MINERVAS NAMED RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Downtown Sioux Falls icon Minervas has been selected as the South Dakota Retailers Association’s Restaurant of the Year. Presented annually, the award recognizes a restaurant with a reputation of excellence in food, service, and atmosphere.

Standing on the corner of Phillips Avenue and 11th Street in Downtown Sioux Falls, Minervas has been a community staple since 1977, when it was first opened as a creperie.

Speaking on its historic prominence, co-owner Ken Bashore said “We’ve brought people together in Minervas, whether it’s for a show at Washington Pavilion, a business lunch, anniversaries, proposals. It’s just been a part of Sioux Falls for a really long time – and the region, really.”

Today the restaurant is known for its diverse and delicious selection of food, warm and inviting atmosphere, and outstanding hospitality.

Co-owner Timothy Meagher says their success falls on asking themselves one question. “We might not have the best steak and we might not have the best food every time, but how can we connect with you on a level that makes you feel special?”

“Minervas is deeply rooted in the culture of the Sioux Falls region,” said Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “It’s just a great restaurant and we’re pleased to honor their years of passion and expertise.”

The South Dakota Retailers Association Retailer of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and Community Service awards will be presented at the association’s annual meeting and awards reception at 4:30pm on January 9, 2023, at the Ramkota Convention Center in Pierre. To RSVP for the reception and support award winners, visit www.sdra.org/annual-meeting.

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The South Dakota Retailers Association is one of the nation’s oldest and largest trade organizations, operating as the South Dakota Restaurant, Grocers, and Hospitality associations and representing more than 4,000 businesses. Learn more about SDRA’s support for South Dakota’s business community online at sdra.org or find us on Facebook.

It’s Finally Here: The return of Minervas’ Salad Bar

The wait is over, the freshest ingredients are here, and the next time you visit Minervas downtown, the salad bar will be ready for you.

“We couldn’t be happier that we now can tell guests the answer they want to hear to the question we are asked daily: You can order the salad bar again,” said Tim Meagher, chief operating officer of Vanguard Hospitality.

“There’s such a story behind what we’ve created that we’ll be continuing to tell it in the weeks and months ahead.”

But the bottom line is this: Minervas reimagined many elements of the salad bar experience while keeping your favorite things about it.

What that means

You’ll still be able to enjoy your tomato zucchini soup every day, plus others featured daily, but it will be brought to your table so there’s no juggling on your walk back.

Your favorite chef-prepared salads will still be there – Cajun chicken penne and broccoli balsamic aren’t going anywhere – but other new ones are debuting, and they’re fantastic.

Salads will rotate, too, allowing you even more selections throughout the week.

The classic Minervas cheese spread will be waiting with a beautifully curated deli selection.

“And that’s just the start,” Meagher said. “We literally went item by item in evaluating and selecting everything you’ll discover here.”

What else is new

The enhanced salad bar puts a huge emphasis on local partnerships. Area producers featured include Breadsmith, Dakota Fresh Food Hub, Fruit of the Coop and Morgan Ranch.

“This means not only are we supporting local food in a powerful new way, but our salad bar selections will continually be evolving, and our ingredients will be the freshest available,” Meagher said.

What else you need to know

The salad bar will be available at lunch and dinner, and the increased selection means Minervas hopes you’ll choose it as your entree at either meal.

“This absolutely is a meal in itself,” Meagher said. “There’s so much you can create here, from your own charcuterie off the deli selection, to a custom green salad with the freshest ingredients, to a smorgasbord of all of it.”

You’ll be provided a pair of gloves before going through the salad bar, and Minervas requests that you wear a face covering while doing so.

“These times won’t last forever, but we discontinued the salad bar because of the pandemic, so to bring it back responsibly during a pandemic, we need to make these adjustments,” Meagher said. “Our guests have been extremely understanding and courteous for months, so we anticipate they will be here too.”

Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille Closes

Upscale sports bar co-owned by former NBA player and South Dakota native Mike Miller Let it Fly will be taking over the Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille space at The Bridges at 57th Street and Western Avenue.

Let it Fly approached Sioux Falls-based Vanguard Hospitality about taking over the space, Vanguard chief operating officer Tim Meagher said in a statement.

Turks & Caicos opened in the spring of 2018.

“After considering the opportunity, we decided to allow Let it Fly to bring the space into its next generation,” Meagher said. “We wish them all the best as they come into Sioux Falls and want to thank our guests for their tremendous support of Turks & Caicos over the last three years.”

“We’ll be leaving the property but taking the name and brand with us and are open to a new location in the future,” he said. “Guests absolutely have shown us they love the resort-like, getaway experience we created with Turks & Caicos, and we would like to recreate that elsewhere. We also know our guests’ favorite menu items well, so watch for those to surface in various ways in the months ahead.”

LEARN MORE

Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille Now Open

Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille was founded in 2018 by Vanguard Hospitality.

The award-winning Sioux Falls restauranteurs set out to create a dining experience like no other, offering a classy coastal ambience and a chef-driven menu of island-inspired cuisine.

Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille offers a lunch and dinner menu daily.

Named for the island nation known for producing the best rum in the world, our cocktails will quickly become your new favorites.

Relax in our beautifully designed dining room, have a casual meal in our lounge, or enjoy our spacious patio every day that the weather allows.

Vanguard Hospitality also is the proud owner-operator of Grille 26, Minervas in downtown Sioux Falls and Morrie's Steakhouse.

You can make call for reservations or make them online at cabanagrille.net.

Sensational Spring Features at Grille 26 by Minervas

Get the ‘dish’ on new Grille 26 features

They’re fresh, fun and just in time for spring. Join Chef Patrick in the kitchen and take a look at the new features from Grille 26.

Check out our youtube channel for a taste of Spring Grille 26 style!

The Making of Morrie's Construction Phase

We are under construction at Morrie’s Steakhouse. Since closing Jan. 1, we’ve been working hard to meet our 10-day deadline.
 
That means new wall coverings, décor and more have to be installed.
 
Come with us in this next installment of “The Making of Morrie’s” for a look inside at what we’ve been doing.

The Making of Morrie's Steakhouse Construction.

Morrie's Signature Items

Since we took you behind the scenes of a menu tasting for Morrie’s Steakhouse, we’ve been perfecting the items and deciding which make the cut to land a spot on our final menu.
 
In this installment of “The Making of Morrie’s,” we’ll show you some of our favorites and update you on where we’re at with transforming our restaurant.
 
View the Making of Morrie's Menu Finals video here.