Culinary competitors add up wins with creativity, teamwork in kitchen

Sept. 26, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

Take your assigned Girl Scout cookie, create a standout dish around it and get ready to compete.

That was the assignment for the culinary team at Minervas in downtown Sioux Falls as the restaurant prepared to defend its title in the annual competition Cookies, Corks & Brews. The event benefits, appropriatly enough, Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons.

“Last year, our cookie was the Thin Mint, and we did cookie pops, but everything was white – the container, the straws were dipped in glaze, so the absence of color was the thought behind the dish,” executive chef Brad Herr said. “We had spearmint in the vessel it was hanging in, and when we dropped a piece of dry ice in, it would foam out and give off the smell of mint.”

It was a tough dish to follow, but the Minervas team stepped up to take it on.

Assigned the Adventurefuls cookie, “we got everyone together, did an idea board, and one of our team members brought an idea forward, and we got everyone’s heads into it,” Herr said. “Everyone is always welcome in the kitchen, and we just started talking through it.”

Pastry chef McKenna Geringer then began creating the dish and presented it at the fundraiser last week.

After guests tasted all the desserts, an auction-style event was done to determine the winner as each chef stood before the crowd and the bids started going up.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to go up there, but it was fun,” said Geringer, who joined Vanguard earlier this year.

And her team’s creation prevailed, bringing the trophy home to Minervas for a second consecutive year.

So what was the winning dish? Well, that has to stay somewhat under wraps for now.

“We really enjoyed creating it, so we took some inspiration from this dish in creating our entry for the upcoming Taste of Sioux Falls event,” Herr said. “We’re hoping that encourages even more people to buy tickets for Taste, which is an important fundraiser for SculptureWalk, and we can’t wait to debut the dessert with a twist on it then.”

Here’s a hint, though. Geringer integrated the Aventurefuls’ salted caramel brownie flavors into a mousse that she used as the center of her dessert.

“We went with a playful dish for the Girl Scouts event, so for Taste it will be more elegant,” Herr said.

The win is the latest in a series for Vanguard teams. Minervas saute chef Keone Hart won the Cleaver’s Challenge earlier this year with a standout macaron that also was a team collaboration.

“I remember as a young chef starting in this city, you’d be in a competition, and it was a big deal to see if you sized up to the person next to you,” Herr said. “But you learn from these too. You can go win a shiny trophy, but it’s more about seeing what everyone else is doing so you can learn.”

The competitions also have built camaraderie in the kitchen, the Vanguard team said.

“We have each other’s backs. We have a great team, and these are a way for us to come together, learn and have fun,” said Jordan Klein, executive sous chef. “I enjoy working on them. I’ve been under Brad’s wing learning the ropes of competition, and now he’s letting me run the show with our team. It’s an amazing thing to be able to give direction and help the staff out so we can be successful as a team.”

Vanguard also is committed to helping chefs at all levels develop, including supporting them in competitions, Herr said.

“We will even allow them to take time from the workday to just research and play with recipes,” he said. “That’s an important investment in them, and it’s helped us grow and keep a really strong team”

Geringer won’t have much time off before her next competition. She’s already developing a Snickers-inspired cake for an event this week.

“It’s great. I’ve just started in May, and I’ve already learned more and done more than I have anywhere else,” she said. “I just get to experiment, and they give me the time to do it.”

Minervas also is participating in the Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. Pork Showdown through the end of September. The chefs created a banh mi sandwich with sesame pork loin, shoulder bacon, hydro cilantro, bok choy, radish sprouts, cucumber, carrots and Korean barbecue aioli on a French baguette served with wasabi salt fries.

“We wanted to do something that would be for our lunch crowd, so we went with a sandwich,” Herr said. “We wanted to do something original, and people are liking us. But honestly, while we enjoy Burger Battle and Pork Showdown, for us the expectations are always high when you walk into Minervas.”

Often, what the chefs create preparing for competitions can lead to menu features or even permanent items as it allows them to grow their culinary skills, Herr added.

“When we do these competitions and see the food, you realize how talented they are, and you end up trusting each other more in the kitchen too. What they can do with food is magic.”

Would you like to learn more about growing your culinary career at Vanguard? Stop in any of the Sioux Falls restaurants: downtown Minervas, Grille 26 or Morrie’s Steakhouse.

To learn more about The Taste of Sioux Falls, click below.

Treat your taste buds to ‘The Taste of Sioux Falls’ and support a signature city attraction

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Culinary competitors add up wins with creativity, teamwork in kitchen

Now that’s a winning team! Come with us into the kitchen for a look at how these chefs are adding up the culinary victories.

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