The Post SD » Reviews

Rosie’s Diner captures the taste of home

Roxy Hammond — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:31:01 +0000

Rosie Warner has never really been able to escape the food industry.

The self-proclaimed mediocre cook has been put to work in the restaurant business since childhood, serving at her parents’ mom-and-pop business in her hometown. After a few other serving gigs, Warner and her then-husband purchased Rosie’s Diner and the Oldham native began her 26-year-and-counting career as the co-owner and main cook of the establishment.

Nestled into the old Madison Square Strip Mall, the restaurant is easy to miss to the mildly unobservant. With muted earth tone walls and maroon booths, Rosie’s creates just the atmosphere you would envision when prompted with thoughts of a down-home diner. The dining room won’t fit more than 50 customers, most of which show up at least once a week to enjoy their favorite daily specials or a slice of phenomenal homemade pie. The menu is modest at best—offering a few egg-toast-meat options for breakfast and a daily special or a number of sandwiches for lunch. Specials are the same every day of the week, and include choices like liver and onions (Wednesday) and salmon loaf (Friday). Meatloaf and roast beef are served daily, as well.

I visited the restaurant on two separate days, once on a Wednesday at lunch time, and another on a Monday mid-afternoon. At the first visit I ordered the hot roast beef sandwich and the second I simply ate a slice of banana crème pie. Both trips I left paying under five dollars.

The roast beef sandwich consisted of a piece of bread covered in sliced roast beef and a scoop of mashed potatoes, all smothered in brown gravy. The gravy was a bit bland, but the roast beef itself was quite tender and flavorful. Adding salt to the entire dish definitely helped the gravy and I certainly didn’t need any more food afterwards. My lunch-mates sampled the meat loaf, which was served on a sandwich much like the roast beef, or as an entrée with potatoes and vegetables. There was nothing terribly unique about the meat loaf, but it was a tasty, filling, home-cooked meal. Both the roast beef and meatloaf reminded me exactly of something you would eat at Grandma’s house on a Sunday afternoon.

Now, the pie. Oh, the pie. All of the desserts at the diner are homemade, with many of the recipes coming from Rosie and her daughter, Becky. The slice of banana crème cost me a whole $1.75, and was absolutely phenomenal. The pie featured slices of bananas, suspended in creamy banana custard, complete with a graham cracker crust and topped with real whipped cream. Nothing sucked about this slice of pie. The pie options vary by day and the diner also serves cake, bread pudding and crisp. If you’re having a bad day, wander over to Rosie’s and find yourself a slice of pie. It will be like an instant hug from Mom.

Rosie, Becky and Becky’s daughter Brianna constitute a great portion of the staff at the restaurant. The down-home family feel is definitely not a façade, with three generations of Warner’s running the joint. Rosie has no plans of expansion, and is more than happy staying open only for breakfast and lunch during the week. The regulars don’t seem to mind—some of them come in and simply sit down, waiting for the staff to serve them whatever they please.

Stop in during their open hours and you’ll be sure to find Rosie busy in the kitchen, serving a variety of her regular customers—from businessmen, to groups of elderly gentlemen, to screaming children. It’s really no wonder this tiny, ill-located restaurant has survived decades despite a lack of flashy advertising. The regulars are regulars for a reason. The service is good, the atmosphere is comfortable, and Rosie is no mediocre cook.

Atmosphere – 4

Food – 4
Price – 5
Service – 5
Overall – 4.5

Review: New Sioux Falls restaurant focuses on environment, lacks in taste

Roxy Hammond — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:02:07 +0000

If you have a particularly strong environmental conscience, Sioux Falls’ newest restaurant Mixed is the place for you. Based on using environmentally-friendly dinnerware and preparation methods, the restaurant touts a leafy green menu and an eco-friendly establishment.

Owned by Sioux Falls resident Cole Shawd, Mixed opened its doors on June 15 on Louise Avenue near Home Depot. The store is a simple design, a long narrow room with high ceilings and bright earth tones covering the walls that play into the entire ‘green’ idea of the restaurant. The plates, silverware and cups are all biodegradable, down to the flimsy straws. The garbage cans are lined up by material, allowing even the most environmentally-naive patron to throw their plastic spoon in the ‘plastic’ bin, and so on. Environmentally speaking, this place is great.

The food, however, is a different story. My friend Brandon summed it up best when he said, “I feel like I’m back at college.” And anyone who graduated from a state school in South Dakota knows what he’s talking about—monopolized by Aramark, campus food is known to be over-priced and bland. The food does the job of satiating your hunger, but that is about it.

I had a buffalo chicken wrap and a medium drink, which cost me a little over nine dollars. The wrap was a decent size with spinach, chicken breast chunks in buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and extra ranch. The wrap also comes with carrots, which I nixed due to my own preferences. Brandon got the same thing, but kept the carrots, because, “If I’m going to pay eight bucks for a wrap, I’m going to get as much as I can out of it.”

The wheat tortilla was OK, but nothing special. The chicken itself had a distinct chili flavor to it, which was good, but the wrap would have been better if the buffalo sauce hadn’t come already prepared with the chicken. Overall, the wrap was decent, but nothing to write home about—and CERTAINLY not worth the nearly $10 I paid for it.

