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perfection – salty, briny, sweet, and fresh. If this salad was available in Sioux Falls, I would make a point of ordering it often. Curiously, when I ordered the Chop Chop at the RedRossa in Sioux Falls, it was a completely different salad – romaine lettuce topped with salami, chicken, sliced Roma tomato, chickpeas, strips of smoked mozzarella, bits of Parmesan, and a very light balsamic vinaigrette. Although this was a good salad, too, the one in Pierre was vastly better. And even though the ingredients are clearly listed, having two completely different salads with the same name by the same company in the same state is pretty confusing, and I imagine frustrating for some diners. The Sausage Bella was another bit of flavor balancing mastery. Atop a perfectly crispy, blister-edged crust was a layer of Alfredo sauce so subtle that all I really tasted of it was an undertone of rich garlickiness, mozzarella, finely-crumbled Italian sausage, portabella mushrooms, artichokes, and Gorgonzola. The artichokes and mushrooms were sliced paper-thin, the sausage was just a little spicy, and the Gorgonzola was used with restraint. When I ordered the Sausage Bella in Sioux Falls, I was delighted to find that it was comprised of all the same ingredients. However, the center of the pizza was almost too soggy to eat. My guess was artichokes or mushrooms giving off water. Additionally, the Gorgonzola was administered with a much heavier hand. The fast-casual versus full-service dining concept is not the only difference between the Sioux Falls RedRossa and the Perre location. With a larger space, apparently, comes a larger menu. Our pasta dish, the Red Pepper Chicken Tortellini, is not available in Sioux Falls. However, I am glad we ordered it during our visit to the capital. The tortellini were just on the soft side of al dente, coated in It’s the facts... a creamy, although not heavy, red pepper pesto sauce, topped • RedRossa has four with roasted red peppers, locations – Pierre, Sioux mushrooms, grilled chicken, Falls, Bloomington, Minn., peppery herbal greens, and and Clive, Iowa. All shaved Parmesan. The chicken four full menus can be had a nice char on it, but was accessed online. just a touch on the dry side. • Catch live music at the Cutting it small and dipping Pierre location every it in the rich, flavorful sauce nearly made that a non-issue. Wednesday 6-9 p.m. Bottom line: If you have only been to the RedRossa in Sioux Falls, expect a wholly different experience in Pierre. Also, for the price ($8 salad, $10 pizza, and $15 pasta), we were very impressed by the quality and portions at the Pierre location.
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All of the pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven.
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RedRossa has happy hour twice a day: 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. - close.
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