Restaurant Roundup: April Fool’s reality, Papa’s pop-up, On the Hook in Harrisburg
Oct. 14, 2021
What started as an April Fool’s Day social media prank at Culver’s has turned into reality. On April 1, the restaurant shared a photo of a giant cheese curd in a bun. Customer interest was so great that Culver’s has created the CurderBurger, which will be available only on Friday — National Cheese Curd Day. Note: the actual version has a hamburger patty, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. Each restaurant has a limited supply, so you might want to go for lunch instead of supper.
In-limbo Papa’s Pub & Eatery is doing another pop-up at Gateway Bar & Grill. The Dell Rapids restaurant will serve dinner Oct. 21 and 22 in Sioux Falls. Owners David and Rebecca Ohayon and crew held a similar pop-up in early August to satisfy customers who have been missing the food. The Ohayons closed the restaurant in February after deciding not to renew their lease but have since purchased a building and are working on financing to reopen.
Will the lines be shorter in Harrisburg than the usual spot in Sioux Falls? The popular traveling food truck On the Hook Fish & Chips will be in the parking lot of Ace Hardware from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.
The Saucy Boyz kitchen team at Remedy Brewing Co. has created several additions for the menu at the downtown brewery. Try a Cuban sandwich or the vegan panini with bell pepper, onion, mushroom and black olive with sun-dried tomato and lemon mayo on toasted sourdough. New boneless wings come tossed in a choice of Remedy Buffalo, Dakota Honey Co. BBQ or the House Skol Sauce, which is blueberry honey habanero.
The October feature menu at the Phillips Avenue Diner embraces fall. There’s an apple pecan salad with grilled chicken, a beer cheese burger on a pretzel bun, Hobo Chili, buffalo mac-and-cheese and a caramel apple shake.
Here’s an early bird special to feed a family. Johnny Carino’s offers half-price family platters from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. They’re curbside only and must be ordered on-site. Each day offers three choices, which rotate. Options range from spaghetti with meatballs and lasagna to chicken fettuccini alfredo and spicy Romano chicken.
Chef Lance’s on Phillips has a new happy hour that offers half-price appetizers and drinks — it serves beer and wine. The special runs from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. On Wednesdays, diners also get half-price appetizers and $6 bottles of wine all day.
The Hideout has reopened its kitchen for lunch from noon to 3 p.m. In addition to the regular menu, there are daily lunch specials – like comfort food on Wednesdays – with a drink for $8.75. The bar is on Cliff Avenue south of Rice Street.
Licorice ice cream alert! October means Stensland Family Farms has old-fashioned licorice stick back in the dipping case at the three Sioux Falls retail stores. “We had major supply issues this year but luckily found some to make for our die-hard black licorice lovers,” said Leah Moller, a Stensland family owner who manages retail operations and marketing. It’s available by the scoop or the pint.
Sanaa’s 8th Street Gourmet is hosting its annual benefit meal for Feeding South Dakota on Saturday, which is World Food Day, changing it this year to lunch instead of dinner. Customers are asked to make a donation of at least $10, and owner Sanaa Abourezk will donate 100 percent of the proceeds. The lunch buffet will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Abourezk said she’ll keep serving food later if it’s busy. Take-out meals and curbside pickup are available.
Rudy M. Navarrete’s Tex-Mexican Catering is teaming up with several downtown breweries to offer a taco bar fundraiser for Navarrete’s fourth annual shoe drive. Navarrete, who also operates Rudy’s Taco Bus, raises money every year to buy name-brand tennis shoes for kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire. Donate at least $10 for an all-you-can-eat meal. Here are the dates and locations: Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. at Severance Brewing Co.; Oct. 24, 2 to 6 p.m. at WoodGrain Brewing Co.; Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Fernson Downtown; Nov. 1, noon to 6 p.m. at Covert Artisan Ales & Cellars.
Tarquin Argentinian Restaurant has been celebrating its one-year anniversary this week with specials. Friday, the most popular item on the menu, the Parrillada Argentina, will be offered for $40, which is a $5 discount. The meal, which serves two to three people, features Argentinian grilled meat cuts and sausage. It comes with chimichurri sauce and two sides. Chef/owner Gabriel Rivero will sing a few opera songs too. The restaurant is at Benson and Cliff.
Sioux Falls Food Tours offers a specialty tour when there are five Saturdays in a month. For Oct. 30, the tour will feature gluten-free and dairy-free options. The tour starts at Covert Artisan Ales at 1 p.m. and includes stops at Ode to Food & Drinks, Papa Woody’s Wood-Fired Pizza, Oshima Sushi Japanese Cuisine and Prairie Cocoa & Confections. Spots are limited, so register here.
With an ABV of 5.25 percent, this “After School Special” isn’t for schoolkids. Covert Artisan Ales & Cellars has brewed a sour ale with the flavors of peanut butter and Concord grape jelly.
With its limited hours for lunch Tuesday through Friday, The Cookie Jar Eatery has found another downtown outlet for its cookies, bars, party mix and granola. 605 Running Co. at 124 S. Phillips Ave. is carrying the items. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. One of the store’s owners, Greg Koch, is the son of bakery owners Glen and Elaine Koch.
Ruby Tuesday is celebrating 50 years in business with new “Big, Better, Bolder” menu items. That includes the Big Philly Cheeseburger, Double Cheese Bacon Crunch Burger and two mac-and-cheese dishes: parmesan chicken and loaded, which has smoked sausage and grilled peppers and onions. New boneless wing sauces include garlic parmesan and So Sassy honey pepper garlic.
Further evidence that it’s mac-and-cheese season: Tender Mac Bowls are back on the menu at Slim Chickens for a limited time. One version comes with chopped hand-breaded chicken tender and shredded cheese. The spicy option adds cayenne ranch sauce, green onion, crispy fried onions with a drizzle of buffalo sauce.
Changes in service, hours
Pizza di Paolo announced Wednesday that it will reopen Oct. 21. “We thank you for your patience while we have been closed. The store owner has been in the hospital. As he is an important part to our staff, we will be operating on limited hours. We will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thank you for supporting us at this time.” The restaurant has been closed since Sept. 17.
KK & Sons Lao & Thai Food reopened today after being closed since staff came into contact at the end of September with someone who tested positive for COVID.
Sunday is the final day for more B&G Milkyway locations. Brandon, Harrisburg and Tea are closing for the season. That leaves Sycamore, East 41st Street and 69th & Louise, which are closing Oct. 24. Editor’s note: Sycamore was added after this was originally published.
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