By Kara Sweet
Two years ago, Rapid City saw the doors close on its flagship specialty restaurant, The Corn Exchange. Operated by revered chef MJ Adams (three-time James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist), this Main Street tradition was featured in such prestigious arenas as Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appetite, and the New York Times over the course of its fifteen years of operation. Foodies all around the Black Hills hung their heads, believing that this was the closing of the door on quality restaurants unique only to Rapid. They feared chains would take over, leaving the dining scene in Rapid bland.
Today, I am happy to say, these worried foodies could not have been more wrong! Adams was actually just opening the door and paving the way for a whole new generation of risk takers to come into the small city and continue to build the culture of quality restaurants that can only be found in Rapid. The foodie culture is currently in the middle of a wonderful—and tasty—explosion.
Pete Franklin, owner and chef of Juniper on Sheridan Lake Road, has been a prominent Black Hills chef for years. He was one of the first to take a risk in the area with his former restaurant Manchego. The Spanish-themed eatery featured cheeses, meats, wines, and recipes from Spain, speaking to Franklin’s personal passion for the country. However, Pete and Rapid were not necessarily ready for the concept, and he sold the beautiful site to Bob Fuchs and company, owners of the Firehouse. Though this spot, Que Pasa, is now a Mexican tequila bar, Franklin turned his thoughts to yet another challenging opportunity: Juniper.
Franklin saw the increasing number of chain restaurants, and he wanted to continue to “bet on Rapid City,” to open something different and only possible here; Juniper was created. He sees change as good, especially in light of the recent developments in Rapid City. He applies this theory to his Juniper menus as well, which rotate weekly and seasonally based on the small market to which Franklin caters and the local ingredients which he can source. Franklin continues to listen to what his patrons want by providing exceptional food and wonderful service that “blows away” those dining with him, especially the tourists that expect little from a rural area like this.
Juniper is located at 5734 Sheridan Lake Road, Suite 207.
The Wine Cellar is not a new establishment in downtown Rapid; Chef Chris McConnell has been creating wonderful entrees there for over ten years. Until just recently, Pamela Light was the executive chef and owner, working with McConnell to create and prepare the menus. In May, Light sold the restaurant to David Hirning and his stepdaughter, Christy Land. Land acts as co-owner and manager of the Wine Cellar, with McConnell as executive chef.
The establishment will still have the same relaxed and comfortable atmosphere as before, but some changes will be visible. Chef McConnell will have more creative say over the ever-changing menu, while working with a local farmer for more “garden-to-table” options all year. Land credits forerunners like Light and MJ Adams with responding to the push for a pattern of healthy options, even when dining out, and letting customers be “hands on” by knowing where the food on the table comes from. Other changes will also show the number of craft brews on the menu increasing, as well as the by-the-glass and by-the-bottle options on the wine list. Rapid City restaurateurs have really stepped up the dining scene, and the Wine Cellar will continue to satisfy customers who appreciate good food.
The Wine Cellar is located at 516 6th Street.
Delmonico is not a new establishment; it was formerly owned and operated by the aforementioned Pete Franklin. However, it was purchased by Chef Benjamin Klinkel, who left it primarily the way it was until just this year. Delmonico closed its doors after the first of the year to undergo a total remodel.
Chef Klinkel took a huge risk, but with the help of his mother, who made many of the interior decorating decisions, Klinkel gutted the entire restaurant. His vision included an open kitchen, larger bar area, mezzanine seating, and modern décor. The atmosphere went from slightly dated to very sophisticated. The round tables down the center of the room are separated by hidden serving stations, showing that though the redesign looks fabulous, it is still functional. The menu kept many of the same wonderful steaks for which Delmonico was known, but other seasonal options and specials were added. To enhance the chic ambiance, often a piano player is seated near the front of the room, providing pleasant mood music for the diners. This remodel project is impressive in and of itself, but it is even more so when one remembers that another of Rapid’s premier eateries is also owned and operated by Klinkel: Tally’s Silver Spoon.
Delmonico Grill is located at 609 Main Street.
Klinkel’s “other” establishment has quite a history in downtown Rapid. It has been a working diner for decades. When Klinkel took it over, he added the “silver spoon” aspect when he updated the interior and the menu, yet he worked to keep the atmosphere of a small-town diner. He succeeded.
Whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Tally’s fills ups with customers looking for familiar surroundings and great menu choices. One of the first, and few, restaurants to have foi gras on the menu, this is just one aspect that shows how original Tally’s is. Another interesting and innovative side of the diner is the Tuesday Pinot and Pork night. Chef Klinkel has not only won awards for this event, he has won customers’ hearts by continuing to try something new. Whether a customer wants a mimosa for breakfast, a burger for lunch, or mussels for supper, Tally’s is the cutting-edge diner to quench these evolving tastes.
Tally’s is located at 530 6th Street.
Rapid’s newest risk is very visible to the public since it sits prominently at the corner of Main and Mount Rushmore. Rapid City native Tony DeMaro left the area for work in his twenties. After a decade of business travel and eating at many of the best establishments all over the country, he returned to first operate Murphy’s. At the time, DeMaro decided to put twenty-six craft beers on draft at the bar/restaurant, taking a chance even his distributor did not think would be successful. However, it was, and others followed. He then expanded and updated Murphy’s patio with huge seating areas and fire pits. Again, others in the industry mimicked these choices. DeMaro took the same risky approach when he opened the Blind Lion, the speakeasy restaurant and bar below Murphy’s. Many continued to doubt whether these “big city” ideas would work in western South Dakota. However, DeMaro has always believed that Rapid is ready for anything; its residents just have to be exposed to whatever options are out there. This has been his mantra, though maybe his mantra on steroids, with the demo of the former Dublin Square and over a million dollar renovation of the building to house the new concept of Kol.
Centered around a huge and pricy coal-fired oven, Kol offers soups and salads in addition to appetizers, skewers, and pizzas all baked to perfection in the coal oven. An in-house pastry chef also creates amazing desserts to finish the meal. Still a full bar, Kol has taken to creating unique cocktails found nowhere else. Though still just an infant in the Rapid City dining market, Kol already has plans to continue to evolve. Partnering with Dakota Sea Food will allow the freshest seafood to be featured each night. All of these aspects come together to prove the newest possibility in the Black Hills will push for the overall improvement of establishments in the area. “A rising tide lifts all boats” is what DeMaro is banking will continue to happen in the sea of restaurants here.
Kol is located at 504 Mount Rushmore Road, the corner of Mount Rushmore and Main.
The changing of the guard in Rapid City has taken place. Whether this be new operators taking over existing establishments, veteran chefs trying new dining options, or risk-takers opening new businesses all together, food lovers in the Black Hills who feared for the worst of their industry were definitely wrong. The past several years have witnessed some important changes in the restaurant business, changes that really have moved Rapid’s dining scene to new heights. Changes that will continue to give many quality options that can only be found here. Changes that prove the risks were worth it…one hundred percent!
About Kara:
Kara Sweet is a certified sommelier through the International Wine Guild and intro level somm through the Court of Master Sommeliers; she does wine education classes and events throughout the Black Hills and surrounding areas. Follow all things food, wine, and the Black Hills on her blog, thesweetsommelier.blogspot.com.
Facebook: The Sweet Sommelier
Twitter: @SweetSommelier