A few of my other lunch mates got salads, which were served in gigantic metal bowls cooled in a refrigerator before being used to serve. Options for salads include building your own or ordering a pre-determined combination, such as Chicken Caesar, Shrimp and Spinach, or Taco. The salads can be ordered in two sizes—Green or Super Green. The Super Green salads are about the size of a bowling ball and cost around $9. If you’re looking for your best buy, that would be it.

Aside from the salads and wraps, Mixed also offers paninis, macaroni and potato salads, and breakfast wraps . The website outlines the idea of a fast, healthy, convenient restaurant; however, the wait around noon on a Saturday was about 25 minutes from the beginning to the end of the line. The idea is not dissimilar to Subway, with guests lining up in front of a glass counter, instructing eager employees which toppings they’d like on their order. The layout of the building is conducive to plenty of natural light, making it a fairly pleasant IKEA-themed ambiance.

Overall, I went to lunch with six other people, and none of them were particularly impressed with the food—not even the hung-over vegetarian that requested the lunch location. Everyone ordered a variety of fare—a taco salad (served in a little taco-shell bowl), several different types of salad combinations, a panini and a couple of different wraps. Nothing stuck out as particularly awe-inspiring. I can appreciate the attempts to be environmentally-friendly, but if you want regular patrons, the food needs to be improved.

This is my recommendation—if you are feeling particularly guilty about your carbon footprint, eat at Mixed. If you want a good salad that won’t kick your wallet in the shorts, go pretty much anywhere else.
Stars (of 5):
Atmosphere: 2.5
Food: 2
Price: 2
Service: 2.5
Overall: 2

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No ‘mixed’ feelings about new Sioux Falls cafe

Bryan Aukerman — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:39:46 +0000

Sioux Falls has taken serious efforts to bring attention to the local shops that are bringing a much needed facelift to the downtown scene, but in the wake of the demise of numerous Sioux Falls staples (Taste of India and Granny’s Golden Oven to name only a few), it is time the community also recognize the importance of the local businesses around the rest of the city. The editions of “WHAT?! There are local shops outside of downtown?” will focus explicitly on locally-owned and operated restaurants. Our first highlight will be on a store that opened in early June called Mixed: Go Green.

Mixed is a marriage of genuinely healthy foods prepared quickly with sustainable ecological practices (hence the subtitle “Go Green”). It’s a bold business plan to tell the conservatively carnivorous Sioux Falls that your focus is salads, but it could be equally argued that this uniqueness is also its strength. Where else can you go to get a healthy, filling salad that is prepared quickly?

In researching the store, I started at Mixed’s website. I was impressed by the polished, professional look and easy navigation of the site, but had to question if this was really a locally-owned and operated shop or if this was a franchise that had landed in Sioux Falls. It just looked too put together to be put out by a brand new business. To put questions at ease, the site explains how this restaurant was indeed the brainchild of Cole Shawd and his father, Sioux Falls natives who wanted to bring Sioux Falls a fast, but healthy, dining experience that leaves the consumer “…feeling great about what you eat AND where you eat and not leaving anything behind.”

Upon entering the store, I was surrounded by a polished, simplistic chic. The menu board is informative and easy to read, and the prices are comparable to restaurants like Qdoba or Panera. An entire salad, wrap, or panini is roughly $6-7. The seating is unimposing and the walls are adorned with giant prints of close-up images of their ingredients.

“The colors are fresh, bright, and modern to get the feeling of salad from the moment you come in” Shawd said.

Mixed salads and wraps deliver with layers of clear, strong flavors as opposed to one note of overwhelming taste. Their ingredients are of high enough quality that in my first salad there, I could distinguish the clear tang of feta, the sweetness of fresh-cut tomato, the tempering base of hard-boiled egg, and the crunch of crisp romaine. The best part was that, though the noodles had a sweet dressing on them, their flavor did not over-power the salad. It’s salad done right.

The same can be said for the wrap that I had. All too often a tuna salad becomes little more than a bath of mayonnaise that drowns out any flavor of tuna, onion, or any other ingredient. Mixed uses their mayo sparingly. I was delighted in how this local shop is daring enough to let flavors simply speak for themselves.

While all this sounds appetizing, it’s also very healthy. “All our salads are 500 calories or less, unless you want to toss more things into it,” Shawd said.

Nutrition is a high priority at Mixed, but they have managed to strike a balance of quickly prepared, fresh, tasty, healthy food. They also have a deal where if you stop by in the morning (from 9-10 a.m.) on the way to work and pick up a salad for lunch, you get your salad at a discounted price of $4.99. Shawd has already had many customers comment that Sioux Falls has been ready for a restaurant like this. I couldn’t agree more.

Now, this is a new business, new staff, and a new concept for all parties involved. It has only been a month since Mixed opened and any new shop will have its kinks to work out. Most restaurants prefer not to get a critique of their performance in the first few weeks of its opening because the new recipes are not yet second nature and the whole process of creating an experience has yet to be established and polished. Though the setting of Mixed is polished and chic, the people are warm and accommodating.

