July 9, 2020

It’s not by the campfire, but it might be the next-best thing. Customers can make s’mores at their table at Shipwreck Bar & Grill. The restaurant on Lake Brandt near Chester bought a half-dozen tabletop Sterno stations for roasting marshmallows. The dessert comes sized for two or four people, and each person gets enough ingredients to make three s’mores.

Grand Junction Grilled Subs is headed to the west side of Sioux Falls for one day. It’s doing a pop-up lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at T&L Auto Sales at 6001 W. 12th St. The food stand has a flat top grill for sandwiches and a fryer for fries and cheese curds, said owner Josh Tordsen, who took over the franchise on East Arrowhead Parkway on April 1. “It’ll be a limited menu with our most popular subs and some vegetarian and gluten-free options,” he said. He’s lining up other events, which will be posted on Grand Junction’s Facebook page.

CNC Food Factory has started doing Saturday morning pop-up doughnut shops. Owners Andy and Stephanie Brown set up in the parking lot of the Avera Fitness Center at 41st and Southeastern, which is where their cafe is based. The baked doughnuts, which include gluten-free options, will be available from 7 to 11 a.m. most Saturdays, depending on the weather, Stephanie said. The pop-up shop includes all 21 flavors, and customers can buy singles or get a discount on boxes by the half-dozen or dozen.

R Wine Bar is hosting a pop-up restaurant July 19. Skajewski Catering is preparing a five-course “Celebration of Tomato” meal using items sourced through Dakota Fresh, a network of local growers. Each course is paired with a wine. Tickets are $75, and seating is limited.

The Wednesday taco bar and the Friday hot beef buffet at W. 12th Pourhouse & Kitchen are back beginning this week. The restaurant and bar at 12th and Marion reopened May 28 after being closed for two months because of the coronavirus pandemic. A sanitizing station at the buffet includes disposable gloves, which diners must wear as they go through the line. Employees who work around the buffet wear gloves and masks. The buffets are served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Cherry Rock Farms south of Brandon has opened its produce stand for the season. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. In addition to vegetables grown at the farm, Cherry Rock carries honey, jams, eggs and greens from other vendors. Svec Farms is a new addition this year, providing grass-fed beef that’s raised locally.

The farmers market at Look’s Marketplace on East 69th Street is up and running. Vendors are selling produce, flowers, baked goods and canned goods from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The new summer menu at Myers’ Deli & More in downtown’s CNA Surety Building includes lighter fare and fresh produce. New options include the Summer Ham, a sandwich with salt-cured ham, ricotta cheese, blackberry jam and radish greens on a beer baguette. Salads include caprese, strawberry rhubarb and the Camper’s Catch, which features pan-fried walleye, field greens, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, radish and shallots with a dill and ricotta ranch dressing.

Looking for nibbles with cocktails in the evening? The Treasury has a new menu with several options. Vegetarian choices include olives and bread, kung pao cauliflower and a mushroom egg roll. Go light with the scallop ceviche tostada or a little heavier with loaded BBQ brisket chips. New patio seating also is available at the cocktail lounge in the Hotel on Phillips.

Fernson Brewing Co.’s Zoo Brew is back for a fourth year. Sales of six-packs will provide funding for efforts by the Great Plains Zoo to protect the Dakota Skipper, a butterfly that’s considered a “crucial local pollinator and prairie health indicator,” Fernson said. This year’s brew is a tart wheat ale with coriander and Grains of Paradise, a spice with a peppery floral flavor. When you’re done drinking your beer, recycle the cans at the zoo or Fernson and get a free pack of seeds to start a pollinator garden.

Chef Lance’s Cafe & Catering added weekly keto meals to its prepared-meal service at the beginning of the year, and they’ve proven to be so popular that they’re available now every weekday. They can be ordered at cheflance.com in individual portions, and family-size meals are available by request. In addition to being low carb, the meals also gluten-free. The menu changes every Friday.

Now that more visitors are beginning to arrive at Falls Park, Falls Overlook Cafe by Stensland has expanded its lunch menu to include grilled paninis, pizzas, nachos and soups. The cafe started its season in mid-May with a smaller menu. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sandwiches, wraps, salads, ice cream and grab-and-go items are available into the evening. The cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Enjoying a grilled dish at a restaurant? Share your meals online, including those you’ve grilled, for a chance to win a prize package. July is Grilling Month and the South Dakota Retailers Association, Cattlemen’s Association and Pork Producers Council are partnering to celebrate. Get the details here. The $200 outdoor prize package includes grilling tools, a soft-sided cooler, Beef Bucks, pork certificates and more.

One of the easiest ways to find food trucks won’t be happening this summer. Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Dakota News Now has canceled Fridays on the Plaza, which had been scheduled to begin this week. In addition to a half-dozen trucks every week, the event included live music outside the downtown TV studio.

Get the latest pandemic-related restaurant news here.

Restaurants, other food businesses respond to COVID-19

Here’s a look at other headlines in the past week.

North-side Jacky’s reopens with quick-serve model

New food truck offers ‘the real flavor of Mexico’