Elevate Magazine January 2023 -- Rapid City South Dakota

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RESTAURANT WEEK

January 2023 marks another celebration of Restaurant Week in downtown Rapid City. And we want to give you an excuse to put off your New Year's resolution just a bit longer. Unless, of course, you resolve to support local businesses more this year. In that case, this week is just for you.

We are fortunate to live where there is no shortage of opportunities to get out and be active. But for one week, you can take a break. Let's be honest. You won't remember those reps in the gym anyway.

But you will remember, should you choose to accept the mission of eating to your heart's content in downtown Rapid City, the time spent with family and friends over a great burger, some insane sweets, and a plate of hot tamales.

And if you still want the workout, head to Main Street Square and do some ice skating. Or hit the trails on a fat tire bike or snowshoes.

You may find you've worked up an appetite. And then…

I think you've got the drill. As Dory said in the movie Finding Nemo, just keep eating…

Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we go inside Restaurant Week to bring you up close and personal with some of the restaurateurs, chefs, and food creators in the best downtown in the state and region. We're cleaning our plates with stories about Mary's Mountain Cookies, Delmonico Grill, Tally's Silver Spoon, the Hotel Alex Johnson, and more. We're giving you the inside scoop on the week's history, the unique and affordable pricing details, what it all means, and how these restaurants put the "go" in gourmet.

So open the pages, relax, and let the words prime your taste buds for what's to come.

The gym will be there when you get back.

Stay safe, and God-speed.

Tom

Tom Johnson, President & CEO

Elevate is a monthly publication produced by Elevate Rapid City. It is the premier business magazine for the Black Hills region telling the stories that make our area unique and vibrant.

PO Box 747, Rapid City, SD 57709 605.343.1744 elevaterapidcity.com

PRESIDENT & CEO

Tom Johnson

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Shiloh Francis

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Lori Frederick

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & TALENT ATTRACTION DIRECTOR Samantha McGrath

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP DIRECTOR Mitch Nachtigall

INVESTOR ENGAGEMENT MANAGER Becky Knox

EVENTS & TRAINING MANAGER Rachel Nelson ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT & PROPERTY MANAGER Loni Reichert

PUBLIC POLICY MANAGER Garth Wadsworth

VISUAL CONTENT MANAGER Maggie Jean Wince

INVESTOR RELATIONS MANAGER Jason Wittenberg

OFFICE MANAGER & HR COORDINATOR Liz Highland

HOUSING COORDINATOR Laura Jones

WORKFORCE & SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR Reese Niu

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Ashley Simonson

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Maggie Jean Wince

PUBLISHED BY THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL Ben Rogers, President ben.rogers@lee.net

ADVERTISING

Kelly Kanaan 605.394.8472 Jaimie Mohler 605.8302326 Tom Eltgroth 320-583-284

HAPPENINGS AROUND THE REGION

JANUARY 6

RAPID CITY RUSH, NUGGET'S BIRTHDAY

We're celebrating everyone's favorite donkey on January 6th with Nugget's Birthday, presented by Fleet Farm! Mascots from organizations and businesses around the Black Hills will join in the festivities!

themonument.evenue. net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ SEGetEventInfo

JANUARY 7

46TH ANNUAL BRIDAL SHOWCASE

The 2023 Bridal Showcase in Rapid City gives brides-tobe and grooms the opportunity to meet the professionals who help make their event memorable. This annual event features photographers, florists, DJs, hotel and reception facility coordinators, jewelry professionals, wedding planners and officiants, beauty and makeup experts, and more. blackhillsbride.com/events

JANUARY 14

CHINOOK DAYS WINTER CARNIVAL

A community wide winter festival celebrating the world record temperature change in Spearfish, SD. On 1/22/1943 the temperature rose 49 degrees in 2 minutes. chinookdays.com/

JANUARY

JANUARY 28

ALL-ABILITY SKATE DAY

28

OGLALA LAKOTA ART SHOW RECEPTION

Oglala Lakota College Art Show, an exhibition of works by current and former Oglala Lakota College students and faculty as well as archives from the OLC collections. thedahl.org/current.html

Join the Disability Awareness & Accessibility Committee and Main Street Square on January 28th for All-Ability Skate Day! We will celebrate with free skating from 12:00pm-4:00pm for the collaboration event.

