Let’s Get It Started—Press Start, Rapid City

           Tony DeMaro and company were on a mission:  a mission to create a total adult play land in Rapid City…a mission to put the final touches on projects started years ago...a mission to give the Black Hills the best entertainment.

First there was Murphy’s Pub and Grill, the cool, modern sports bar with forty beers on tap and contemporary pub-style food. 

            Next there was The Blind Lion, the ultra-hip speakeasy hidden below Murphy’s with frequent live music and delicious menu options to pair with the best, hand-crafted cocktails.

            Then there was Kol, the trendy eatery featuring the beautiful coal-fired oven that cooks up the tastiest tidbits to eat while sipping on beautiful concoctions from the bar.

            After this, there was Ignite, the Vegas-style night club that takes over after Kol closes, with pumping DJ beats and a VIP section for bottle service, all while watching acrobats swing from the ceiling.

Yet something was missing.

 

            Where was the casual spot to meet friends for a cheap beer?  The dive bar where everyone wants to hang out?  The one-of-a-kind place to impress friends with…great gaming skills?!

            Finally, all Tony’s bases are covered to provide any type of entertainment on Main Street, Rapid City.  Though it is the latest step in what many consider adult Disneyland, Press Start is definitely more of a beginning than an end.

            Press Start rocks a whole different vibe than Tony’s other establishments.  Saying it is a dive bar is actually quite a stretch.  True, what many consider “cheap” beers are on tap:  Schlitz, Hamm’s, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bud Light, and Old Milwaukee.  These beers are served in nothing other than red Solo cups.  However, the full bar also features a Boulevard beer, an O’Dell IPA, an oatmeal stout, and other quality selections. 

Beer + the red Solo cup = drink up!

            One reason to come to Press Start might be for the old-school beer selection, but the real motive is probably for a totally different reason—the arcade.  Yes, most customers come to get started on the plethora of vintage video games housed underneath Kol.  Over 50 arcade games from the 1980s and 1990s dot the colorful, Tetris-style floor.  Tony partnered with Marc Lynn, owner of nearly 200 retro games.  Marc wanted others to enjoy his games as much as he did, and partnering with Tony for Press Start was the venue to allow this to happen.

 

 

The "ladies" room door, bar decor, and Tetris floor.

            The games one might expect are there—Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, and Donkey Kong Jr.—but there are other unexpected options, too.  Tron and Dragon’s Lair are very rare selections; so rare, in fact, there are only 14 known Dragon’s Lair machines left in the world, making the one in Press Start very special.  There are also pinball machines, arcade shooters, and skee ball games…and the list goes on.

 

 

Vintage games galore!

Of course, patrons can play these games for personal satisfaction, but that is only half the fun.  Once a new high score is achieved on any game, the player gets a free drink.  If 50 tickets are earned on the shooting or skee ball games, a free drink is again awarded.  Most of these games still only cost a quarter, showing modern inflation who’s boss.  A few of the ticket games do cost two or three quarters, but even that is a steal of a deal in 2016!

Though I am by no means a gamer, one of my friends was back in his element.  He went straight to Q-bert to get in the video game groove.  Next, he moved on to Dig Dug as his senses became more accustomed to the dark room and bright lights.  Finally, he challenged himself with Frogger and had nearly reverted back to his college days of almost thirty years ago.  Then, as his video-game addiction nearly set in again, he remembered “having no girlfriends in college” (his quote, not mine) and stepped away from the machines just in time to go home to his beautiful wife.

Back to the glory days.

As for me, I went straight to Ms. Pac Man (females unite) to try my hand at this game for the first time ever.  (I know I mentioned I wasn’t a gamer, but did I mention my total lack of hand-eye coordination?) When I actually reached the second screen without losing all three of my lives, I felt as if I had conquered the world!  My coordination (or lack of) got the better of me on Dig Dug and Frogger, so I decided to make friends with some actual gamers.

Must. Document. Gaming.

Press Start has quite a following of regulars.  The two gentlemen I watched have had high scores (and won drinks) on multiple games.  Frogger and Pac Man are two of their favorites.  They see Press Start as a cool place to go with reasonably-priced drinks and entertainment.  They both love the ambiance that takes them back to a simpler time in their lives.  It’s fun and comfortable, lively but not obnoxious.  It is a way to play while still being social, qualities lost on today’s gamers glued to their iPhone or X-Boxes all alone at home. 

