Category: Beer & Food

Yeah, we don’t get out as much as we used to these days. Covid numbers keep climbing, and we’d like to think that we’re doing our part by keeping the outings a little fewer and farther between.

But sometimes you’re downtown and temptation takes over. So we stopped into Fernson for some of their pork-belly tacos and a pint or two of goodness. Just our luck, the tacos were sold out!

Not giving up on a good time, we ordered the lamb and beef chislic, one of their new fruit-punch Skip Day Seltzers and a Seed Series Smoothie Pale Ale. And that did the trick just fine.

We’ve sampled a lot of chislic over the years, but Fernson served up what’s probably the juiciest, most tender meat-bits that we’ve ever had on a skewer.

As for the drinks, the Seltzers will definitely keep your carb-free diet happy, but in a good way. The Seed Series Pale Ale was just right. Not overdone, just crisp and hoppy, perfect for a summer’s eve. We’d do it all over again…maybe tonight? Hit us up!

Much as we enjoy a lovingly-hopped craft brew paired with an inspired locally-sourced amuse-bouche…sometimes you just want a beer, at a bar. What kind of beer? What kind of bar? Who cares. Just a beer. At a bar. Done.

Now you can do both at the same time! You can impress your fancy-pants friends with a slice of local culture while, at the same time, simply kicking back and getting your suds on.

Fernson’s rolled a few kegs of a new collab down to the fine folks at The Crow Bar. What’s it called? That’s right: The Crow Beer.

What’s it like? They describe it as a “white-label lager” something “classic, malty, and smooth.” In other words, nothing special. But also, there’s nothing better to get you through a few more too-hot August nights.

Get on down and try it out before it taps out. It’s also a great excuse to take a look at the new remodeling job at The Crow Bar. They cleaned it up while keeping the vibe. In other words, it’s just like a tall draft of a local lager: Nothing fancy. Just kinda perfect.

Looks like The Market – a local favorite for the wine ‘n cheese crowd – is calling it quits, having dished up their last last locally-sourced seasonally-specific gourmet meal yesterday.

The owners are heading to a long-earned retirement after years of dedicated service. They were innovators around town, bringing up-market options to town before the foodie scene was much of a thing. They’ve had a few establishments, starting off with Food ‘n Fermentation in the space last occupied by Luciano’s on the north end of the Phillips strip. (It was at Food ‘n Fermentation that your correspondent made the fateful decision to relocate to town, encouraged by some belly-warming cabernet on a dreary winter’s day.)

You’ve got one last chance to stop by and offer thanks. Next week they’ll be having a clear-the-racks sale. Head over and bring home a few fancy bottles to put up for a special occasion…or just when you need something wonderful to lift your spirits on a cold winter’s eve.

So we heard a rumor that the best taco truck in Sioux Falls was hiding just past the city limits, sneaking around south of town, right off the 229 Tea exit. Could it be true? Was true taco bliss awaiting? Only one way to find out!

Armed only with this information — and not wanting to let Google ruin our adventure — we headed out last Friday for one of those “let’s-kick-off-the-weekend-early!” lunches.

With blood sugar running low, we pulled off the highway and found…nothing! We did some donuts in the now-empty fireworks parking lots, hunted around the gas stations, afraid we’d have to make do with roller-cooked hot dogs and 2-for-1 Twin Bings.

Ok, Google, you win.

A quick search on “Taqueria Tea South Dakota” pulled up Taqueria Suyapa a mile down the road at 46923 271st St. in front of a few car-sales establishments.

And wow! Was it great. The tortillas were the perfect balance of firm, soft, and chewy. The meats were deep with slow-cooked flavor. The side sauces (paired with the meats!) added a just the right extra zip for the heat lovers we brought along.

They’ve been at it for a few years now, and we can’t believe it’s taken this long hear about them. If you’re a Tea-area commuter, good chance you know exactly where they are. If you live up in the big city, it’s well worth the extra couple of miles to find the good stuff. Skip Qdoba. Pass on Pancheros. Don’t get caught at Taco John’s. Taqueria Suyapa is were it’s at.

Or maybe they should call ’em “Skip The White Claw” Seltzers?

Been to a backyard fire pit recently? No one seems to be immune to the new wave of canned beer-alternatives on the market. Especially in this day of socially-distanced, BYOB, outdoor gatherings. Somebody’s gonna bring along a little four-pack of cute cans to contrast with your sixer of PBR tall-boys.

And hey, why not? They taste pretty good!

Not to be left out, Fernson’s got a new thing on the market: Skip Day Hard Seltzers, currently in 3 fruity flavors. Order up some at the brewery or look for them around town.

Just the thing to sneak into your next Zoom conference call too. Not that we’d endorse such a thing, but let’s face it: the definition of a “skip day” keeps getting a little blurrier.