JAN 27 - FEB 4

BLACK HILLS STOCK SHOW & RODEO

Our little Midwestern City becomes a slice of the Old West when cowboys and ranchers come to town to compete in ten different breeds of cattle shows, ranch rodeos and 14 different horse events. There is something for everyone, including concerts, and beer festival.

blackhillsstockshow.com/

MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH COOKIES

It was a Friday night in Platte, South Dakota. Rob and Julie Mahaffey sat watching their son’s baseball game when Rob turned and told Julie he hated his job. “It was the moment

I knew we needed a change,” said Julie. “We had been caught in the rat race of life, chasing dollars because that’s what we thought we were supposed to do,” Rob added.

30 minutes later, Rob made a phone call that would change their lives forever.

For years, Rob and Julie had both been working for Cenex Harvest Systems. “Rob was able to move

up quickly…each job was more money,” Julie said. “The people at CHS accepted us, they treated us better than family, and we loved it.” The family was living in Goodland, Kansas and their oldest son, Charlie, was on track to play baseball at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs when a life-altering moment put what was most important into perspective for the family.

“Our son was playing an intramural soccer game and got kicked in the face,” Julie recalled. “Thankfully, we were three hours away so we could get there quickly, but it was

STORY BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY PHOTOS BY VISIT RAPID CITY

devastating for him.” Following the accident he was medically honorably discharged and moved home, reuniting the family. Soon after the family was in Wray, Colorado and Charlie was attending CSU in Ft. Collins. They would get together at a little cookie store, Mary’s Mountain Cookies. “There was never any parking; it was a small store, but it was where we got to sit together as a family and have some quality time,” Rob recalled. “We would sit outside at one of their little tables and talk. It was great,” he added.

Years later, those memories at the cookie store are what stood out in Rob’s mind that night at the baseball field. The phone call he made was to Mary, to see if they could own one of the cookie stores they loved so much.

Soon after, Mary flew to Rapid City to meet the Mahaffey family

to discuss their idea and look at properties. They were about to leave town, failing to find a building in downtown Rapid City, when Julie saw a sign.

“We were getting ready to leave when I saw a for lease sign hanging in the window,” Julie recalled. “We looked at it, and I remember Mary telling me, ‘Close your eyes and sit there with the lights off. Then ask yourself, can you imagine spending 15-16 hours in this space? Because that is what opening a business will require,’” she added. “The space needed some work, but we knew we were going to make it happen,” Rob said.

Four years later, the Mahaffey family and Mary’s Mountain Cookies have become a staple in downtown Rapid City. Like all entrepreneurial journeys, it has not come without some hurdles. “The first two

years were hell, but we knew that going in,” Rob described. “Our careers prior were not fun, we were going to have to suffer to make it, but we are better people and business owners for fighting through it.”

“We will never go back to chasing the dollar,” he added. “Even if we won the lotto, we would buy more small businesses.”

For Julie, it’s about even more. “We love being connected to the community in Rapid City, the community has embraced us, and we want to make sure we give back. We have made so many connections with people coming in to buy cookies. We end up talking for hours about life; it’s the craziest thing.”

Those connections that drive the Mahaffey family are what make them unique. They open their store to anyone from any background without judgment and embrace the culture that downtown Rapid City offers. “We’re all people, and we must be willing to embrace everyone,” Julie said. “We try to create an environment that is genuine; it brings people in and brings people back. It’s a community.”

