Jan. 4, 2024

Murph’s Burgers & Fries is having fun with grilled cheese sandwiches this month. Each day, the staff is creating a new version. Some of the offerings so far: cheddar, pulled pork, slaw and barbecue sauce on sourdough; and Dimock black pepper and American cheeses with mac-and-cheese and apple jam.

Vinyahd Restaurant Group’s Maribella Ristorante and R Wine Bar & Kitchen are competing this month to see who has the best lasagna recipe. The contest runs through January. Maribella’s creation (first photo) features housemade pasta with layers of braised short rib Bolognese, ricotta and mozzarella. R Wine Bar’s dish (second photo) features handmade pasta with six layers of Bolognese, bechamel sauce and mozzarella, garnished with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and basil.

Giliberto’s Mexican Taco Shop at 10th and Bahnson is closed for maintenance and remodeling work. “We’re making everything look new,” said Ana Coconi, whose family opened the second location in Sioux Falls for the regional chain in 2016. It closed in mid-December, and she hopes to reopen it in three to four weeks.

If you like trying new foods, The Willows at Willow Run Golf Course serves an international dish every Wednesday night. Each month brings a new feature. For January, the dish is Bosnian sarma, which is cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice. Dinner hours are 5 to 9 p.m.

After a successful pop-up jambalaya feed last month at Cooks & Bakers Kitchen, Chef Omar Thornton has joined the team at the store as a private chef. He will assist with catering for public and private events, cooking demos in the store and more. Thornton will continue to work at Ponderosa Lodge Senior Living and also serve as a personal chef. Check out cooksandbakerskitchen.com for upcoming events.

Cooking classes have returned to Sioux Falls Chef. This month features two offerings: Pasta Making 101 on Jan. 16 and Kids in the Kitchen on Jan. 23. Pasta class participants will use hand-crank rollers to make the noodles for their Bolognese entree. The menu also includes artichoke bruschetta, minestrone soup and flourless chocolate cake. The kids class is for those age 6 to 12, and they’re learn how to make pizza. Register at SiouxFallsChef.com.

Chick-fil-A is having a Dogs in the Drive-Thru celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday. Each dog that comes through the drive-thru with its owner will get a free chicken nugget, and the first 100 dogs also will get a bandana.

It won’t be hard to find a watch party Sunday as the SDSU Jackrabbits play to keep their national title. Urban Chislic is offering complimentary Jell-O shots when the team scores, happy hour food and drink specials during the game and door prizes.

Some of the businesses competing in the Downtown Burger Battle have expanded their hours to give more people a chance to try their offerings:

• Fernson Downtown is opening earlier – at noon Thursdays and Fridays – so people can try Wagoo Burger’s entry.
• Remedy Brewing Co. is opening earlier every day — at 11:30 a.m.
• Falls Overlook Cafe has set its January hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Cattitude Cafe doesn’t have a Downtown Burger Battle entry, but it’s getting into the spirit of the event with a discount. Bring in a burger receipt to get 10 percent off your tab this month.

Look’s Marketplace has kicked off Burgermania, Volume 4. Three kitchens at Look’s are competing this month for the best burger title.

The sixth annual Hartford Area Burger Battle runs through January. Competing this year: Hartford Steak Co. Tavern, DQ Grill & Chill, The Goat Bar & Grill and The Dugout in Hartford and Big J’s Roadhouse and Main Street Humboldt Bar in Humboldt. Big J’s is the defending champion. Find the burger descriptions and information on voting by clicking here.

Here’s a look at the $5 community dinner menu for Wednesday nights in January and February at the Sioux Falls Food Co+op.

New featured food and drink menus are out for Tinner’s Public House and Tinner’s North.

Check out the weekly specials for January at The Cookie Jar Eatery.

The featured cupcakes for January at Oh My Cupcakes are Snowball and Cozy Hot Cocoa.

Chef Lance’s on Phillips has released its three-course menu for January that’s served in addition to the regular menu.

 

KFC has added two wraps to its lineup: Spicy Mac & Cheese and Honey BBQ Chicken. They’re still two for $5.

And Hardee’s has a new offer on chicken tender wraps: two for $5. Choose ranch, honey mustard or spicy.

The traveling food truck On the Hook Fish & Chips will be back in Sioux Falls on Saturday. The truck will serve its signature wild Alaskan cod and fries from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Tractor Supply Co. parking lot on North Cliff Avenue.

Changes in hours, service

• Covert Artisan Ales & Cellars has scaled back its hours. Owners Dan and Stacey Berry brew their craft beer on the west side of town and operate a downtown taproom. “After several years of running two locations, Dan and I realized we weren’t able to focus on all of the things that are important to us,” Stacey Berry wrote in a post on social media. “We have taken some time to reflect on our goals for the business, and how we have spread ourselves thin, to the point that we haven’t been able to give you the personal time we’ve always wanted for you.” To that end, the taproom is open now from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 10 pm. Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
• The Orion Pub decided to start happy hour earlier. Stop in from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays to save $1 on drinks.
• Kaladi’s Bistro has new hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
• Baking up a Storm is on a break through Monday and is no longer staying open later on Thursdays.
• Someday Cafe in Garretson will be closed next week, returning to regular hours Jan. 18.
• Brandy’s Custom Cakery in Parker is closed until February.
• The Meeting Nook in Dell Rapids has new hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Here are other food and drink headlines from the past week.

Garretson sports bar closes, merges into town’s longtime bar

Downtown bar adds game room