It was November of 2022, the intensity of my job was increasing. I was a team assistant for Bocuse d’Or Team USA 2023, and we were 2 months away from competing in the competition in Lyon, France. There was so much to do to make sure everything was perfect, a million little pieces I was responsible for helping fall into place when I received the news from my parents: your grandma has been diagnosed with dementia. 

 

I grew up across the street from my grandparents, so I was very fortunate to grow up having a close relationship with them. Walking across the street and learning how to make mashed potatoes, sugar cookies, chicken and dumplings, and many other things from my grandma is how I developed my love for cooking as a child and led me down the path of wanting to become a chef. 

 

After receiving the news of my grandma’s condition, my driving force and motivation for wanting our team to win the Bocuse d’Or was to give my grandma one last memory that brought everything she had taught me and done for me full circle. We ended up getting 9th place at the Bocuse d’Or. It was a big accomplishment that I’m very proud to have been a part of achieving, but I couldn’t help but feel like there was more that I wanted to do, needed to do, to honor the legacy and everything cooking with her meant to me growing up, and that is how the idea for Darlene was born. 

 

Darlene is my grandma’s middle name, and my restaurant will focus on approachable fine dining. My goal is to find a barn and turn it into a restaurant. Darlene will have a 5-7 course tasting menu that changes weekly and will utilize fresh produce from the garden that will be on site, as well as creating local partnerships with farmers and producers in the area to bring a completely new dining experience to the Sioux Falls area. Darlene will create an atmosphere that allows diners to experience elevated cuisine while delivering a memorable experience to customers in a relaxing, warm, and welcoming environment. Darlene will also sell retail items. If there’s a marinade, pickled item, or sauce in Darlene’s menu, I want to give everyone the opportunity to take a piece of Darlene home with them to enjoy. 

 

Thank you for joining me on this journey! I’m so excited to be back in my home state of South Dakota and to bring something new to a place that means so much to me. My goal with Darlene is to create a legacy that not only honors my grandma and the chefs who have mentored me on my culinary journey, but to create a legacy in the culinary landscape of South Dakota that lasts for years to come. 

 

• Chef April Johnson