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

• The Mahaffey family gives annually to the Children’s Miracle Network. They saw firsthand how much work the organization does when their youngest daughter Claire was born at 26 weeks and spent 74 days in the NICU.

• Both Rob & Julie worked for a period in Law Enforcement before going into the Ag business.

• Mary’s Mountain provides a handful of base recipes, but the rest of the unique cookies and treats come from Rob & Julie themselves.

• The Mahaffey family are avid outdoors enthusiasts. They vacationed in the Black Hills before they moved to Rapid City in 2018.

STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI PHOTOS BY SHILOH

From Home

Jaime Hernandez shares the flavors of Mexico with Que Pasa guests

As a young child growing up in Michoácan, Mexico, Jamie Hernandez closely watched his mother mix ingredients to create flavorful, colorful and delicious dishes.

From tasty soups to every egg recipe imaginable, Jaime etched into memory the exact steps his mother took to make each dish.

“I was really nosy. Whenever my mother was cooking, I really paid attention and asked questions.”

Being a keen observer paid off.

Jamie carried those childhood memories and flavors with him as he moved from Mexico to the United States at the age of 18. Looking for new experiences and better opportunities, Jaime first settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where he met a cook, also from Mexico, that mentored him for the next several years. The two worked together at a local Mexican restaurant where Jaime started off as a dishwasher moving his way up and learning every aspect of the kitchen.

When his friend decided to move to South Dakota, Jaime followed.

He has been in Rapid for more than a decade now working most of those years at Que Pasa, a downtown Mexican restaurant. He has honed his skills in the kitchen and now creates his own flavorful dishes using what he learned from watching his mother for so many years.

“You can really use the flavors of the food to bring you good memories,” he said.

Que Pasa Manager Jade Johnson said Jaime has been an invaluable part of the team helping to mentor other kitchen staff and maintaining calmness in the fast-paced environment.

“I like the pressure in the kitchen,” Jaime said. “The more pressure the better I get.”

Both Jade and Jaime said there will be new and exciting additions coming in 2023 including fun Restaurant Week offerings. Jaime worked closely with Jade in creating the menu that combines modern Mexican cuisine with the authentic flavors of Jaime’s home country. He is excited to share the meals with everyone.

Jaime is a firm believer in a work/life balance. When cooking at Que Pasa, he is focused on creating the best dishes possible, but when not working he is spending quality time creating memories with his wife Shanell, whom he married at Que Pasa, and his two children Xaui Liam, 2, and Melai Portillo, 11.

502 Main St.

HOLE MOLE $72

Two drinks, choice of any specialty margarita or draft beer.

Choice of one appetizer

Two entrees, tender chicken breast or our house blend of vegetables smothered in a rich mole poblano sauce served with white rice and a side of elote, grilled corn drizzled in a creamy chili garlic sauce, sprinkled with chili salt and queso fresco cheese.

Choice of one dessert

TAMALES FOR TWO $43

Two drinks, choice of any specialty margarita or draft beer.

Two tamale plates. Choice of chicken, pork or a chili and cheese tamale served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and sweet corn cake. Served with choice of red enchilada, verde tomatillo or white queso sauce on the side.

Choice of one dessert

CANTINA COMBO $20.10

Choice of a house margarita or draft beer.

One pork tamale and one shredded chicken enchilada served with Mexican rice and refried beans smothers in choice of red enchilada, verde tomatillo, or white queso sauces and topped with lime crema sauce and cheese.

APERITIVOS $6.05

1. Queso Fundido – Bubbling cheese dip with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and seasonings served with house-made tortilla chips.

2. Elote – Three Mexican-style grilled street corn drizzled in a creamy chili garlic sauce, sprinkled with chili salt and queso fresco cheese.

New job, new retirement account options

Changing jobs? Consider these 401(k) options:

• Leave the money in your previous employer ’s plan

• Move it to your new employer ’s plan

• Roll it over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

• Cash out the account subjec t to early withdrawal penalties

We can talk through your financial goals and find the option that works best for you.

