Restaurant Roundup: Thin Mint cream cheese, restaurant closures

It’s the season for Girl Scout cookies showing up in menu items, and Bagel Boy has entered the picture with Thin Mint cream cheese. It works on a plain bagel, of course, and an employee recommends trying it on the cinnamon crunch or honey oat varieties. The Thin Mint cream cheese version is available at the South Minnesota Avenue bakery.

The Market has revised its menu, as it does every six to eight weeks to use the best ingredients in season. The biggest hit of the new dishes is the mushroom ragu, said Laurel Lather, who recently became the sole owner of the restaurant in the Harvester Building near Sixth and Phillips. Chef Greg Springer sautees locally grown oyster mushrooms and shallots in a wine and veggie broth, and serves them topped with fresh herbs on polenta. “It’s served in a bowl that’s lidded, and when you take that lid off, the steam picks up the aromatics from the herbs and it’s amazing,” Lather said. Some of the other new items are a prime rib and bleu cheese sandwich and Cajun-spiced pork belly with black-eyed peas and collard greens.

Bonanza Steakhouse is closing March 11 after 40 years in Yankton. It was time to sign another 10-year franchise agreement, and “with the restaurant world the way it is, it was time to shut it down,” co-owner Randy Ryden said. He and his wife, Renae, have been the operators and part of the ownership group of the franchise since 2008. Customers have been steaming in since the news broke. “There’s been a 50 percent increase with a 50 percent decrease in the crew,” Ryden said. “It’s been tough. The once-popular chain of buffet restaurants will be down to 10 locations in the U.S., six in Puerto Rico and one in Canada, according to the company’s website. The closest remaining ones are in St. Cloud, Minn., and Des Moines.

Pizza Man closed its East 10th Street location in January, but the restaurant has added its first sandwich to the menu. The delivery and carryout joint on Marion Road near 16th Street is making an Italian meatball sub with its house-made meatballs and marinara, topped with shredded mozzarella on an 8-inch Italian roll made by Breadsmith.

Here’s another great pairing. Every year, WoodGrain Brewing Co. and Coffea Roasterie team up to create a “coffee-forward” beer. This year’s creation features WoodGrain’s Imperial Cream Ale infused with Coffea’s Aponte Honey coffee. It went on tap Wednesday at the brewery at Ninth and Phillips. With 70 gallons brewed, it likely will be around for a month or two.

For McDonald’s, lack of supply appears to be either really poor business planning or really wise marketing. The latest saga is over a condiment that was introduced in 1998. McDonald’s offered its Szechuan sauce for a limited time to promote the Disney film “Mulan.” It reappeared in October after the sauce was part of an episode on the cartoon show “Rick and Morty,” which prompted a petition drive. Unfortunately, a limited supply led to unhappy customers, so now McDonald’s is making a big deal out of the news it’s shipping 20 million packets to restaurants across the U.S. There’s a website devoted to the sauce and a three-episode podcast series called “The Sauce.” It’s available starting Monday. And the Mac Jr. and Grand Mac versions of the Big Mac are back for a limited time.

Here’s a form of competition for March Madness that involves hops instead of bounces. Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. and downtown breweries are putting on Mash Madness: The Hoppy Ten, starting March 2. Fernson on 8th, Remedy Brewing Co., WoodGrain Brewing Co., Gandy Dancer Brew Works at Monks House of Ale Repute and the Miner Brewing Co. at Prairie Berry East Bank will compete. For the first round in week one, customers will pick their favorite of two beers at each brewery. For the second round, drinkers can vote for their favorite of the final five until March 18.

McNally’s Irish Pub has a lot in store for March besides the blow-out party on St. Patrick’s Day.

Everything starts March 1 with traditional Irish foods on a buffet from 5 to 9 p.m. and music by the Ceili Band from 7 to 9 p.m. On March 4 and 11, there will be an Irish brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a portion of proceeds going to Celtic Steps. Dancers from the studio and the Dakota District Pipes and Drums will perform both days. On March 5, there’s a four-course Irish whiskey dinner. On March 16, the Irish dishes will be available on a lunch buffet. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. March 1 for the Jameson St. Patrick’s Day Parade Bus. For $15, partygoers can get a ride from McNally’s to the parade downtown and back and a gift bag with Jameson swag, a T-shirt and a Jameson & Ginger in a collectible cup.

Breadico has added another location where shoppers can find its breads. The newest spot is the Hy-Vee at 26th Street and Marion Road.

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Restaurant Roundup: Thin Mint cream cheese, restaurant closures

New tastes, new menus, returning favorites and a couple of restaurant closings.

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