.

Thoughts?

Chefs get Challenged, we get to eat and win.

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:50:00 -0500

Today marks the start of our third Falls Taste Tour promotion, the Chefs Challenge.

Like the original Falls Taste Tour, and the Falls Wine Tour before it, the Chefs Challenge offers up some great food and a chance to win some pretty hefty prizes.

Here’s the breakdown:
Eight local chefs have created a new dish and added it to their menu. We go and eat said dish(es), head on over to www.facebook.com/FallsTasteTour ‘like’ the page, then click and vote on our favorites, leave thoughts or photos on the page and generally just have a good time.

Do you have to try all eight before voting? No.

What can you win? The Grand Prize is a $500 gift card to the restaurant of the winning chef. First Prize is $400 worth of gift cards to the eight participating restaurants ($50 each). AND there will be a weekly winner of a $25 gift card each week.

So eat/vote early, and eat/vote often.

Here are the participating restaurants/chefs/dishes, and you can see pictures of the dishes at www.facebook.com/FallsTasteTour:

Minervas and Chef Chad: Buffalo Wellington. South Dakota Raised Buffalo Tenderloin, garlic & herb oyster mushroom duxelle, sauteed baby vegetables and burgundy demi glace.

Wild Sage Grille and Chef Nancy: Summer Sliders. Dubliner Buffalo Roast with homemade tomato jam, Guinness caramelized onions, Thai Chicken with spicy peanut sauce and pickled carrot slaw. Cuban Pork with homemade zucchini pickles.

Carnaval Brazilian Grill and Chef Dan: Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin. Wrapped in a banana leaf, served with spring time couscous and moqueca.

Casa Del Rey and Chef Don: Rellenos de Puerco Asada. Puff pastry stuffed with carne adovada mushrooms sauteed with garlic, medley of black beans, corn, peppers, and Monterey cheese. Served on a bed of Santa Fe red sauce with cilantro lime cream, scallions, and Cotija cheese.

Crawford’s and Chef Daniel: Sinner & Saint. Two medallions of beef wrapped in apple smoked bacon and set atop of blue grits and paired with peel and eat shrimp finished with fresh corn cream, avocado and paddle fish caviar.

Phillips Avenue Diner and Chef Landon: Harissa Rubbed Pork Spare rib. Slow roasted pork sparerib with Korean style barbeque sauce and cilantro lime coleslaw.

Luciano’s North and Chef Edwin: Red Rock Lobster Tail. Served with a shrimp, salmon, scallops and mushroom stuffing, topped with mozzarella and baked. Plated with basmati, rice, house vegetable and a side of lemon butter wine sauce.

Parker’s Bistro and Chef Carter: EcoSun Grass-raised Beef. Served with roasted green onions, frites and topped with a black garlic remoulade.

ENJOY!!!

South Dakota: We need more beer up in this joint!

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:10:13 -0500

Next week is Craft Beer Week apparently, and the folks at craftbeer.com have this (outstanding really) map of the United States plastered with the labels of the craft breweries of America.

Which is all pretty awesome…EXCEPT South Dakota is the ONLY state in the union represented by only one brewery, Crow Peak.

Now I know there are some upstarts in Brookings, but for a cold, northern, beer-loving state like South Dakota to only have A craft brewery? Come on, now? We’re ripe for another brewery, aren’t we?

How about putting together a list of Mother's day brunches/specials for guys like me that waited too long to get in to the normal bruch spots?

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:34:00 -0500

This is a great question. Whenever brunch comes up, I always point people to Bros. Brasserie Americano. Even though a friend recently went there and said they did not like the pumpkin pancakes, I’m still going to keep sending people their way as my favorite brunch spot. And this Sunday, for Mothers Day (or Megan Day as we call it in my house), I will again suggest Bros.

Here’s their menu, and it sounds delicious.

But the reader asked for a LIST, not a suggestion! So I’m asking you all to help me out on that one. Where else is serving up Mothers Day goodness in town? Where are you going?

UPDATE: Maybe I should read our own blogs more! Angela already has us all covered!!! Check out this list.

It’s Vodka Tour time down at Copper Lounge. L-E-T-S-G-O.

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:37:28 -0500

It’s Vodka Tour time down at Copper Lounge. L-E-T-S-G-O.

Quaker Steak & Lube coming to 74th and Louise, here's a preview

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:22:00 -0500

Because we, as a collective people, are apparently obsessed with chicken wing joints, you can’t go to one of our two Buffalo Wild Wings in this town at any normal hour without it being packed. So today’s story on the new Sioux Falls location for Quaker Steak & Lube, another national wing restaurant chain, is sure to draw high interest.

