PAve

“I’m not sure how healthy bacon is in general, but I know it’s incredibly delicious.”— Gwyneth Paltrow

Pave is one of the most recent additions to the downtown Sioux Falls dining scene. The newly renovated building couldn’t be more different than what was there before. What was once a dated, albeit character-filled, space is now overtly urban, modern, and industrial. Each floor has a street name. The brick, metal, and dark wood street level, where we ate lunch on a Friday, is fittingly called “Factory Avenue.” The wood, along with the soft brown leather chairs flanking the low tables, manage to keep the aesthetic from feeling cold.

Being a Friday, we ordered some of PAve’s signature cocktails to accompany lunch. We decided on the Grafton Street Cider (whiskey, lemon juice, sugar syrup, blackberry syrup, and apple juice), the Sinner and the Saint (tequila, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice, and agave nectar), and the Wax (honey vodka, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and Fresca). We also put in an order of Deep Fat Fried Bacon (because YOLO, you know?), while we made a plan for the rest of our meal.

The Grafton Street Cider looked and tasted like cotton candy. The Wax was a sweet, complex punch. And the Sinner and the Saint, with its floating slice of fresh jalapeno, was a spicy take on a margarita.

The drinks arrived in a bright array of candy colors. The Grafton Street Cider looked and tasted like cotton candy. The Wax was a sweet, complex punch. And the Sinner and the Saint, with its floating slice of fresh jalapeno, was a spicy take on a margarita. I was happy that this was my drink, as overly sweet cocktails aren’t my jam. When reading the description, I was a little confused, thinking that using two orange liqueurs was a bit redundant, but in the drink, it actually works, as Cointreau is a brighter version and Grand Marnier has warmer flavor, due to its cognac base. Like summer and autumn mingledin a glass.

After a few sips of our drinks, the bacon arrived and we put in the rest of our order. Coated in a light crumbly breading, the bacon was greasy and not easy to eat neatly. It was tasty, though. Obviously. And the sauces, particularly the sriracha bourbon (which tasted like a zippy barbecue), were excellent complements. When we asked our server for small plates, she replied that they did not have them, and instead brought us the large, rectangular slates that all the food seemed to be served on. When our entrees showed up, these plates proved to be cumbersome to pick up and stack. To me, they appeared to be better in theory than practice.

For our meals, we ordered the Sriracha Bourbon Burger, the Steak Bruschetta Salad, and the Elvis sandwich – plus sides of the fries and chips. The fries were crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and well-seasoned, which fits all of my criteria for a good fry.The chips were super crispy, lattice-cut, and just salty enough. The portion was also
really generous.

The Elvis sandwich, as one might expect, featured peanut butter, banana, and honey on grilled sourdough. From a pure taste standpoint, I get it. It’s a combination of sweet, salty, smoky, and savory, with a myriad of textures. But for me, it’s just not an appetizing assemblage. That was not true for everyone at the table though. One of my friends gobbled down her half, and plans to order it next time.

The Sriracha Bourbon Burger featured the same sauce served with the bacon, which I found absolutely delicious. It can be tempting to make a bourbon sauce boozy tasting, but this one just had an undertone of whiskey flavor. The burger also boasted pepper jack, bacon, pulled pork, and onion strings, all of which contributed to a positively mouthwatering, if messy-eating, composition.

My favorite item was the Steak Bruschetta Salad. The steak was super-tender and well-seasoned, and the vinaigrette was light, but full of bright citrus flavor. The salad was accompanied by pieces of bread, which would be familiar to anyone who has eaten Granite City’s Chicken Bruschetta Salad. However, these were a pillowy bread with toasted edges, while Granite City’s are almost a crouton. Both, though, feature the addictively garlicky layer of caesar dressing below melted parmesan cheese.

BOTTOM LINE:

Pave serves delicious, interesting food on really impractical plates.