RESTAURANT WEEK IS BACK!

…and now there are even more opportunities to support downtown businesses.

The sizzle of the grill. Being greeted by the intoxicating essence from the kitchen. Divine presentations on every ceramic canvas. And tantalizing flavors in every mouthwatering bite.

For one week each year, the spotlight is on downtown as every savory sense gets treated to luxury. That time is none other than Restaurant Week in Downtown Rapid City.

Back for its 8th year, Restaurant Week will be January 13 through 22 – and this year, it will be bigger than ever.

Participation in the past required restaurants to create a 3-course meal for $35 – often comprised of an appetizer, entrée, and a dessert. This year, organizers have created new challenges. The hope is that more businesses and customers will be able to participate with more options and price points.

There will now be options of menu items at these Rapid City, South Dakota-inspired options: $6.05 – South Dakota area code 605 $20.10 – the year Main Street Square was built (2010) $43 – the number of presidential statues in downtown Rapid City $72 – to commemorate the 1972 flood in Rapid City

These price changes not only allow more customers to afford to experience restaurant week, but also broaden the opportunity for more businesses to compete. Now, downtown coffee shops, whiskey bars, and breweries can compete and serve customers with a $6.05 special, for example.

Every day is a great day to eat, shop, and support local businesses. Take advantage of Restaurant Week to see what these passionate chefs and entrepreneurs can do!

Creating a Culture of Cuisine

STORY BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY PHOTOS BY VISIT RAPID CITY

Following his high school graduation, Benjamin Klinkel was on a journey of self-discovery. He was moving city to city throughout the western United States trying to figure out what to do. He loved the outdoors and cooking, and sought opportunities to do both. “I was living the snowboard lifestyle, it was fun,” he said, of his time in Whitefish, Montana. “I would snowboard until I went to work cooking at night and then wake up and go snowboarding again.” Eventually he found himself Newport Beach California as a driver for a business tycoon. “He asked me one day what I wanted to do, and I told him surf and cook. He bought me a surfboard and a wet suit, and I became his personal chef, it was great.”

Delmonico Grill 609 Main St

Tally's Silver Spoon 530 6th St

But as a self-proclaimed momma’s boy, Benjamin missed his family and found his way back home to Rapid City. A few twists and turns later, Benjamin’s genius in the kitchen has become an anchor for Rapid City’s culinary culture.

Benjamin’s story in the kitchen first began when he was only eight years old. While living in Casper, Wyoming he would spend summers working in his grandparents’ restaurant the Shamrock Café in Pluma, just outside of Deadwood, South Dakota. Like most people in the industry, he got his start washing dishes. “I was used to washing dishes for my grandparents. When I was 14, my grandparents sold their restaurant, and I began washing dishes back home at a restaurant in Casper. One day a cook didn’t show up and from that day I started cooking,” Benjamin recalled.

Following the 9/11 attacks, Benjamin made up his mind that he was going to be a Navy Seal. “I sold my belongings and subleased my apartment and was prepared to be a U.S. Navy Aircrewman and a rescue swimmer.” Unfortunately, that plan was no longer an option. “I got a call right before I was ready to leave for training, I couldn’t go, I had a

warrant from a ticket I paid a day late for my dogs being off their leashes. I was devastated, what was I supposed to do? I had already sold everything.”

Going back to his first passion, Benjamin enrolled in culinary school in Portland Oregon, learning from world-renowned chef, Sir Phillipe Boulot. “It was wild,” Benjamin recalled. “Phillipe was knighted that year when I was with him and made the Ambassador of France food in the Pacific Northwest. It was great being with him. He sent me to France and introduced me to Anthony Bordain. He opened doors for me,” he added. “I worked around Europe for a few years training under different chefs in restaurants with a lot of Michelin Stars, but I had to go back home because I was broke.”

