Sioux Falls has a reputation as a small city with an unusually high number of restaurants per capita. Sounds like a foodie’s paradise, right?
A large portion of those restaurants are your everyday chains – Applebee’s, Olive Garden, and the like. But what many don’t realize at first glance, is that the food scene is truly bustling in Sioux Falls.
Creative, innovative restaurants, and breweries have been popping up rapidly, primarily in the downtown area. All it takes to expand your dining horizons is a little bit of savvy, and the drive to explore.
That’s where Jenna Aukerman comes in.
605 sat down with Aukerman, a Sioux Falls native, to learn more about her passion for distinctive dining, and how, four months ago, she decided to start a side business giving food tours.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What is a food tour?”
“Sioux Falls isn’t really a tour city,” said Aukerman.
The populations of larger cities and metropolitan areas are more accustomed to the idea of tours – whether cultural or culinary – as attractions for visitors, but she says Sioux Falls isn’t quite there yet.
According to Aukerman, however, the opportunity to sample some of what makes the dining scene in the area so exciting is just what the city needs.
“We just have so many local, independent people totally killing it,” she said.
Aukerman should know – she’s one of them. As the founder and co-owner of Coffea Roasterie, Aukerman has been involved in the industry for awhile.
“I’ve been working in coffee since I was a teenager,” she said.
Over the years, she spent time developing her palate for coffee and becoming a more conscious consumer.
Primarily self-educated when it comes to taste and palate development (she graduated from Augustana University with a business degree) Aukerman believes that consciousness translates to food, wine, and beer as well.
Perhaps it’s the fact that so much of her expertise is self-taught and driven simply by a passion for quality food, but Aukerman stands out in the culinary industry as someone with zero ego or pretentiousness.
Trying out new restaurants or dishes can be intimidating, and Aukerman understands that.
“If you’re coming into Coffea, and you don’t know the difference between a latte and a cup of black coffee, that’s awesome,” she said. “We are so excited to teach you.”
The same goes for food tours.
“It’s easy to get overwhelmed,” she said. “Especially when you’re going into places you’ve never been before. My hope is to bridge that gap and welcome you wherever you’re at.”
Aukerman offers both private and public tours, which she caps at 20 participants. The ideal amount of people is six to 12, she said.
For $55 (all food and taxes included), one can experience the “Taste of Downtown,” in which Aukerman chooses four to six locales for tour attendees to visit.
She switches it up on nearly every tour, but a common route includes stopping at Remedy Brewing Co. for a 5 oz. sample of your choice, walking over to Breadico for a slice of pizza, and more beer at Fernson on 8th next door, trying out the Vietnamese Chicken Sandwich at Bread and Circus Sandwich Kitchen, wrapping up with a treat to-go from Queen City Bakery, and a final beer at WoodGrain Brewing Company.
“You won’t leave hungry,” she said.
As for the future, Aukerman hopes to expand into wine-focused tours, as well as more global food. All food tours are currently based downtown, requiring no transportation, thus keeping costs down. But as someone passionate about travel and other cultures, Aukerman hopes to expand to include some of Sioux Falls’ ethnic restaurants as well, many of which are located outside of the downtown sphere.
“People get really comfortable in what they know,” said Aukerman. “But just under the surface, there’s this culinary scene that’s so vibrant, so creative, so sustainable. I just want to help people realize what’s available to them.”
For more information or to book a tour, visit siouxfallsfoodtours.com.
Aukerman’s Top 5 Restaurant Picks
(in no particular order)
Aukerman is quick to tell you that she hates choosing favorites. It took a lot of coaxing for her to give us a list, but we’ve rounded up five of the spots she says you can’t miss if you’re visiting Sioux Falls.
