Up to Date--Delmonico Grill

Bruce Barton once said, “When you are through changing, you are through.”  Downtown Rapid City is far from through, as it has shown the ability to make great changes over the last decade.  And I mean great as in great for the city itself.  The evolution to a cultural and upscale small city with an impressive downtown has been so much to fun to watch.  This has been led by city-wide efforts such as Main Street Square, but it has also been due to the work of individual proprietors, like Benjamin Klinkel, chef and owner of two important Rapid restaurants:  Tally’s Silver Spoon and Delmonico Grill.

Chef Benjamin started with Tally’s Silver Spoon, remaking it into an upscale, modern “diner” with great food, wine, and events.  (Read about Tally’s here.)  Then Ben purchased Delmonico Grill from another talented Black Hills chef—Pete Franklin (read about Pete’s latest venture here).  Initially, Ben left Delmonico much like it was, both in its interior and its menu.  Though minor changes had been made with the change in ownership, I still considered Delmonico the best steakhouse in Rapid.  I loved its location and wine list.  I ate there for both lunch and supper, depending on the occasion.  It was a favorite of mine and my family’s. 

Delmonico Grill--helping Rapid City continue to evolve.

Imagine my delight, then, when I heard Chef Benjamin was temporarily closing down Delmonico to gut the building, rework the kitchen, open up the bar area, and modernize the décor.  Any sadness I may have felt over the short-term closure of the establishment was quickly diminished when I thought of the wonderful, new environment Ben and his mother Barb (self-proclaimed interior decorator of the project) were creating.  I was not a bit disappointed!

New and improved interior of Delmonico.

The ambiance was improved even more with live music.

To say Delmonico Grill’s new interior was impressive was an understatement.  Sleek, modern, and dramatic decorations were in place of the former art décor-inspired sconces and pictures on the walls.  The lighting was hip industrial.  The new art on the wall was creative and unique—a cow’s head and bone art installation covered one wall with a cow’s hide seating area below.  Super.  Super.  Cool.

Super, super cool artwork installation and seating area.

At the end of the long room was a visible and sizable bar.  The center of the space housed one-of-a-kind round tables perfect for larger groups.  Serving stations were hidden in between these distinctive tables, making service to the entire restaurant easy.  The whole environment was edgy yet comfortable, classy yet quaint.  As we sat down, we noticed many customers dressed up; not over dressed, just looking nice for an excellent meal and night on the town.  The instant we stepped inside, I loved the ambiance Ben and Barb had created. 

Center row of round tables with hidden service stations.

Industrial lighting.

Wine storage across from the bar area.

Newly updated kitchen.

As for the menu, some of my favorites still made their appearances, like the Kona-encrusted ribeye…my mouth is watering just thinking of it.  The amazing French onion soup was the same, as was the excellent wine list.  Added to these entrees were other rotating options.  I had the squid ink risotto; however, it was a hard choice from the many other tasty delights available, including seafood and lamb.  When time for dessert came, we purposely didn’t finish the large ribeye so we could have the house classic--crème brulee, and we were again not a bit disappointed.

Delicious Kona-encrusted ribeye with seasoned butter and grilled vegetables.

Unique entrée of squid ink risotto and scallops.

One aspect of Delmonico that did not change was the excellent service.  Ben’s mom Barb met us at the door.  No one realized I was there to blog about the experience—I hadn’t contacted anyone before hand—so I can truly say we received wonderful, friendly treatment just because that is what Delmonico’s staff is all about.  Barb had a friendly conversation with us when I inquired about the decorating inspiration.  (Ben worked with an architect on the floor plan he had in mind, and Barb got to have her way with the rest of the interior—though Ben may have a different story!)  Our server was amicable and capable.  Our salads and wine came according to perfect timing.  The entrees were flawless, and the dessert ended an excellent experience. 

More of our perfectly timed and served courses:  salad, wine, and dessert.

Downtown Rapid City has changed—definitely for the better—over the last decade.  The city itself has been the instigator of some of that change; however, individual business owners like Chef Benjamin Klinkel have also led the charge to evolve Rapid into a small city worth visiting.  It is filled with cultural activities, great food, and cool establishments.  The updated Delmonico Grill is yet another example of the new environment of Rapid; the upscale and modern setting prove that Rapid is not through changing yet!  I look forward to witnessing the continued evolution.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name--Tally's Silver Spoon

Nestled on a corner of downtown Rapid City and tucked behind the statue of a younger President Ronald Reagan, the neon “Open” sign of Tally’s Silver Spoon glows as a welcoming beacon to all who are walking the busy historic streets.  Chef Benjamin Klinkel has found the perfect blend of the homey environment of a traditional diner and the chic food of a modern eatery. One almost expects people to yell, “Norm!” when walking in the doors, which was the chef’s goal when he purchased the traditional diner Tally’s and paid homage to Rapid’s venerable café--first opened in 1930--by keeping Tally in the name.  Though delicacies such as foi gras and mussles can be ordered, this definitely does feel like a restaurant where everyone knows your name.