Back at home, Benjamin worked at several Rapid City restaurants including Botticelli’s and Enigma in downtown Rapid City, but it was Enigma that really gave Benjamin’s creativity a chance to shine. “I was able to add my own spin on things and I began to get a following [at Enigma]. So much that I was doing private dinners for a local dentist,” Benjamin said. “My grandfather had moved to Rapid City at that same time and Tally’s was for sale. He believed in my

“WE WANT TO CREATE A FOOD CULTURE HERE IN RAPID CITY, ALL OF THE THINGS WE DO AS A TEAM ARE TRYING TO BUILD THAT CULTURE, NOT JUST FOR THE VISITORS COMING HERE BUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.”

BENJAMIN KLINKEL

“B

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for more i nformation.

skills and what I was doing and he helped me purchase Tally’s under one condition: my mother had to look after the books until I paid him back…

“This was my shot.”

The purchase and subsequent renovation of Tally’s was part of the renaissance that was happening downtown. Main Street Square was coming, and the community was investing more into downtown, allowing it to see its potential. One additional move was in the cards for Klinkel as well. “The owner of Delmonico was taking on a new adventure and put it up for sale. Some people took interest in what we were doing at Tally’s and helped us take a great restaurant and make it better,” he explained. “We renovated the restaurant and built on a good base that Pete had created.

We started introducing salads and veggies on the grill.”

Success does come at a cost and Benjamin was not immune. “You have to learn from your experiences, I was feeling pretty indestructible, a little too proud,” stated Klinkel. With the success of Tally’s and Delmonico Grill under his belt, he was ready to take on a third venture. Klinkeltown burger shop had opened in what is now the Who’s Toy House at Main Street Square but was difficult to make successful. “The lesson I learned in that moment was not to think so highly of yourself that the three people who tried it before me didn’t know what they were doing, it was a hard lesson to learn but a good one.”

Klinkel has taken the lessons he has learned and combined those with his culinary skills to embark on

additional restaurant adventures in the region. Most recently, Klinkel purchased the Gaslight in Rockerville. Klinkeltown may not have worked in its first location, he has not given up on the concept and plans to bring Klinkeltown back to downtown. “Tally’s will be an anchor in the new Block 5 project and we will be bringing Klinkeltown back where the current Tally’s lives. We will also be opening the Pack Mule which will be a grocery store and liquor store in the Elements building that is opening in the spring. We will be able to offer everything the residents and community at-large need to cook a meal, including the kitchen equipment,” Klinkel described. In December 2022, Klinkel also purchased Dakota Seafood to further his culinary creativity at the number of restaurants he owns.

Ben credits his two biggest local influences locally as Jill Maguire and MJ Adams. Both owned restaurants in Rapid City and Ben credits them for laying the groundwork for people like himself to express themselves through food. “These ladies kicked in the door on higher quality food and service at a higher price and reasonable portions.”

What makes Benjamin so passionate about the projects he is doing in Rapid City? “We want to create a food and wine culture here in Rapid City, all of the things we do as a team are trying to build that culture, not just for the visitors coming, but for our community.”

Network with your fellow Elevate investors/ members on this informative all-day trip to South Dakota's State Capitol! You'll have the opportunity to visit with your elected officials, listen in on committee discussions and the afternoon session.

We want to have a great showing from the best city in South Dakota (yes, we might be a little bias!). You can ride the bus with other members or meet us in Pierre. Register today to be a part of the Rapid City area delegation.

Congratulations to BHSU on the completion of the new EY Berry Library and Thank You for putting your trust in us as your construction partner!

