Get Ranchified at Rosedale Where the Ubiquitous Condiment Gets Its Due

The Midwest’s beloved sidekick, ranch dressing is receiving tribute through March and April in Rosedale Centers’ food hall Potluck. Vendors here are featuring signature dishes that utilize the dressing or spice blend, showing the inherent flexibility of mixing onion and garlic powder with herbs like dill, parsley, and chives. Much like the current trend to put Everything Bagel Seasoning on literally anything, Potluck aims to prove the same is true for ranch. From a biscuit with ranch gravy to bacon ranch shake to a ranchy lobster roll, each vendor will feature a signature item with a zany twist.

Fun fact: the green-flecked buttermilk dip and dressing do not actually have Midwestern origins at all. Despite now being lovingly equated with our region, it was invented by a plumber-turned-cowboy named Steve Henson in California on a property called, you guessed it, Hidden Valley Ranch. Forty percent of Americans named ranch as their favorite dressing in a 2017 study.

Whether Hidden Valley is a staple at home or you have allegiance to another brand, Potluck’s massive, overflowing cartoon bottle that pours onto the floor frames the entrance, set for an absurd photo opportunity. Potluck visitors are encouraged to take photos with additional ranch installations for a chance to win ranch prizes on social media.

For millennials who miss the fluorescent neon, kitschy, and slightly ridiculous ‘90s food court vibes of childhood, Potluck’s ranch-themed offerings embody it. The ranch-heavy dishes will make adults who grew up in that era want to wax poetic about funky, too-small bags of Cool Ranch Doritos in school lunches or maybe invest in a cookbook with 60 ranchy recipes.

So if you’re feeling playful, stir-crazy, or nostalgic hit the mall. The flexibility to order curbside pickup means you can grab something ranchified, blast some TLC, and cruise safely.

• All Potluck Coverage [ETC]
• Rosedale Takes Another Stab at a Food Hall, This Time with Local Talent [ETC]
• Watch: This is Where Ranch Dressing Comes From [E]