Sioux Falls has just inherited a fresh, healthy alternative to fast food and it came from the mind of a man from Sioux Falls. This local shop needs the support of its community, and Sioux Falls needs businesses like Mixed: Go Green. It’s nutritional, ecologically sustainable, and at a reasonable price. Experience one of the city’s healthiest cafes.

‘Sinful’ Sioux Falls bakery captures the sweet tastes of home

Roxy Hammond — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:30:33 +0000

Like many restaurant owners, Shirley Phelan and her daughter Jennifer Beckman want you to feel at home. And, if your home is covered in local modern art and your counter tops are full of every sinfully delectable sweet you can imagine, you will fit right in.

Phelan and Beckman own and operate Sinful Things Gourmet Desserts in Downtown Sioux Falls, a fairly new restaurant and bakery specializing in, you guessed it, dessert. After hosting several “cookie parties”, which consisted of swapping baked goods and recipes, Phelan and Beckman finally followed friends’ advice and took their talent public by opening their own bakery.

I visited the restaurant on a Thursday afternoon, finding it mildly busy but comfortable. The layout is reminiscent of many other businesses in the downtown area: long and narrow, with impressively high ceilings. The walls are earthy reds, greens and browns and the polished wood floors are topped with dark brown wooden dinner tables and chairs.

More notably, however, are the numerous pieces of local art adorning the walls. With a background in graphic design, Beckman uses the walls of Sinful Things to display not only her own artwork but also the work of several local artists. If the dessert alone doesn’t satiate the displayed are for sale will.

The restaurant offers a simple soup and salad buffet for lunch, with wraps and sandwiches available to purchase separately. The $5.95 buffet offers two kinds of soup (chicken tortilla and chicken wild rice when I stopped in), along with a few small choices for salad. There is really nothing special about the salad bar, but let’s face it, you don’t go to Sinful Things Desserts for soup and salad.

Sinful Things Gourmet Desserts is located in downtown Sioux Falls

After we quieted our conscience with a little “real” food, my lunch mates, Heather and Rachel, and I beelined to the dessert counter. Our choices included champagne cake, crème brulé, mint Amaretto cheesecake, white cupcakes, tiramisu, several kinds of cookies, plain cheesecake, Raspberry Ultimate Sin cake and many others. Heather picked out the crème brulé, Rachel had mint amaretto cheesecake, and, after much indecisive turmoil, I picked up the tiramisu.

Despite three very different choices, all of our desserts had one thing in common— undeniable richness. Each dish had its own very unique combination of flavors. Rachel’s cheesecake revealed a new flavor with each bite, sometimes concentrating on the mint and other times blasting you with sweet Amaretto, all blended together in the smoothness of cheesecake.

My tiramisu was a little drier than any tiramisu I had ever eaten, but, even with a higher concentration of cake, it managed to pack an intense coffee punch. The creamy filling and frosting was super delicious and sweet, and combined with the coffee flavor, I could only eat about half of the gigantic piece I purchased for about $6.

Heather’s crème brulé was probably the blandest of all three, if one could even describe such a tasty dish as bland. Créme brulé means burnt cream and is usually torched before serving. On the day we stopped in the torch was broken but Heather still decided to try anyway. The flavors didn’t taste the same and it carried a distinct yoke taste without the flame, but it’s unfair to judge this French dish when not prepared properly.

The Ultimate Sin cake is the bakery’s specialty, consisting of cheesecake sandwiched in chocolate cake, completed with liquor frosting. According to Phelan, Beckman is a cheesecake expert, spending years experimenting for flavor and consistency. All of the desserts offered at the restaurant come from Phelan and Beckman’s collection of family recipes, with mother and daughter baking most of the goods themselves. Even while speaking with me, Phelan was tending to the liquor sauce for her Ultimate Sin cake and pulling another set of cupcakes out of the oven. Sinful Things also offers catering services for Sioux Falls and the surrounding area.

There is nothing artificial about the food offered at Sinful Things Gourmet Desserts. Each of the cakes, pies, cupcakes and other creamy dishes are handmade with great patience and effort. Phelan says one of her greatest joys is the ability to work side by side with her daughter; that family love shows through in all of her desserts, creating a very sweet feeling of home.

Stars (of 5):
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Price: 2.5
Service: 3
Overall: 4

Top photo: Sinful Things Gourmet Desserts offers a wide variety of desserts, including tiramisu. (Photos by Roxy Hammond/The Post)

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Huge burritos, amazing cheese define Sioux Falls Latin gem

Roxy Hammond — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:20:24 +0000

The art of the siesta, a mid-afternoon nap, is an admirable practice in Latin culture. After indulging in a large lunch, it is completely acceptable to laze around or nap for a few hours before being productive again.

If you eat at Jacky’s Restaurant and Bakery, you are going to need a siesta.

With the absolutely massive and delicious portions of burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas and many other Latin cuisines, your afternoon productivity won’t stand a chance.
A stone’s throw away from downtown Sioux Falls, the rojo (“red” in Spanish)-themed restaurant is located at 702 E 8th Str., in an area mixed with both residential and business properties and has been open for about a year and half. The owner, Everilda VanLoh, hails from Guatemala and brings with her a taste of Latin culture that cannot be matched.

