On the Menu

J u n i p e

On the Menu

WRITTEN BY ALANA SNYDER + PHOTOS BY SARAH GRASSEL

“We think that Juniper is a ‘neighborhood’ restaurant, or that we feel like if you know us, you are family,” said Alexis Sullivan, co-owner and manager of Juniper in Rapid City.

The “elevated comfort food” restaurant made the move from Sheridan Lake Road to Canal Street in the Landstrom’s Original Gold Creations building in 2020 a few years after purchasing the company from Pete Franklin.

“Matthew worked under Pete at Delmonico Grill and followed him to Juniper,” recalled Alexis. “Pete was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2015, and Matthew and I talked with Pete and decided to buy the business from him in February 2016.”

Deciding to move in the fall of 2018, the build took longer than expected, and the opening happened in March 2020 when the pandemic shut down eateries and other businesses worldwide.

“We, like everyone else, learned how to adapt to the ever-changing time,” said Alexis. “We developed a three-course menu for take-out that we still have today. Our new location has helped us grow and encourages us to grow, too.”

rTHE HOLIDAY ISSUE november 2022

While the new location isn’t as much as a “neighborhood restaurant” nowadays, the couple says they strive to give that same friendly vibe.

“Our atmosphere is very homey, and we want you to feel like you can sit and enjoy yourself without worrying about a time constraint,” said Alexis.

The new space allows Juniper to have more tables, which can welcome more guests for the Sullivan’s specialized menus. One of the most popular menu items is the Autumn Apple Salad with chopped romaine dried cranberries, smoked bacon, feta, toasted pecans, sweet poppy seed vinaigrette, and is garnished with apple and pear slices. Others include the French Onion Soup, Mushroom Ragu (BH Lion's Mane, grey and pink oyster mushrooms with baby portabellas, sweet bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash over creamy polenta with Manchego cheese finish), and the Petite Filet (yukon gold mashed potatoes, thymeroasted carrots, blackberry gastrique, and garlic parsley compound butter).

Menu items change every three weeks, so Alexis says people come back often to try new things. It’s also for that reason that she says it’s hard to choose her personal favorites.

“It’s hard to pick since the menu changes frequently. It's so fun to try all the different options and fall in love with one, then have something the next day and fall in love with it too,” said Alexis. “But if I was forced to pick, I would say it is the Petite Filet. I love the mix of sweet and savory.”

Luckily for her and others, the filet is a staple on the menu and will always be available.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY DESTINATION, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN WATERTOWN.

Kick-off the holiday season by checking out the 26th annual Holiday Lighted Parade the Friday after Thanksgiving and sticking around for a weekend full of shopping, good local cuisine, and a drive through the Optimist Club Winter Wonderland.

Other holiday activities this year include breakfast with Santa at the Bramble Park Zoo, Christmas at the Terry Redlin Art Center featuring the Holy Rocka Rollaz, Cloverton Christmas, and The Nutcracker Ballet at the Goss Opera House.

With all the happenings this holiday season you won't want to miss out. Start planning your trip today!

ALEXIS SULLIVAN

“We strive to have a family-like environment for our staff. We encourage them to have fun and try something new.”

The team at Juniper says they strive to make everything from scratch and source as many local ingredients as they can.

“Our chefs Jason Sprague and Preston Pearson come in each day around noon to start prepping,” said Alexis. “We make everything to order and focus on whole ingredients and keep dietary restrictions in mind as well. Our proteins are cooked either in cast iron or on a charbroiler.”

Juniper sources mushrooms from Black Hills Mushrooms, and other ingredients have come from Homegrown Pork and Poultry, Whey Back Farms, Elk Creek Foods, and Owl Creek Organics & Natural Products.

“We just started working with two local beef providers for this upcoming spring season,” said Alexis. “Our micro greens come from Sarah Bloniak at A Mother’s Heart Microgreens. We use Dakota Seafood for our fish options, and Prairie Harvest and Wild Idea Buffalo for our unique meat options.”

The Sullivans describe their dishes as “New American,” and that the everchanging menu always goes with the season.