About a month and a half ago, I wrote an article titled “The Bon Homme Restaurant Challenge”. This seemed to get a lot of attention and gave me a great direction for the website. To every one who has supported me so far a huge thank you. And a promise. I will keep writing articles about what South Dakota truly is about. As long as you keep reading I will keep writing.
That article, opened me up to a couple of restaurants I forgot in Bon Homme. It was enough, that I personally felt like I had no choice, but to try out these restaurants myself. Was I missing some great local food choices? The short answer was yes. I was doing a huge injustice to not giving the “Ride and Dine” it’s due. And “Tolsmas Cove” was no exception.
When I did these articles I would just like to remind you. I am expressing my own opinion. However, I also ask about the local buzz involving these restaurants as well. So it’s not about just about what I feel.
I was extremely impressed with “Tolsmas Cove”. Great atmosphere. A very nice wait staff. And amazing food. What could be better right? So lets talk about my trip to “Tolsmas Cove”.
The Atmosphere
When you first pull up to the restaurant, you kind of have the feeling you are walking into a plain small town bar. And could easily be dismissed as such. That first glance is were the similarities stop. The rustic poles holding up the front canopy tell you a different story right off the bat.
Walking in there is an ineradicable stone wall against were the door is. Brilliantly have a big “T” in the top center. Having a ton of table seating room, or a bar to sit at.
It has a very “homey feeling” to the whole place. Giving it a very comfortable surrounding. I would not hesitate bringing my own kids and family there.
It took only a matter of a minute or two to quickly get service. There was a very wide selection of drinks to choose from. These did include beer and liquor. However, talking with the owner though, he stressed to me that they pride themselves on their food. They just happen to have adult beverage’s with it.
The Food
What was the food like? To start, we didn’t have to wait long at all. With in about 15 minutes, our food was being served. This almost made me nervous it was so quick. After tasting some, we found out that we had nothing to fear.
I had a dinner special with my favorite food group being on it. Steak! It was cooked to perfection and was super moist, juicy, and had a ton of flavor. It was trimmed with just a little fat on the outside and was honestly just an incredible steak.
This came with some slightly seasoned fries they called “Side Winders”. They too were cooked to perfection. And coupled nicely with the meal. Add in some Texas Toast, and a salad or choice of side, and you definitely get what you paid for. I myself couldn’t finish it. Yet couldn’t put it down.
My beautiful assistant/fiance had The chicken strip basket. Once, again. They didn’t disappoint. With a portion great enough to fill the hungriest person. Trying a piece of the chicken myself, it had a very flavorful breading and was cooked to a nice juicy perfection. She couldn’t finish hers either. With a price that would make fast food chains blush.
The Buzz
This is a quiet restaurant in a quiet town worth the price easily. What do local people say about it?
The people I talked to really like it. And say that the owners are very personal. With this restaurant being there for 15 years now, it sounds like it unfortunately sometimes gets over looked. As I did with my article. Make no mistake though, it is great food, for a great price, that will fill you up. So it is definitely a force to be reckoned with when you are looking to find yourself something new.
They also have a great display of wind chimes for the football fans. I’m told to let you know to inquire about them when you are there. As well as a signed jersey by local football star Riley Reiff.
Conclusion
After talking with the owners Mark and Kathy for a bit while I was there I quickly realized why I was there. A small town business that has great passion for what they do. At the end of the day, that’s the main reason I did the Bon Homme Challenge to begin with. All of the people owning the restaurants on the challenge are not going to be millionaire’s and they know it. To them it’s about the people, their town, and loving what they do.
I would like to thank Tolsma’s Cove for talking with me and letting me come to their wonderful restaurant. It won’t be the last.
And to the people reading this a big thank you as well. I hope you continue to support one of my passions. My love for South Dakota and the people in it.