Since I am a die-hard fan of chimichangas, I could not resist the urge to sample Jacky’s version of this fairly simple Latin staple. The menu offers reasonably priced entrees, with customizable sides (rice, beans, etc.) for a few additional dollars. My chimichanga ran about $5.99, without any sides. My lunch mate, Clinton, spent the same for quesadilla, plus $1.99 for a side of rice.

Let me be clear on this — Jacky’s served me the biggest chimichanga I have ever seen. Ever. The fried burrito could make a loaf of bread jealous because of its girth. There was no need for a side, nor would there have been room on the plate. The dish contained rice, beans, shredded beef and the most amazing cheese I have ever eaten in a chimichanga. It was reminiscent of the Oaxaca cheese I so loved during my time living in Mexico — stretchy, salty, chewy and wonderful. White like Swiss cheese, but with a taste closer to Colby.

As if the cheese wasn’t enough to bring me to happy tears, the burrito shell itself was fried to golden perfection and the shredded beef was plentiful and tender.

Jacky's Restaruant and Bakery is located at 702 E 8th Str., and is owned Everilda VanLoh. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

The menu told methe chimichanga came with “gravy,” but was actually served with a wonderful melted white and shredded Cheddar cheese. It was complimented with sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo and a mildly spicy sauce. Clinton’s quesadilla came with a massive side of rice, as well as some shredded lettuce and a seemingly misplaced carrot. It was, according to Clinton, “really good.”

Since I am not acompetitive eater, I could only consume half of my massive burrito, but it reheated nicely the next day in a convection oven. If you can eat all of the food you are given in one sitting at Jacky’s, I commend you. And pity you, since your grocery bill must be astronomical.

Jacky’s also offers a few specialty dishes, such as fish tacos and fajitas. The menu is filled with many of VanLoh’s own recipes and the restaurant also offers a wide variety of baked goods, specifically cakes. If you’d like to delve even deeper into the Latin culture, you can spend your Friday and Saturday nights — beginning at 10 p.m. — dancing your little heart out to pop, salsa and R & B beats at the restaurant.

If dancing is not your scene, just stop in for a very hearty lunch. Jacky’s serves the best Mexican/Latin food I have tasted in South Dakota, and the prices are completely reasonable.

Just remember to clear your afternoon schedule for your siesta. Trust me, you will need it.

Stars (of 5):
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Price: 5
Service: 3.5
Overall: 4.5

Banner Photo: The chimichang is just one Latin staple offered at Jacky’s Restaurant and Bakery in Sioux Falls. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

Top Photos: Opened about a year and half ago, Jacky’s Restaurant and Bakery offers an authentic Latin cuisine at a reasonable price. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

Bottom Photo:

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Sub shop delivers quick, delicious lunch

Roxy Hammond — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:30:22 +0000

Casual self-sufficiency is the name of the game at The Pickle Barrel, a sandwich shop at 1612 S. Western Ave. With simple chalkboard menus, a self-serve soda machine, soup counter and chip stand, it offers an incredibly quick lunch without sacrificing quality.

The restaurant opened in November 2004 when owner Jen O’Brien decided to bring the Montana-based flavor to Sioux Falls, her hometown. After working at the original Pickle Barrel in Bozeman, Mont., O’Brien returned to South Dakota with the blessing of the original owners to open her own store.

The sandwich shop offers about 14 varieties of cold sandwiches and seven hot sandwiches, as well as salads and homemade desserts. Cold sandwiches include simplicities such as ham or chicken salad while Beach Comber and Dragon Slayer offer combinations of meats and cheeses. The hot sandwiches consist of several types of steak, grilled chicken and even pulled pork.

Situated in a fairly residential area, O’Brien says the restaurant serves a wide variety of customers, ranging from business people in for a short lunch to families looking for a relaxed atmosphere and reasonable prices. The massive size of the sandwiches also makes it easy to order big and share. O’Brien’s own family holds a spot in the business — pictures of her nieces, sisters and herself are used in the shop’s unique ads.

The quarter pulled pork sandwich was on special when I stopped into the restaurant on a Monday afternoon with my sister. The only price listed on the chalkboard was the special, which included the sandwich, chips and a drink for $6.25. After some minor confusion about how to order, the friendly man behind the counter took our names and sent us on our way. We grabbed our own drink cups and picked out our chips. As I said before, self sufficiency is how the Pickle Barrel rolls.

The sub, despite being only a “quarter sandwich,” was huge. The bread was comparable in size to a 6-inch sub at Subway and loaded with barbecue pulled pork. The pork was tender and juicy and had a spicy – but not overbearing – barbecue sauce. The flavor definitely had a kick to it, making me grateful for the soda. I wouldn’t even dream about finding something this good at any of the sub chains.

Straight up, it was a tasty sandwich. The bread was soft and warm, and the meat was plentiful and filling. It was an ample amount of food for a quick lunch and for the same amount you would pay for a meal at Subway or Quiznos. And unlike the atmosphere at the chains, the employees seemed to be enjoying themselves (at work, imagine).

