By Denise DePaolo

Images by Dan Thorson Photography

Prairie Berry East Bank opened in summer 2014 as an extension of Hill City-based Prairie Berry Winery. It features the brand’s South Dakota-made wines and craft beer from Miner Brewing Company. The menu consists of meticulously prepared, regionally-sourced artisan cuisine, which has recently expanded to include an epicurean bar. PBEB Hospitality Manager Angela Avila tells us about this new dining experience.

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For those who have never stopped in, what can we expect at PBEB?

AA: At PBEB, we strive to create a unique South Dakota experience. We focus on South Dakota-made wine and beer. We have a great fermentation bar, which is the centerpiece of our facility. Our associates are educated and aim to educate and engage with our guests about wine and beer. And we have a new feature – our epicurean bar, which is all about bringing the food into the mix.

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What’s an epicurean bar?

AA: It allows our guests to combine fine meats and cheeses and other fun offerings with the wine and beer.

The epicurean bar is unlike anything we’ve seen in South Dakota. It’s aimed at providing high quality, local products – meats, cheeses, and what we call complements. It could be anything from chocolate salami to house-made spiced nuts. Everything we feature on the menu is made in America. Generally from small, homegrown productions much like Prairie Berry. Everything’s been specifically researched and chosen to pair well with what we offer in our beer and wines.

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It’s a sushi-style menu – a la carte. Our guests get to choose from our meats, cheeses, and complements and the variety and amount they like. Then our staff would be happy to pair that with the beverages that best go with the epicurean boards they choose.

Once they’ve selected their items, we hand slice on an antique Italian meat slicer. And then we hand prepare and slice the cheeses and complements. Even the preparation and ordering is an experience, in addition to when you actually get to sample the food and beverages together.

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Are you trying to reach a certain type of diner?

AA: Really, I think it’s geared toward anyone who likes to have an enjoyable experience with their food and beer and wine. We see every age taking part in it and every demographic, but we say it’s for the “epicurious.”

If you like good food and good drink, it’s worth a shot. It does take time to prepare, since we do everything by hand. The portions are small but filling, so you can share a board for a nice appetizer before a meal or you could order quite a few things and make the board filling enough for a whole dinner. They’re finely sliced meats and carefully sliced cheese, so you are really getting the essence of the product. And yes, enjoy it slowly. Enjoy it with your wine and beer and see what they do when you put those pieces together. It’s pretty exciting.

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Is there anything notable happening at PBEB in February?

AA: In early February, we’re releasing one of our favorite sweeter selections of wine. It’s called Strawberry Fusion. It’s perfect for Valentine’s season. We’re also hosting a musical event on Friday, February 13, which is Miles Smiles. The ticket price includes a Valentine’s dessert bar.

Every day, one of the most popular things we offer here is our featured flights. You can choose three selections of beer, or we can help you choose those selections. It’s the same with wine. And we have a full kitchen menu that runs over lunch from 11:00 to 3:00 with homemade soups, sandwiches and salads. Then from 3:00 to close, we do an appetizer menu of cheese boards, homemade pizza, trio of spreads – perfect for a lighter meal. And again, our kitchen menu really focuses on pairing with our fermented beverages.

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For more info on Prairie Berry East Bank, click here or call (605) 496-7175.

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