6 minute read
The Quarantine Kitchen
title BY JIM MATHIS
Advertisement
So much has changed since the beginning of March 2020.
In fact, it’s hard to think of anything that hasn’t changed. We work differently, we play differently, and we certainly eat differently. As I write this in early May, some restaurants in Sioux Falls are reopening, but with restrictions in place. They must keep customers six feet apart; no more than fifty percent capacity. When I think about restrictions like that, I can’t imagine how some of my favorite restaurants will be able to survive. Keep customers six feet apart in Mama’s Phried & Phillys and you’ll only have three people in there at a time. The cozy Carpenter Bar will be nearly vacant once you spread people out. And while that scenario might work for larger restaurants, the business model may not work for some smaller places. Many restaurants are still reduced to take-out only or shuttered completely. I’m fearful that many smaller places won’t survive.
I really miss Saturday morning breakfasts at M.B. Haskett’s, teaming with regulars, sitting at the counter chatting with Mike and his crew. That experience was different that last time I was there in mid March just before he shut his doors. The place was at about half its normal capacity; Mike thanked the few of us there for coming out even as fear of the pandemic spread. The normal bustling vibe was gone. It felt as if we all knew something was coming, but we couldn’t predict the tremendous impact it would have on our lives.
Then everything changed.
414 E Juniper Ave • Mitchell, SD 866.996.5983 • 605.996.5983 • patzerwoodworking.com
Silver Linings
While most of the news since mid March has been pretty gloomy, I have seen a few trends and new developments I really appreciate and hope will stick around even after this pandemic over. For example, I really like the 20-Minute parking spaces for carry-out orders in front of Downtown eateries. This is a great idea that is long overdue; let’s hope the city leaves them in place permanently.
We’ve also seen businesses that have pivoted to help others during the crisis; like when yeast became hard to find at grocery stores, Queen City Bakery divided up their supply to sell small bags to home bakers. And Oh My Cupcakes! realized they had access to groceries and could offer them for sale to their customers. Now, beyond their normal sweet treats, the Cupcake Ninjas are selling boxes of fruit, veggies, milk, and eggs.
When Morrie’s Steakhouse opened a couple years back, they quickly built a reputation as THE place in Sioux Falls for a fine dining experience and world-class steaks. When they were forced to shut their doors for in-restaurant dining, they retooled and started selling steaks from Morrie’s Butcher Shop. In addition to a fair price for great quality meats, they include Morrie’s special seasoning and a tub of clarified butter to baste your steak at home. Count me as a fan. They pulled back on the Butcher Shop when the restaurant reopened, but hope to offer the service again soon. And Morrie’s (along with sister restaurants Minerva’s, Grille 26, and Turks & Caicos Cabana Grill) started offering family-style meals to-go. Morrie’s 50-Layer Lasagna is amazing, and what could be more comforting than Tater-Tot Hotdish from Turks? While I’m anxious for the chance to dine in again, I hope they keep some of these take-out options available even when their business is back to normal.
Overall, we’ve had some wonderful experiences with take-out from establishments not normally geared for that experience. K Restaurant served us great meals, delivered right to our car. Pair that with a quick stop at CH Patisserie on the way home for dessert, we had a fantastic Friday night meal cooked by extremely talents chefs, but served at home. It made for a very pleasant night in.
Many restaurants started selling their stock of wines at discount prices as well. We’ve found several nice bottles at reasonable prices
while waiting for our to-go orders. Nice to see the variety and pick up some wine without an extra stop. Speaking of wine and liquor, at least two great locally-owned liquor stores (JJ’s and Good Spirits) are now letting you order your wine and liquor over the phone, and they deliver it right to your car in the parking lot. I think this is indicative of how many local shops have responded by turning up the customer service to levels we never expected before.
We’ve also seen the Falls Park Farmers Market move to online ordering with drive-thru pickup on Saturday mornings. It’s proven to be a great way for people to get their produce directly from the growers, while staying safe and socially distanced. Now the regular market is open and spread out for social distancing and safety, but the online ordering continues. Again, I think it is a great idea born out of necessity, but one that should live on in the future.
I’ve begun to adapt to online grocery shopping from the megamart, but it’s not without its drawbacks. I often don’t get exactly what I want and on more than one occasion, I’ve gotten items I didn’t ask for. I love the process at the hardware store, but I’m not one hundred percent sold on the concept for groceries. I’ll keep trying, it could be I’m a little too picky for their process!
Even as places begin to reopen with restrictions, many people I talk to are still reluctant to go out. At least as I write this, my beloved and I are not ready to throw caution to the wind. Too much is still unknown, too many new cases every day and too many new hot spots are being announced. The city is still on edge, and a vote from the city council can’t ease those fears.
As things get back to normal (whatever that may look like), I hope we’ll hang on to some of the things we’ve discovered during the crisis. These acts of kindness that have come to the forefront emphasize the best in us, they show that even when we’re down, we keep trying to figure out how we can help each other. We’ve seen businesses struggle to stay afloat, even while they’re giving back. We’ve seen people giving when they have little to give. We’ve seen innovation when weaker might give up. We’ve seen Sioux Falls survive. And we will get through this together.
Do yourself a favor, eat something good today.
When he’s not exploring the Sioux Falls food scene, Jim runs ADwërks; an advertising and marketing communications agency in downtown Sioux Falls.