The only downfall I found was the initial confusion about ordering and prices. The quasi-unobservant (I will own up to this) will probably order a sandwich without knowing the size or cost. The special was very helpful for this though, offering a pre-picked portion and combo at one easy price. Pickle Barrel also runs a college special on Thursday nights, hoping to draw students from nearby Augustana College and the University of Sioux Falls.

And, if the sandwich and chips or soup isn’t enough, the Pickle Barrel offers (of course) free pickles.

Although with the speed of their service and enormous sizes, I doubt hunger will be an issue.

Stars (of 5)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Price: 4.5

Service: 5

Overall: 5

Photo: The Pickle Barrel, located at 1612 S. Western Ave. in Sioux Falls, offers several varieties of sandwiches, salads and soups. Pictured is the pull pork sandwich special. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

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Review: Soulcrate Music – “The Heartland Panic”

Lucinda Albers — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:29:48 +0000

I’ll admit it – when it comes to music, I’m a lyrics person.

That’s what always drew me to Soulcrate’s music. If they don’t give you Midwest-based narratives to relate to, they give you a story to immerse yourself in. With their latest album, they didn’t disappoint to present listeners with even more of this characteristic trait.

The Heartland Panic essentially begins with the same format of their last album, Cardboard Cut Outs, as the first minute and then some is pure Corey ‘DJ Absolute’ Gerlach creativity. While the beat featuring signature percussion and horns pulls you in, there’s something different about this album. It’s gritty and gloomy – almost ominous; a feeling the group was probably purposely going for.

Vocally, the Eisenhauer brothers haven’t changed much – but that’s not a bad thing. It’s easy to recognize Dan ‘Dirt Dee’ as he opens the setting to “Let It Shine” and Wes ‘Attn: Def’ when he jumps in 20 seconds later. While the guys have a unique voice to each of them, the similarity strikes in the flow and ease as they bounce back and forth in less of a battle-like approach and more of a co-operative venture.

The album continues with “Evil In It” (easily one of the darkest tracks on the disc), which runs heavy in to “Clouds in My Head” (a slightly more upbeat and jazzy tune). The songs are almost opposites of each other, but pull the same attention with smooth verses and hooks that get stuck in your mind for days.

Up to this point, the album is impressive. But it’s the fourth track, “Electric Heavy Glow”, that completely blows me away. You can tell within the first 20 seconds of hard-hitting percussion and gang vocals screaming ‘ohhhh’ that the song is going to be a hit. The quick tempo and pounding beat carries on throughout the song, begging your head to nod along. The vocals are quick, smooth and intense. You can feel the energy behind each line as the guys step to the front of Midwest hip-hop scene with a pure “we’re here” statement. It’s sure to be a crowd favorite and hit single that will gain them incredible exposure.

Track five, “Keep Hope Dead”, continues the fast-paced energy with a detailed snare entrance and staccato horn sections throughout. The speed finally slows down a bit with “Drop Sound”, a steady track with incredible strings setting the background. The track gives you a ‘waiting on better days’ feel. The chorus alone explains the song nearly perfect with the dragging words: “I listen to the rain drop down – I’m laying around I’m stuck in this town – no need to make a god damn sound – I’m running away from this right now”.

“Old vs Dumb” is the second shining star on this album, but not just for its unique backing music. Absolute’s almost regal entrance to the track is a perfect set up before the bass drum kicks in and the hook is thrown at you. Breaking the first verse in with “knowing it all we live it reckless and dumb – promote definitely doing dumb shit when you’re young,” the track is a statement of the struggle between age brackets and is sure to become an anthem for younger generations. It may not be the first single, but it’s definitely a close second, so it’s no wonder the guys chose to release this song early on 2DopeBoyz as a free download.

Funk takes over as the album transitions in to “Made It Break”. Using lines like “we do the blue collar no king crowned at birth – taught the meaning of the dollar – we get down to work”, the track seems to pay homage to the hard work put in to creating their careers. The jazzy beat continues through “Think About Me”, but the pace slows a bit. Standing as the most relaxed song on the record, the track offers the vocalists a chance to really showcase their range. It’s a smooth song and reminds me of a bar-close anthem – something your friends will be slurring along with at 3 am after an epic night.

“Wake Up” picks up a little speed but continues the slower portion of the album. It also carries the least amount of content than any other track. While the chanting vocals will repeat in your head for days, it doesn’t appear to have a specific verse or chorus. Neither Wes nor Dan go solo and the short track seems to pass quickly. Although it feels like a bit of a filler song, it’s still a good representation of the different material these guys can produce.

Track 13, “Sleep Awake,” carries a steady yet slightly gloomy beat which the Eisenhauers flow easily over top of with low tones that create an even darker tone. I believe the group once compared the album to a “Midwest winter” and that is exactly what this track makes me think of.

The album finally picks up to full pace with the last track, “Learn From It.” Perfectly placed at the end, the song feels like the most personal one on the album. While many of the songs created a statement of emergence, this track creates a statement of permanence. With lines like “I politely refuse to take life so serious – if it’s good it’s great and if it’s bad it’s experience,” it’s evident that this group is only going to continue growing.