Gamers unite!

          Press Start is surely not the end of the ever-evolving entertainment provided by Tony DeMaro and his team.  They continue to prove they are no “one-trick pony” with each new business they open.  Murphy’s filled one niche, while The Blind Lion filled another.  Kol and Ignite definitely attracted additional patrons, but there was still a gap.   

          This gap has been filled.  Press Start has launched yet another revolution in downtown Rapid City entertainment…and it only takes a quarter to begin.            

           

Kul--Kol, Rapid City

Looking for a super kul establishment to feed the body and sooth the soul?  A place to have an awesome cocktail because you want to?  Or better yet, somewhere to have a fabulous dessert because you can? Kol, on the corner of Mount Rushmore and Main in Rapid City, is such a spot.

Almost two years and over a million dollars in the making, Kol is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant centered around its large and pricey coal-fired oven.  Owner Tony DeMaro (also of Murphy’s, just down the street) has thought of every detail in this new concept for the Black Hills.  From the open, modern space to the warm stone and wood accents, Kol has a wonderful ambiance.  It is just seriously so kul.  A kul place to eat.  A kul place to drink.  A kul place to hangout. 

Kul scenes of the interior of Kol--Rapid's newest restaurant.

Currently, the limited menu boasts one-of-a-kind pizzas made in the beautiful oven.  Other menu items, including appetizers and skewers, center on the idea of dichotomy, choosing between health-food choices that can “fuel the body” or comfort-food choices that can “sooth the soul.”  For instance, when ordering the chicken skewer, you can have it in the balsamic reduction sauce—healthy—or the mushroom cream sauce—comfort.  Then one of four different sides can be chosen.  (I ordered the chicken skewer in mushroom sauce with roasted potatoes and pearl onions—delicious!)  When selecting the shrimp appetizer, you can have the spicy chili sauce—healthy—or lemon, goat cheese stuffed and wrapped with prosciutto—comfort. 

Great food from Kol's coal-burning oven and unique menu.

Even though the menu currently offers fewer items due to the official opening, the food options could be almost endless.  These possibilities will continue to change as Chef Blake (also of Murphy’s) continues to expand the number of entrees until the full menu size is reached.  He will focus on increasing seafood options, including daily specials, and implementing an ever-evolving menu that will showcase his cooking talents and the coal oven’s capabilities. 

HOT!

Though the fare coming out of the huge, room-sized furnace is impressive, other delights are also available.  Salads, such as the apple and endive (apples, endive, pistachios, pistachio puree, feta, and apple vinaigrette), mix sweet and savory for the perfect taste.  Other salads include Beets by Blake, Fig in a Pear Tree, and Spin and Straw.  If none of these pique your interest, there are several soups as well.

Yummy salads.

Although these selections are amazing, make sure to save room for dessert!  Kol also has a very talented pastry chef creating a rotating dessert menu that must be tasted.  On this particular evening, the berry crisp and blood orange tart were both absolutely fantastic.  Though traditional crème brulee was also an option, I had to try the other creative sweet treats.

Delicious desserts.

Though I’ve talked all about Kol’s food choices, it is first and foremost a full-service bar with some of the kulest cocktails ever, in addition to whatever you might want to order.  The White Cosmo mixes elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and white cranberry juice over a stunning orchid flower ice ball.  The Bradshaw features passion fruit, tequila, and lemon juice in a beautiful Champagne flute.  Both of these looked delicious and amazing, making me wish I would have ordered a cocktail to be a kul kid instead of a glass of wine from the list.  My only recommendation of the entire evening actually dealt with wine--quality stemware was the one detail left for Kol to cover, and cover it they did.  Riedel glasses have since been added to the bar.

Kul cocktails.

Rapid City’s newest restaurant, Kol, is oh so very kul.  With an ultra-modern environment that mixes the best of the city and the hills, excellent food that all will find appealing, and drinks that will intrigue any imagination, Kol is the next must-see (and be seen) place to stop.  Go first because you have to. Next because you want to.  And again and again because you can. 

Ssshhhhhh...Blind Lion Speakeasy

Around the corner we looked, hoping not to be noticed.  We slipped into the back alley.  Luckily, no one was there.  My companions and I saw the door we needed.  We quickly slunk inside.  Down the long stairway we walked, a bit apprehensive about what we might find along the way.  Then we saw it:  the door.  It looked just like a safe, but we knew the “treasures” hidden behind were more than money.  After entering the code, the heavy door budged.  On the other side, the dark room invited us in further; however, first we had to pass yet another test with a secret phrase. 