And since I’m not only a normal glutton-glutton, but a web-traffic glutton, I figured today would be a good day to write about my first Quaker Steak experience a couple weeks ago out in Rapid City. (Update: According to SFBJ.com, the restaurant will open on the northwest corner of 74th Street and Louise Avenue, near The Gas Stop under construction.)

Rapid’s newest wing spot opened up in early April. I showed up on their second weekend of business, and if the packed house and announced 45-minute waits for tables are any indication, our West River friends love their buffalo wings as much as we do. Lucky for me, I was solo and am of-age, so I just grabbed a seat at the bar. No wait.

Everything at Quaker Steak is on-theme, and that theme is mechanic and oil change shop. And while certainly kitschy and initially inviting, all the double entendre on the menu, the MASSIVE Lube Tube of beer, or the Budweiser ‘Girls’ posters and “Danger: Blasting Zone” signs in the men’s bathroom made me think Buffalo Wild Wings (with it’s overly-garish, sensory-overload of a motif) seem sorta classy. And I’m no prude, I just don’t think I’d take my nieces or nephew to the place.

That aside, for us adults, you can expect an even larger menu and selection of sauces than what we know of Buffalo Wild Wings. I think this is a plus. I love sauces!

I ordered two six-packs (they come in these weird Styrofoam egg cartons?), one of traditional wings with their Hot sauce, and one boneless wings with the Haute Parm sauce.

Neither had me clamoring to order more, though both were fine. They were fine buffalo wings after all. And I actually liked the peppery Haute Parm with the shaved cheese on them.

One last thing that weirded me out was the packaged blue cheese. First, yuck. Second, between that and the Styrofoam, the hippy-dippy in me thought there had to be a more environmentally-friendly way.

But I WAS at a national chain that serves wings and beer to the masses. I don’t know what I was expecting, and I enjoyed my meal, so I shouldn’t be surprised, right?

I’m sure this place is going to kill over on the southwest side of town.

Have you eaten at a Quaker Steak & Lube before? I have friends in other cities that swear by them. What was your experience?

Quick Don't Do It: Pizza Hut Crazy Cheese Crust Pizza

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:21:00 -0500

If it’s not apparent from this blog, I love excess when it comes to food. So I was actually excited when I saw the new, weird, grotesque Crazy Cheese Crust Pizza. It’s the one with pockets of cheese built into the crust.

Because, let’s be honest, stuffing the crust with cheese has just never been enough.

My ‘problem’ was my wife did not share my enthusiasm and insisted we were NOT ordering the ‘cheese abscess pizza,’ as she dubbed it.

So I waited. And tried to talk her into it again a few days later. No dice.

But I found my opportunity on a long work day a few weeks back. I was hungry, had no time to leave the office and needed some eats.

Let’s just skip to it: the pizza was gross. Or rather, the crust with cheese abscesses was gross. It was just far too much: chewy, rubbery, nasty.

The remainder of the pizza made it’s way out into the newsroom, where it was devoured. Despite that, everyone had the same reaction.

Don’t do it.

I hope this helps.

My Friday is looking up! (at Mama’s Ladas Enchilada Shop)

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:14:11 -0500

My Friday is looking up! (at Mama’s Ladas Enchilada Shop)

Video: People come out in droves for $1 subs at Jimmy John's

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:13:26 -0500

People love discounted food. Duh.

So it should come as no surprise that Jimmy John’s (at least the Minnesota Ave. location) was backed up past neighboring businesses for its customer appreciation day Thursday.

Check it out:

Did you hit up the cheap subs? How much does price factor into your willingness to stand in line?

CH Patisserie opens Friday, AND a new restaurant chain coming to Sioux Falls

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:10:00 -0500

If you’re someone, like me, who considers new restaurants, bars and eateries opening up to be good news, this post is for you.

First, CH Patisserie is opening Friday at 5 p.m. The shop, owned and operated by Chris Hamner, a former winner of the Top Chef - Just Desserts competition, will sell European-inspired pastries including macaroons, tarts and brioche and luxury candies.

I got a sneak peek of the finished space today, and it’s drastically different than the previous New York Express Pizza. In a good way. I also got to try a Vanilla Bean Soft Caramel (above), and am immediately regretting my decision to share. Delicious.

CH Patisserie will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. to start, with this Friday and Saturday being a sort of “soft” launch (They’ve only just been able to get in and start using the kitchen), according to Hamner.

I’m definitely looking forward to this addition to downtown.

Second, and this is a bit of a tease, but today on the 100 Eyes talk show with Managing Editor Patrick Lalley, Sioux Falls Business Journal Editor Jodi Schwan will be breaking the news of some new national chain coming to Sioux Falls.