The Heartland Panic may not be what you expect, but it’s exactly what you need. Production wise, Cardboard Cut Outs was a great record for South Dakota, but The Heartland Panic is a great record for anywhere. If you want a replica of CCO, I suggest you go play it on repeat because you’re not going to get it in this new one. The stripped-down vocals and dirty funk and jazz inspired beats pay off as the group reaches the next level of musicianship. Knowing how much time and effort has been put in to this release, this one should feel good.

The Heartland Panic is currently available for preorder over at Lethalville. On March 9, the album will be officially released and available on iTunes, Best Buy, FYE, and at Soulcrate’s website. The group also has a busy week coming up to help promote the album. Stay tuned to The Post for more information tomorrow.

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Review: Tasty chicken dinners withstand economic woes

Roxy Hammond — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:30:41 +0000

It hasn’t been an easy year for Vonnie Larsen.

As part owner of The Keg restaurants in Sioux Falls, Larsen has felt the pinch of a sour economy. With many customers cooking at home to cut back on expenses, Larsen has seen many of her regulars drop from a few nights a week to just a few days a month.

Luckily for her, The Keg has established itself as a local favorite with its specialty, fried chicken. The restaurant, purchased in 1979 by Larsen’s in-laws, has survived the good and bad years of the economy, even expanding several times to accommodate a growing demand. Their secret? Holding steadfast in its secret chicken recipe and customers’ need to feel the comforts of “home.”

“That’s what fried chicken is, it’s a comfort food,” says Larsen.

Comfort food it is. The Keg offers a lunch buffet every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, beans, coleslaw, dinner rolls, shredded chicken and a few other rotating dishes such as spicy chicken and BBQ chicken. I sampled the buffet on a Sunday afternoon, which ran me a whopping $7.99 with my drink. Not bad for an all-you-can-eat chicken dinner.

I went the way of white meat, getting a massive chicken breast, as well as beans, coleslaw and potatoes and gravy. The potatoes and gravy were a bit salty for my taste and the coleslaw was a little heavy on the dill (there were actual pieces of pickle in the slaw, I believe). The baked beans, however, were fantastic. They were sweeter than most, but had a great flavor and consistency that could easily make me eat my $7.99 worth.

Of course, the chicken was delicious. The breading was crispy but not overly greasy and the meat was juicy and tender. Unlike many other experiences I’ve had with fried food, I didn’t feel fatter the instant I ate it. The whole meal was filling and achieved Larsen’s goal — comfort.

The restaurants have 50 fryers between the two of them, and aside from their everyday use of serving customers in store, The Keg is well known for its large catering abilities. In the past, they’ve catered such large events as Sturdevant’s Customer Appreciation days (with over 4,000 pieces of chicken), and regularly cater for O’Gorman High School.

The Keg underwent an in-store change in March, when they decided to go completely non-smoking. Larsen surveyed customers for about three weeks, and after an overwhelming majority showed support for the idea, she decided to nix cigarettes in the restaurant. She says she’s had a very positive response and has seen an increase in families frequenting the establishments.

The idea seems fitting, especially since the business is a family affair itself. The three owners: Larsen, her husband Neil, and their friend John Cassidy, have a combination of nine children. Since The Keg originally belonged to Neil’s parents, Lonnie hopes one of the kids will show an interest in taking over. Currently, the restaurant has two locations: 26th Street and Sycamore Avenue, and 57th Street and Marion Road, with Cassidy and family running the west side location, and Larsen and her husband running the east location.

The owners take their family-friendly attitude one step further and sponsor several sports teams throughout Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls Fusion Softball team is one of the better-known, but The Keg sponsors pool, dart and bowling teams as well.

It’s this sense of community that keeps Larsen and the restaurant afloat during rough years. Larsen says that despite the current economic hardship, she continues to maintain hope for the future. And with a business model and chicken recipe like hers, she should.

Ratings (out of 5)

Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4.5
Price: 5
Service: 4
Overall:4.5

Mixing American favorites with Italian delights

Roxy Hammond — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:12:30 +0000

It’s not difficult to find Italian food in Sioux Falls. More specifically, it’s not difficult to find pretty good Italian food in Sioux Falls. In a city with Spezia, Tomacelli’s Pizza, Carino’s Italian Restaurant and even Olive Garden, there is definitely no lack of pastas, pizzas and tongue-twisting entrée names.

Uno Zoni’s doesn’t care. While their Italian counterparts may very well saturate the market, they want to make you feel welcome in a more casual atmosphere, mixing American favorites with Italian delights.

he restaurant, owned by Sioux Falls-based Italian Eatery, Inc., opened its doors about six months ago as a catering-based restaurant hoping to move a little closer to the businesses it regularly served. The establishment’s name sounds suspiciously like Uno Tomato Catering on Minnesota Avenue, which is owned by the same company, and with reason, folks. It’s a hybrid between a restaurant and catering business. Uno Zoni has a similar menu to Uno Tomato, but Uno Tomato solely does catering.

Situated in the Old Harvester building in downtown Sioux Falls, the restaurant is a quiet, inviting establishment that serves pasta, salads, loaded potatoes and their specialty—calzones. You may not find some of the more specific Italian foods offered at the restaurants I listed earlier, but you will find many options that are well worth your time.

While the mixture of Italian and American could seem misplaced and confusing, Uno Zoni seems to pull it off quite well. This is helped by the fact that the food is actually good.