CATERING BY THE ALEX

STORY BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY PHOTOS BY VISIT RAPID CITY

Carrie Cisle and Chris Stamp come from two very different backgrounds. After joining forces in 2014, they have used their experiences to craft menus and create remarkable food for Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex Skybar at Rapid City’s iconic Hotel Alex Johnson.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Carrie Cisle relocated to Rapid City in 1993 to be closer to family. After a short career in the tech industry and part owner of the Tip Top

Motel in Downtown Rapid City, Carrie found herself at the Canyon Lake Chophouse (now Canyon Lake Resort), where she worked as the Sales, Restaurant, and Kitchen Manger. Over time she found her passion in catering, which was a perfect fit for The Chophouse. “We had so many great events for the community; we watched people grow up,” Carrie reflected. “We did their 16th birthday, their graduation, their wedding, and their baby shower. We were part of the community in so many ways.”

523 6 th S t

Looking back there are two events that stand out the most for Carrie so far in her career. She and her staff were contracted with the US Forest Service to feed hundreds of firefighters during regional forest fires. And in 2021, she was able to cater an event called Under Canvas at Mt. Rushmore. This was a highend “glamping” event outside of Keystone. Carrie got to execute a large-scale catering event several miles from her home base at the Hotel Alex Johnson, but it was a perfect marriage with her culinary companion, Chef Chris Stamp.

Chris Stamp grew up working in his family’s Italian restaurant in the southside of Chicago. Like most cooks, he got his start in the kitchen doing dishes and worked his way to line cook at 15. When Chris and some members of his family began finding trouble in the Chicago streets, he felt it was best to move to a quieter area closer to extended family. “My grandfather retired from the military here in Rapid City, and I was taking care of my brothers and sisters…we needed to get out of the cities,” Stamp explained. “I had gone

to culinary school in Minneapolis. When I got back to Chicago, I got caught up in that kitchen lifestyle, and I had to make a change,” he added.

That change led Chris to bounce around kitchens in the Rapid City area and even a stint in Montana before leaving the kitchen to help his father-in-law with his painting business.

It was one phone call that changed Chris’ mind about cooking.

“The general manager of Hotel Alex Johnson at the time called and asked if I wanted to come to AJ’s and help revive the food and beverage here,” Stamp explained. Not long after, he accepted. “I started as the sous chef working with Carrie to elevate the menu and food experience at AJ’s.”

When asked what their first thoughts of working together with such a tall task in front of them, Chris’s response was simple: “When I first met Carrie, I made her some food and she told me that it was good, but she wasn’t going to put up with any […],” laughed Stamp. Carrie added, “I had been burned by chefs

“WE HAD SO MANY GREAT EVENTS, FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE WATCHED PEOPLE GROW UP. WE DID THEIR 16TH BIRTHDAY, THEIR GRADUATION, THEIR WEDDING, AND BABY SHOWER. WE WERE PART OF THE COMMUNITY IN SO MANY WAYS.”

CARRIE CISLE

previously, but Chris is different, he is a people person and a people pleaser, he is not your typical chef so he’s easy to work with.”

This partnership has turned the food around at both Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex.

Carrie’s expertise in catering allows the food from Chef Chris to make it to the tenth floor of the Alex Johnson. “There are so many aspects from the catering world that apply here at AJ’s. Our kitchen is on the second floor, and we have to make sure that food makes it up 8 floors to the Vertex and still be hot and presentable,” Carrie explained. “I’m passionate about my food, and Carrie and I make a good team because my ideas play out on a plate, and we are able to give people a good experience despite

some logistical hurdles,” added Stamp. With additional upgrades coming to the Alex Johnson, including a kitchen on the 10th floor, the creations from Carrie and Chris should become easier to execute moving forward. There is also an additional elevator being added to better help the culinary experience at the hotel for room service and execution at Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex Sky Bar. The dynamic duo of Carrie and Chris have participated in 7 restaurant weeks and will continue to come up with great food as long as they remain a team.

Advancing the frontier of innovation

ADVOCACY

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MILITARY

Grand opening of Liberty Center

Helped host the air show – drew over 60,000 spectators to the region

Construction of the first 30+ projects for B-21 preparation began at Ellsworth Air Force Base

Ser ving our Community for over 85 years!