Restaurant Roundup: Downsizing, fighting food insecurity, November specials

At the end of the year, Pizza Cheeks is closing its original location. The pizzeria began operating in the evening out of downtown’s The Hello Hi five years ago, selling pizza by the slice and whole pies. Earlier this year, Pizza Cheeks opened a full-service restaurant with an expanded menu at 26th and Minnesota and switched to selling slices only in the cocktail lounge. As of Nov. 1, it has reduced service there to only Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. until sold out. That schedule will continue through December.

Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen in the Jones421 Building is downsizing and looking for someone to sublease its bar area. The space is in a suite across the hallway from the restaurant.

A couple of restaurants are helping raise money and collect food to help those facing food insecurity.

• The Cattitude Cafe: Bring in a nonperishable canned or boxed food item through Wenesday, Nov. 12 and receive $1 off your cat room entrance. Items will go to The Salvation Army and local food banks.
• Monks Ale House: The craft beer bar and restaurant is accepting pop-top canned food items this month that will be given to The Banquet. Bring in a can, and get $1 off your ticket, with a limit of $1 per transaction. At the end of the month, Monks will match all items donated.

Here are the featured menu items for November at Totally Rad Eats in Fernson Downtown.

Here’s the November menu for $5 community dinners that are served from 4 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday at the Sioux Falls Food Co+op.

The sandwich of the month at The Dive is the Homemade Meatball Sub.

Check out the monthly food and drink specials at Tinners Public House.

Here are the food and drink specials for November at Tailgators Grill & Bar in Brandon.

The seasonal cupcake lineup for November at Oh My Cupcakes includes Orange Cranberry Bliss, French Silk Pie, Sweet Pumpkin Cheesecake, Rocky Road, Sweet Potato Spice, My Sweet Pumpkin, Cloud 9 and Vegan Strawberry.

Check out the weekly featured ice cream flavors for November at Stensland Family Farms.

Chili’s Grill & Bar is celebrating the Nov. 20 release of “Wicked: For Good,” the follow-up to “Wicked,” with special $6 margaritas all month.

Here are the November drink creations at Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Cafe & Bakery.

Check out the featured drink flavors for November at Fit Revolution Nutrition.

Holiday season specials have returned at Cracker Barrel, including country fried turkey, cinnamon swirl French toast, turkey sausage, Big Easy steak and shrimp and broccoli cheese casserole. New offerings include sausage and egg hash brown casserole, butter pecan French toast bake, herb roasted chicken, Creole catfish and cheesy grits. The new breakfast burger is a half-pound beef patty topped with American cheese, hash brown casserole, bacon and a sunny-side-up egg on a toasted bun. It’s served with your choice of a classic side. Seasonal pies include pumpkin, apple streusel, pecan, chocolate pecan and cinnamon roll, which are rolls baked into a pie crust and covered in cream cheese icing. On the weekend only, the restaurant serves Southern fried chicken in honey butter and Nashville Hot flavors.

Holiday Blizzard flavors have arrived at Dairy Queen. Frosted Sugar Cookie is back, and Peppermint Bark is new.

Ziggi’s Coffee, 4410 E. 57th St., is having a happy hour BOGO special from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 14.

WoodGrain Brewing Co. has a new Deflation happy hour special. From 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday at both locations, get $2 off pizzas, $4 Deflation taps and $1 off all other beers.

Wileys is giving thanks this month with customer specials: Monday Mug & A Meal with $8 burger baskets and a brew from 3 to 10 p.m; Jack’d Up Tuesday with $4 Jack drinks from 7 p.m. to close; Wednesday Ladies Night with $3 wines, sangrias and margaritas all day; $2 U Call It Thursday from 7 p.m. to close with some restrictions; and Fireball Friday with $3 Fireball shots from 9 p.m. to close.

Treat a veteran or active-duty service member to a Budweiser or Bud Light beer at Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews through Veterans Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Customers can add a Folds of Honor beer to their tab and fill out a note for those who served, who then can claim a free drink.

It’s holiday coffee drink season with several menu releases in the past week. Here’s a look at what some of the chains are doing.

Scooter’s Coffee is collaborating with Elf for its holiday menu. For the drinks: Candy Cane Forest Mocha, Candy Cane Forest Hot Chocolate, Buddy the Elf Maple Caramelicious, Buddy the Elf Maple Chai, Swirly Twirly Sugar Cookie Latte, Cherry Cheer Sparkling Float and Sparkling Soda. For the food: Snowball Fight Cake Bite, Swirly Twirly Sugar Cookie Sandwich, Candy Cane Forest Cinnamon Roll and Maple Waffle Sandwich.

Caribou Coffee’s holiday menu launched Nov. 1: Ho Ho Mint Mocha Cooler, Ho Ho Mint Mocha Espresso Shaker, Cranberry Dark Chocolate Espresso Shaker, Cranberry Dark Chocolate Crafted Press, Cranberry Energy Drink, Spicy Mocha and the new Spicy Mocha Espresso Shaker. New treat: Chocolate Truffle Brownie.

Today, Starbucks started serving Peppermint Mocha, Iced Sugar Cookie Latte, Iced Gingerbread Chai and Caramel Brulee Latte. Yet to come: Chestnut Praline and Eggnog lattes.

Here’s the lineup for 7 Brew Coffee.

Here’s the lineup for The Human Bean.

Dunn Brothers Coffee — remember there’s only an east-side location now — has three featured drinks.

Ziggi’s Coffee is featuring eggnog flavors for a dirty soda, latte and chai tea; the Candy Cane Crunch Latte; and orange, pomegranate and cinnamon flavors for a dirty soda, energy infusion or sparkling soda. Also new: a double chocolate muffin.

Events

From 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday, Nov. 11, Verde Lounge in the Holiday Inn City Centre is donating a portion of food and beverage sales to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls.

Chef Bryan Moscatello of Harvester Kitchen by Bryan has added another date – Nov. 23 — to his Feast of Farewells event after three events sold out quickly. The evening is limited to 10 guests, who will get a chance to tour the new HK restaurant that’s under construction at Cherapa Place, return to the original kitchen in the Harvester Building for a preview tasting of dishes in development and gather around the table for “wine, conversation and a toast to the journey ahead.” For reservations, click here.

Changes in hours, service

• North End Bakery & Deli has started winter hours. It’s open again now on Wednesdays. The hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday – except it’s closed on the last Sunday of every month.
• Winter hours have started at McNally’s Irish Pub: 2 to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 2 p.m. to close Wednesday, 11 a.m. to close Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
• The Breaks Coffee Roasting Co. now closes one hour earlier. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
• Winter hours have arrived at Fernson Downtown. The coffee house and taproom opens at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closing time is 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday. The Totally Rad Eats kitchen is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
• Fit Revolution Nutrition has changed its hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Thursday and Friday evenings are by appointment only.
• Songbird Kombucha has new hours of noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Here are other food and drink headlines from the past week

Upscale Mexican restaurant opens in east Sioux Falls

Oh My Cupcakes adds lunch offerings

Southwest-side Mexican restaurant reopens with new look, new menu

Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. announces Pork Showdown winner