I sampled that Italian-American flavor on a midweek dinner date with my friend Heather. The restaurant was pretty quiet, with a dozen or so customers rotating through while we chatted and enjoyed our food. I had the BBQ chicken spud (about $7), a baked potato smothered in BBQ chicken and melted cheddar cheese and served with sour cream and butter. Heather, the vegetarian, ordered a Cheesy Zoni, a calzone stuffed with mozzarella, cheddar, provolone and ricotta cheese.

My potato was awesome. After ordering at the front counter, it took less than 10 minutes to arrive at my table. It was a warm, gooey, BBQ-y mess. I topped it with the sour cream, which added a great cooling mechanism to the molten-hot cheese. The potato was a great base, adding a good flavor without overpowering the delicious chicken and cheese. The entire thing ate like a meal.

While the loaded potato wasn’t difficult to make, it certainly wasn’t something you could get at any regular Italian joint, or most restaurants for that matter. The rarity of this choice made it that much more enjoyable.

Heather also liked her Cheesy Zoni, which had a crispy but soft crust and plenty of melted cheese to go around. Uno Zoni’s specializes in calzones and they make up over 60 percent of their retail food sales. You can order them in nineteen different combinations, including a Buffalo Chicken Zoni, or a Philly Steak Zoni.

It’s also the idea of the calzone that Uno Zoni plans on enhancing. According to supervisor Tad Hamze, the restaurant plans on cutting down the menu and concentrating more on calzones and pizza pies, even adding an array of meat pies. Meat pies, for those unfamiliar, are similar to calzones, only with a crustier French bread-like crust, stuffed with toppings of your choice. Since calzones are so popular at the restaurant, Hamze feels the meat pies would be a hot item, drawing a crowd that may not visit the restaurant otherwise.

The idea, overall, is to make America’s favorites—cheeseburgers, tacos and pizzas—in meat pie form.

While Uno Zoni’s currently manages to create a restaurant that both breeds familiarity while maintaining individuality, I’m excited to see where their new direction of calzones and meat pies takes them.

Stop in now, though, while they have their larger menu. If the rest of the potatoes are as delicious as the BBQ chicken, it’s worth your time. Even if it’s not your standard Italian fare.

Stars (of 5)

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Price: 4

Service: 4

Overall: 4

Banner Photo: Uno Zoni opened in the Old Harvester building six months ago. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

Top Photo: The American-Italian restaurant offers an array of gourmet baked potatoes on its menu. Pictured here is the BBQ chicken spud. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

Middle Photo: Calzones, like this cheese zoni, are Uno Zoni’s specialty. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

Bottom Photo: Uno Zoni offers a mixed American and Italian menu with pastas, salads, calzones and baked potatoes. (Roxy Hammond/The Post)

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Diving into goodness

Ashley Sandborn — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:47:02 +0000

As South Dakota’s mecca for the chain restaurant, Sioux Falls may not exactly conjure up a multitude of images of little dive restaurants and coffee shops for those unfamiliar with the city beyond 41st Street. Yet, Sioux Falls is home to several beloved little treasures with plenty to offer at affordable prices.

Dive restaurants—typically defined by their dingy exterior and sometimes interior, laid-back atmosphere and their cheap menu items—are among the most cherished places to find some of the best food at the most inexpensive prices.

In the day-to-day shuffle of Sioux Falls, I set out to find a few of these hideouts and rediscover a few familiar locals to highlight some of the city’s best.

Michelle’s

Located on Phillips Avenue, nestled in next to Baby Elements, Michelle’s is one of few locally-owned coffee shops in town. The diverse shop offers everything from a wine club to coffee to a Cheers-like atmosphere for hipsters.

This was my first time to Michelle’s, although I’ve found myself walking by it countless times. I need something—a sign, bright paint—basically anything to jump out at me in order to capture my attention and draw me in, and that is one of the few things that Michelle’s lacks. It needs better interior lighting, or something like that. As I step in, I quickly notice how the three people, all of which were by themselves, in front of me were on a name-by-name basis with both the individuals working behind the counter. They are talking about bands they had seen the previous weekend and the upcoming wine tasting.

One part of a conversation with a patron included, “Heard your little brother finally registered for classes.” While another was a mere observation of a new hairdo, “Your hair looks rather flat. Are you trying something new?” It seemed like it was a sincere, genuine and friend-based transaction, rather than a superficial, “Here is your coffee. That’ll be $1.50, please.”

I ordered the Vegalicious sandwich ($5.95), cup of the soup-of-the-day ($2.50) and a 16 oz. hot apple cider ($2.50) The sandwich is delicious. I let the people behind the counter know and they informed me that they make their own homemade hummus. Amazing. I took a bite of the white-bean and minestrone soup and a big sip of the cider and they are all equally delicious. $9.99 well-spent.

The walls are littered with art made by local artists (to get a full list of current, coming and past exhibits, you can visit their Web site: www.michellescoffee.com. You can also make reservations for their wine club there.) This makes me happy. I try as often as possible to buy local and support local artists and businesses.