Super secret entrance to the Blind Lion...shhhhhh!

Down the long stairway...

to find the door to the "safe."

The year was 1923, and prohibition was in full swing.  Because alcohol for commercial ventures was illegal, people like my group of the evening had to sneak around just to enjoy a cocktail.  Speakeasies were not uncommon, just difficult to find and dangerous to be caught frequenting.  We were on edge.

Wait!  The year was actually 2015, and my friend, her husband, my husband, and I had just passed through all the obstacles to get inside Rapid City’s Blind Lion, the only speakeasy in the Black Hills. 

The rules of the Blind Lion help you go back in time.

Though the reservation was made through text only and the entrance codes were sent this way as well, the confusion of the year can easily be explained after this initial modern interaction.  The rest of the event truly felt like being transported back in time.  The instant we stepped into the Blind Lion, we indeed could have been in 1923.  The servers were all dressed in period clothing.  The furniture was authentic.  Even the room, located in the basement of an old brick building (Murphy’s), was sound proof from the floors above.  We couldn’t hear the outside world, and the outside world could not hear us!

Everything felt like it was 1923!

Hidden away in the Blind Lion.

 Once seated, our group was offered “The Axe.”  Not to be worried; this was nothing scary.  It was what the Blind Lion called its cheese and charcuterie board.  There was also a limited but lovely looking menu for those interested in food, desserts included.  Our main interest, however, was the unique cocktail menu. 

Filled with distinctive options, the cocktails were the main reason to sneak around to this establishment.  Premium liquors, house-made ingredients, and hand-chipped ice were the basis for these drinks.  Though beer and wine options were available, as our server told us, the cocktails here should not be missed.

The drink I enjoyed was the Lavender Star:  vodka, fresh lime juice, lavender simple syrup, and Champagne.  Of course, I had to do the sparkling wine cocktail on the menu.  It only seemed right.  Light, refreshing, and flavorful, this was a great way to mix wine and liquor.  

The Lavender Star--Champagne cocktail.

My friend Amy ordered the Pear Side Car:  pear brandy, orange sour, and brown sugar syrup with a rock brown sugar rim.  Beautifully served in a martini glass, this was a drink worth trying.

The Pear Sidecar--pear brandy and rock brown sugar rim.

Amy’s other half Bryce ordered the Burnt Apple.  This absinthe-based cocktail packed a kick as it was mixed with apple whiskey, Licor 43, Peychaud’s Bitters, and cinnamon.  Though this was a very tasty concoction, the art of creating this drink made it even more special.  Behind the bar, the inside of the glass was coated with liquor and then set afire.  This fire was put out when the mixed drink from the shaker was poured into the martini glass and then topped with a round apple slice.

The Burnt Apple--work of art in the form of a cocktail.

Brian, my other half, ordered the most unique drink on the menu—the Smoking Barrel.  A special machine was used to smoke the customer’s choice of tobacco.  The smoke was pumped into a small carafe with the liquor of choice—in Brian’s case Pendelton Whiskey—then swirled with the smoke to infuse the alcohol.  This infused whiskey was then poured over a large ice ball in a cognac-style glass, which held the smoke on top of the liquor.  This was beautiful!

Making the Smoking Barrel.

Our cocktails were sipped in pure indulgence as we enjoyed the exclusive environment of the speakeasy (including a dress code that requests patrons to at least be in business casual attire).  Many other wonderful options of cocktails were on the menu.  We just couldn’t try them all in one night…and still make it up the stairs!  This just means that another visit to the Blind Lion must be in our near future.

We felt as if we needed to hide even as we sneaked out of the hidden bar to end the evening.  It wasn’t until we hit Main Street Rapid City to view modern vehicles and numerous people taking selfies on cell phones that we realized we had been transported back to the modern era.  Whether prohibition was really a simpler time—or it just felt that way to us that night—I’m sure could be argued.  However, the Blind Lion is a hidden gem.  People who enjoy a special ambiance and artful cocktails instead of a dirty bar and cheap beer will rave about this clandestine experience.   Don’t be apprehensive to feel as if you are breaking the law.  Sneak a peek soon!