With Ronald Reagan and the neon sign, Tally's has invited customers in since 1930.

Tally’s Silver Spoon is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is the perfect spot for each meal.  Breakfast is served all morning and until 2:00 p.m., so whether an early meal or a true brunch is desired, the food here meets all needs.  Using fresh and local ingredients, the pancakes, eggs, breakfast burritos, and omelets are all great traditional choices.  I personally loved the eggs Benedict and a signature mimosa—my truly perfect brunch.  However, if a more unusual or unique breakfast is what is craved, the lox plate or the duck confit can be ordered. 

Mimosas...the most important part of brunch!

So good...so gone!

For lunch, the traditional burgers are great choices, coming in both the smaller size—Rosie, quarter pound—and the larger size—Dick, half pound—to cover all appetites.  Onions, peppers, blue cheese, cheddar, ham, swiss, etc. can be added.  A buffalo burger is also an option.  There are, of course, other sandwiches and salads as well, but what customers won’t see on the table is a ketchup or mustard bottle.  This is where the “silver spoon” part of the name comes in; condiments are brought out separately and individually in small ramekins at customers’ requests.  House-made, fresh pastas are also available for the lunch and dinner crowds.

Supper is when Tally’s really comes to life as an upscale bistro.  Yes, the burgers and sandwiches are still available, but many other interesting items are worth a look.  Begin with the curried mussels—the signature starter.  For the entrée, try the Black Cow, a coffee-encrusted steak recommended by the server to be cooked medium-rare (is there any other way it should be cooked?!) or the Autumn Oak Pheasant, on a bed chestnut stuffing and Brussel sprouts.  Both are great dishes worth trying.  If these options aren’t unique enough, try one of the pork options for which Tally’s is known.  Tuesdays are Pinot and Pork nights, with a different pork dish every week paired with Pinot Noir.  Tally’s chefs have won the South Dakota Pork Producers competition on several occasions, including being named restaurant of the year by the group again in 2015—they know their pigs!  Tally’s is the only place (or one of very, very, very few) in the Black Hills that has foi gras on the regular dinner menu—yes, silver spoon for sure!  There is also a chef’s tasting menu called the “Indecision Menu” that can be ordered with two, three, four, or five courses that can then be paired with wines. 

The Black Cow

Beautiful Autumn Oak Pheasant, with burning leaf on top--don't worry, that part isn't eaten!

Speaking of wines, Tally’s wine list is impressive for a small diner.  To start, there are fourteen white wines and twenty-one reds for by-the-glass options.  Port, late-harvest, and ice wines are choices for dessert.  Then there are many quality and unique whites, reds, sparklings, single-varietals, and blends for by-the-bottle purchases.  As I already mentioned, Pinot Noir has a special place in Chef Benjamin’s heart, and though the entire wine list is impressive, the list of quality Pinots impressed me…a real Pinot Noir lover. Of course, all wines are served in Riedel stemware, showing that this establishment takes its wine drinking very seriously. 

Whites and reds on the list, all served in beautiful Riedel stemware. Yes, I'm a wine glass snob!

No good meal would be complete without dessert, and Tally’s hits the mark here, too.  There are multiple options for sweets after the meal—if a diner has room to eat more!  The ‘Smores Pot de Crème was a rich, sweet treat; however, Date Night was over-the-top delicious!  Date cake, date ice cream, caramel sauce, and toffee bits (ALL house made) are served in a bowl with a purple salt rim (the salt is tinted purple so it is easily seen and added to each delicious bite taken).   Truly a sensation for all of the senses, I enjoyed every last bite of this. 

Date Night and 'Smores Pot de Creme

Get a bit of salt with every delicious bite!

Chef Benjamin has done a perfect job of pairing an inviting ambiance with contemporary, excellent food.  Keeping the familiar name Tally’s and the familiar feeling of friendliness, Tally’s Silver Spoon is a must-stop for all Black Hills area foodies.  Ronald Reagan and the neon sign welcome all to the historic Duhamel Corner, no matter what time of day.  For breakfast, lunch, supper, dessert, or drinks, Tally’s definitely feels like the place where everyone knows your name. From the Le Cordon Blue culinary institute to Rapid City, Chef Benjamin Klinkel—who also owns the currently-being-remodeled Delmonico Grill—has made his name known for excellent food!