In front of my table is a table made entirely out of chalkboard for children and chalk scattered across it. Such a fun, funky and cute idea.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that they sell Orangina in their back cooler. OK, this is now a new favorite place of mine. For those of you that aren’t aware, Orangina is a mixture of delicious goodness comprised of mostly orange juice and carbonated water, that tastes like Sprite. And it’s also a rarity. Only one restaurant (that I’m aware of), Spezia, serves it in town. So when I noticed it, I of course buy it.

As I drink it, I ask the gentlemen working behind the counter how they’ve been in operation (four years), and what is the most popular item on the menu (white chicken chili). Apparently, the chili is a hot commodity. “People, no joke, will wait in line all day for that stuff. They love it.” Well, sign me up. I’ll be there next Thursday with a cup of chili in one hand, an Orangina in another, a big smile on my face and a very happy tummy.

Little Coalinga Bar

I had heard about this place for years. The “little buried treasure” amongst the more upscale restaurants in downtown Sioux Falls is how my close friends and family refer to it. Good, greasy food at unbelievably low prices. And what’s crazy (according to my mother) is that if you were to walk in there on any given Saturday, you’ll see successful business people fresh from their workouts at the YMCA packed in little booths and gnawing on baskets of French fries and big, juicy hamburgers. Hey, everyone likes a good deal now and then.

On a Tuesday afternoon, I walked in to the Little Coalinga for lunch. The place was packed full of people. I had been told by several people to expect clouds of billowing smoke, but I honestly didn’t think it was that bad. A tad smoky, but nothing that was too terribly offensive.

I sit down in a booth next to a wall completely full of dart tournament plaques. Wow, these guys must be pretty serious. I look at the laminated menu full of classic-bar food (i.e. chislic, cheese balls, hamburgers, etc.) and “Voted Sioux Falls Best” immediately jumps out at me. Of course, I have to order whatever it is. No matter the caloric intake or what it even tastes like. Apparently, advertising always works on me.

It’s a patty melt.

About 10 minutes later, after completely demolishing an entire basket of onion rings (healthy), I received my patty melt. Oh, delicious goodness. The cheese was coming out of the burger on both sides. I felt as if when I even looked at the burger, I could feel my blood pressure rising. I bite into the juicy burger and do-that-thing that everyone does when they bite into something truly out-of-this-world. You know, closing the eyes, opening them, rolling them back into your head and then muttering something like, “Ohmygawwwwwd, this is sooooooo good.” Yeah, something like that.

In a matter of minutes, I devour my entire burger and fries. Shame immediately follows when I see the big, greasy ring that my burger had left on the wax paper in my basket. Oh, well. It was definitely worth it.

I immediately whip out my check card when the waitress brings the ticket over to the table. Much to my dismay, I quickly find out that they do not accept check or credit. Shoot. I start to panic but, luckily, I had money in my wallet. (A true rarity. Trust me.) I pay the bill and then walk up to the counter and ask the bartender how long they’ve been in business. She pulls out a black-and-white picture of their old location on Phillips Avenue and explains that they’ve been open since the early ’60s. She talks about the owners and a few of their other different locations. Very interesting. I thank her graciously for the delicious food and great customer service.

This food is great, and not just as a hangover remedy. I’d recommend it any day of the week. However, you should plan to have an afternoon of rather low productivity afterwards, as the food will completely devoid you of any energy.

The Cookie Jar

Call me old-fashion or maybe just a glorified dork, but, I meet my grandmother for lunch every week. Yes, every week. It’s our time to play catch-up on all of life’s happenings and her time to try and impart her wisdom upon me. One week, we decide to meet at The Cookie Jar. It’s one of my personal favorites in Sioux Falls. I love how it has that ma-and-pa feel and how you can get mounds of food for an outrageously low price. (Always a VERY good thing. At least, for me.)

I ordered the same thing as I always do (chicken sandwich, side salad and a macadamia-nut cookie—all for $7.25), even though there is a sign on the table that is showcasing their special for the day: chili and a cinnamon roll. (At one point, I swear I can hear it start screaming my name.) But, no. I try to be “good” and opt for a sandwich served on a small-loaf of bread instead. Oh, boy. I always think it’s funny how we girls think sometimes.

A short while later, I receive my basket and it’s just as good as I remember. My grandma orders the same thing and she’s equally as satisfied with her meal. We start chit-chatting and all of a sudden a camera crew from KSFY is next to our table asking our opinion on the Tiger Woods scandal. We give our two-cents, pay our ticket and are on our merry way.

The Cookie Jar? It’ll never disappoint. At least, not from my experience.

Some other good dives to try? I recommend Bob’s Carry out and Delivery on 12^th Street, Nick’s Gyros on 41^st Street,and of course, the legendary Hamburger Inn.

What I’ve learned from writing this article is that great food and coffee doesn’t necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg to be enjoyable or delicious. Take a leap of faith, try something new and dive into goodness. It’s there. You may just have to take some extra time to find it. But trust me, it’s worth it.

Middle Photo: Little Coalinga Bar is known for its patty melt and the solution for anyone’s greasy food craving. (Ashley Sandborn/The Post)

Bottom Photo: On 10th Street, The Cookie Jar provides a diner-like experience with sandwich baskets and a cookie for desert. (Ashley Sandborn/The Post)

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