Last summer, world-renowned celebrity chef Guy Fieri traveled to South Dakota, and can now claim his show has been to all 50 states. Fieri visited multiple restaurants in the area, three of which were showcased in his New Years Day show. In that episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Fieri visited O’ So Good, Urban Chislic and Lalibela’s. Each restaurant cooked several of their most popular dishes for Fieri. 

The first stop was O’ So Good, located in Garretson, South Dakota. Head Chef and owner Omar Thornton made three of his top dishes. The jerk chicken dinner, shrimp cheesy hotplate and a side of collard greens are not meals one would typically see on a menu, but Fieri was left impressed. The dish that personally caught my eye was the shrimp cheesy hotplate, which is served with cornbread and red potato chips. 

The next restaurant has been open for two years and features one of South Dakota’s culinary specialties: chislic. Urban Chislic is located on Sioux Falls’ west side, on 85th Street near Walmart. Fieri tried two of the boldest items on the menu: the regret lamburger and the pork chislic BBQ sandwich. He went on to mention that the regret lamburger was definitely one of the spiciest burgers he had ever tasted. Fieri gave rave reviews to Urban Chislic for their ability to bring out the sweet and the heat in every bite.  

Fieri’s final stop was Lalibela’s, the oldest Ethiopian restaurant in Sioux Falls. Fieri tried two of the most common and traditional dishes: Doro Wot and Misir Wot. Doro Wot is an Ethiopian curry made with chicken and vegetables, doused in a berebere and tomato paste. Misir Wot had the same appearance, but instead of meat, it is made with lentils. Fiery found these hot, delicious meals to be intriguing because like regular customers at the restaurant, he ate them with his hands. 

Most restaurant owners can only dream of their food being showcased on The Food Network. These three restaurants realized that dream and in the process, got a visit from one of the network’s biggest stars. Overall, it was an excellent experience for these restaurants to market and grow their businesses, especially during the difficult year the pandemic created. Stay tuned in the upcoming months for highlights of the other restaurants Fieri visited: Look’s Marketplace, Bread and Circus and Daily Clean Food and Drink.