Downtown Rapid City Tally's and Delmonico Chef: 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.”

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 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.”