Update: It’s Zoup.

I tried to get it out of her, but Jodi keeps these things close to the vest and wouldn’t tell me. Again, I know this is a plug/tease/promotion for our daily, interactive talk show at 3 p.m. on argusleader.com, but she will be telling us then. And if you can’t watch, I’ll be talking about it afterward I’m sure.

See?! Not one, but TWO pieces of good, food-related news for a dreary Wednesday afternoon. And with all this bunk weather, I think we deserved it, right?

Forty people, one night, four restaurants, nine entrees (plus dessert): Dishcrawl

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:13:00 -0500

Heads-up if you like group dining: Dishcrawl, a California-based start-up aimed at building community around love of food, has recently added Sioux Falls to its roll.

The idea is this: A small group of people go to four restaurants in one night. At each of the first three stops (all within walking distance of each other), three tasting-sized entrees are served, for a total of nine. The fourth stop is dessert.

The goal, according to Sioux Falls Dishcrawl Ambassador Caroline Fenno, is to meet new people who love food, give an opportunity to talk with chefs, try places and foods you might not have otherwise, and have fun.

Part of the fun, Fenno says: the locations are kept “secret” until the first location is announced 48 hours before the event.

The first Dishcrawl Sioux Falls is May 14. According to their website, there are only 18 tickets remaining.

Huron man wins bacon-eating contest at BaconFest

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:25:40 -0500

I was one of five judges for the 4th Annual Roller Dollz BaconFest today, and while my favorite, the ‘Buck Bacon’ made from 50% deer and 50% pork, didn’t win, I had a good time.

And two hours later, I’m still feeling great, having not over-eaten.

The same, I’m sure, can’t be said for these gentlemen. Ten men competed in a bacon-eating contest, each with two pounds of bacon in front of them. Stian Hunter of Huron won, but when you look back at it, did ANYONE really win here?

You decide:

Quick hits: The rest of Rapid City Round Two

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:00:47 -0500

Beyond the glory that is Philly Ted’s, detailed earlier here, I tried to hit up as many new spots as my time, wallet and belly could handle in my second weekend trip to Rapid City this month. Here’s a quick rundown:

Independent Ale House: Pretty cool place. It was packed by 5 p.m. on Friday, had a full wall of taps from favorites like Odell and New Belgium, as well as some pretty good looking pizzas. I ducked into the downstairs bar and ordered a porter float: two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a glass, then filled with Crow Peak’s Pile o’ Dirt Porter. While I loved the concept, that particular porter is a tad to bitter to pull of a fun dessert. Maybe something sweeter? Either way, I can highly recommend this “Monk’s of the West” as Mr. Elisha Page calls it.

Vertex Sky Bar: The newish rooftop bar and restaurant atop the Alex Johnson Hotel downtown certainly looks the upscale part it’s trying to be. And the outdoor fire vortexes, views of Art Alley and cush wall seating are something you might expect from a place that charges a $250 annual membership fee. We were given an access card at the front desk without too much effort, however.
The signature drinks were also very good. My ‘Aristocrat’s Manhattan’ was a smooth mix and very drinkable. Megan got a ‘Desert Heat’ (tequila, muddled cucumber, jalapeno, and lime with syrup) that was quite good and I’d order again.
Our hummus appetizer, however, was oddly cold, and had the consistency of crumbly cookie dough. It was off-putting.
If I lived in Rapid, and had the kind of job where you took clients out for lunch/dinner/fun, it’d probably be worth it.

Sanford’s Grub & Pub: More than 70 taps, a HUGE menu of burgers, sandwiches, pastas and salads, many with a Cajun or Creole theme and an overblown, kitschy decor. This place is just fine. BUT, they did have many $1 and $2 tap beers (including Odell 5 Barrel and PBR) as long as you ordered food. That’s a good bargain. I had a chicken, jalapeno and cream cheese sandwich (a sort of deconstructed jalapeno popper) that was, again, just fine. Large portions, including the Cajun fries.

Kang San #2: It was always going to be a long shot that Korean food in a strip mall on the outskirts of Sturgis, South Dakota was going to be any good. But Megan was looking forward to it, so I gave it a go. I ordered the Bibimbap, but since this was supposed to be a ‘quick hit’ and I’ve been rambling on for quite awhile now, I’ll leave you with this: pass.

(One last thing I’ll be writing about from this trip is a stop at the new Quaker Steak and Lube that just opened in Rapid City. Sioux Falls is supposed to be getting one of those this year, but I won’t get to my preview until next week.)