Aug. 27, 2024

A locally owned, original concept that featured South Dakota’s state nosh — chislic — is closing its doors after six years.

Urban Chislic’s final day in business is Friday, co-owner Hong Phrommany said.

“We decided to cut our losses,” he said of the four original partners.

Because chislic is such a beloved dish here, “everybody has a strong opinion about it,” Phrommany noted. The restaurant failed at “doing something so dear to people here,” he said.

In addition to traditional lamb and the more common beef version, the restaurant at 431 W. 85th St. also makes chicken and pork chislic, with several sauces and rubs to choose from. Pheasant chislic was a limited feature in hunting season, and alligator chislic was another specialty.

“It is a twist,” he said. “That’s why we called it ‘Urban’ Chislic. People were not really warm to that.”

The concept was unique enough that it caught the attention of celebrity chef Guy Fieri, and Urban Chislic appeared on two of his Food Network shows. The restaurant was featured in 2021 on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and last year when chef Ryan Pederson competed against Beau Vondra of Look’s Marketplace on “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

“He had some really nice things to say,” Phrommany said. “He loved the concept; he loved the place.”

Each year, the restaurant hosted its Spice Challenge, which featured increasingly spicy dishes for participants to try for free. They even had to sign a waiver.

“We’re middle-aged men, and we just like to have fun,” he said of himself and co-owner Erik Christensen, who also owns Trademark Homes. That carried over to the staff too. “We always tried to do our best and have fun.”

For its final days, the restaurant has ordered enough inventory that “we are not going to run out of anything,” Phrommany said. He hopes longtime customers come for a final meal and that his staff of 15 is sent off to their new jobs with a little extra tip money.

Phrommany said he reached out to the owners of Tinner’s Public House, Krav’n and Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Cafe & Bakery, all of whom are friends, and was able to find jobs for all the employees.

As for what’s next for Phrommany, “I need to take a break from this industry for a bit,” he said. “There’s been a lot of heartaches, good and bad.”