A Sioux Falls Table With Pizza, Walleye and Plenty of Range

A plate of Black and Blue steak tips arrives with a full set of supporting players: blackened steak, Parmesan truffle fries, Gorgonzola cream sauce and tangy chimichurri for dipping. It is a good introduction to a Sioux Falls restaurant that does not confine itself to one lane.

The dining room carries an Italian-influenced polish, while the menu ranges freely through pizza, seafood, salads, steaks, burgers, soups, pasta-style dishes and desserts. You can make a meal of a cocktail and appetizers at the bar, settle in for a business dinner, or bring a group for a birthday meal without anyone having to hunt for a fallback choice.

The room is clean, put-together and relaxed rather than stiff. It has enough festive energy for a gathering and enough calm for a more formal dinner, with a moderate level of background noise that still leaves room for conversation.

Pizza is one of the menu's frequent bright spots, and the choices include Italian-style pies as well as a Detroit-style pizza finished with hot honey. That sweet-heat detail gives the latter a little extra character without turning dinner into a dare.

The Greek salad has also earned notice alongside the pizzas, providing a useful counterpoint when the table is sharing. A fresh garden salad with blue cheese dressing is another satisfying route, particularly with a bowl of tomato bisque.

For diners who pay close attention to dressings, the red wine vinaigrette has its own following. It is a small detail, but a memorable dressing can do a lot for a simple lunch salad.

Regional ingredients and South Dakota specialties show up in several corners of the menu, most clearly in the lamb burger. It uses Prairie Coteau Farms ground lamb and comes with smoked feta, tzatziki, arugula, tomato, onion and pita.

The result has the flavor profile and texture of a gyro, but in burger form. The pita is a welcome clue that this is not simply a standard burger with lamb swapped in.

Walleye provides another regional-leaning option. It has been served in a gluten-free preparation with fingerling potatoes and carrots; the fish is mild, tender and carefully cooked.

Salmon gets two opportunities on the menu, as both a main dish and a salmon salad. That sort of overlap helps a mixed table: one person can order a composed entrée while another gets the same fish in a lighter format.

The Black and Blue preparation is a good choice for someone who wants a bold steak dinner without a fussy presentation. The creamy Gorgonzola, dark seasoning and bright chimichurri create a lot of contrast around the beef, while the truffle fries make the plate especially substantial.

There are more familiar comfort-food directions, too. Meatloaf and risotto have both appeared among the notable entrées, alongside steaks, burgers and seafood.

Portions tend to be generous. The steak nachos, in particular, have been substantial enough to share between two diners, a helpful thing to know when the table is tempted by starters before moving on to larger plates.

The cocktail program gives the restaurant a reason to visit even when a full meal is not the plan. An Old Fashioned is a particularly well-regarded order, and drinks and appetizers work comfortably at the bar.

Dessert does not look like an afterthought. Hot apple crisp à la mode and crème brûlée offer two classic endings: one warm and homey, the other cool, creamy and more composed.

For celebrations, the kitchen has also handled larger dessert orders that include lemon bars, salted chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Those are the useful sorts of sweets to keep in mind when a birthday dinner turns into an office gathering or a family occasion.

A broad menu can be useful, but it works best when service keeps the meal moving. Here, the service is attentive, knowledgeable, prompt and friendly, which matters when one diner is weighing walleye and another is deciding between a pizza and lamb burger.

The restaurant fits a casual lunch as easily as dinner and drinks, and it has been used for business meals and birthday gatherings. Food presentation receives attention as well, matching the polished look of the room.

It is also an appealing stop for someone in town on business who wants a meal beyond the usual main drag. The atmosphere has enough finish for colleagues, but it does not demand a special-occasion mood.

Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner or a gathering. Walk-ins have been accommodated, including on a Thursday evening, though a table is not assured.

When the dining room is full, the bar can be more than a waiting spot. Walk-in guests seated there have still received full restaurant service, making it a practical place for dinner rather than merely a place to have one drink.

A free parking lot with ample parking removes one common downtown-dinner complication. There are also several gluten-free choices on the menu, including the gluten-free walleye preparation.