Sorry about the posting gap: I had intended to space the last couple of posts out better. Still, here are some blurbs about recent dining experiences, if you're interested.
Wild Grape Bistro – Some work friends and I went here for lunch a couple of weeks ago. It's a medium-priced bistro not far from downtown in the Avenues area serving new American food - sort of medium-priced in a not too charismatic space, but with pretty good food. They're known for their grape salad. I had a fabulous watermelon gazpacho. The wine menu is pretty interesting, although not particularly cheap. (481 East South Temple)
Himalayan Kitchen – Nepalese/Indian restaurant at 360 South State Street. Some other work friends and I went for their Wednesday lunch buffet which included butter chicken, tandoori chicken, vegetable chowchow (stirfried noodles and veggies), aloo gobi (potato/cauliflower), saag paneer, vegetable curry, battered fried veggies, two kinds of rice, poori (fried puff breads), flatbread, several chutneys and hot relishes, rice pudding and mango pudding. Very yummy and I’d like to go back for dinner to order off the menu.
Davanza's - just went there tonight on the recommendation of the random girl who cut H's hair yesterday. $14.00 Full Suspension pitchers - or $10.00 for PBR pitchers (you know, I'll drink it out of a can because it goes down quickly and you don't have to see how pale it is, but there's no way I'm ever ordering a pitcher of PBR). I had two $2 carnitas (pork) tacos with pico de gallo and a squeeze of fresh lime - super tasty and just enough - and H had the $7.75 chile verde taco which was really quite good. Seems like a pretty local place (it's close to an apartment complex that H and I looked at and decided against) -definitely good for cheap and tasty eats and good Utah beer.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
mount timpanogos
Sunday was a great day. Sunday, you see, was the day we climbed Mount Timpanogos which, at 11,749 feet at the summit, is the second highest peak in the Wasatch (second only to Mount Nebo at 11,928 feet). We did the Timpooneke Trail: 14.8 miles roundtrip with 4,389 feet of elevation gain - that's 593 feet of elevation per mile - and it took us 7.5 hours. My knees may have been screaming afterwards, but it was worth it.
We got an early start, wanting to avoid the heat of the day and the crowds as best we could. "Early" meant leaving the house at 6 a.m. and hitting the trail at 7 a.m. It was 37 degrees when we started and we were in the shade for a while before the sun came up enough to reach over the mountains. The first part of the trail is pretty mellow, mostly a dirt path with some rocks and a couple of scree slope crossings (which are tough on the ankles). We worked our way up the drainage - the five benches called the "Grand Staircase" - and got to the Timpanogos Basin (elevation 10,2000 feet) in just under 2.5 hours.
slog trek out once we got down off Timp: those scree slopes were brutal, plus this hike is a good five miles longer than the previously longest we've done (White Pine Lake).
Make no mistake: Timpangogos is a big ol' hunk of rock. To give my eastern readers some perspective: Timp has, as I mentioned, 4,389 feet of elevation gain; Mt. Washington, from Pinkham Notch to the summit, has 4,256 feet of elevation gain. And what's extra cool: the Timpooneke trailhead, at 7,360 feet, is 1,072 feet higher than the top of Mt. Washington. Very excellent mountain, very excellent hike, very excellent day.
7 a.m., 37 degrees ... and smiling!
We got an early start, wanting to avoid the heat of the day and the crowds as best we could. "Early" meant leaving the house at 6 a.m. and hitting the trail at 7 a.m. It was 37 degrees when we started and we were in the shade for a while before the sun came up enough to reach over the mountains. The first part of the trail is pretty mellow, mostly a dirt path with some rocks and a couple of scree slope crossings (which are tough on the ankles). We worked our way up the drainage - the five benches called the "Grand Staircase" - and got to the Timpanogos Basin (elevation 10,2000 feet) in just under 2.5 hours.
The massive massif itself, Timpangogos
The Basin is a big meadow bowl, now covered in the remains of alpine wildflowers. There's a lake up there (Emerald Lake, that we did not get to, but if you take the Aspen Grove trail up Timp, it goes right by the lake), and the bowl is ringed with dramatic cliffs. Above it all Timpanogos rises. We continued up the switchbacks to the Saddle (11,050 feet) which has amazing views of the Utah Valley to the west and south, and into the Heber Valley to the east. Many people make the Saddle their destination but we could see the summit, just 0.9 miles off/700 feet up and knew we weren't done.
Right on top of the world
It took us just under 45 minutes to climb that 0.9 mi./700 feet. The up is steady with often-steep switchbacks and the terrain is intimidating for sure, the mountainside falling away in steep scree slopes. But once we got up to the summit at 10:45 a.m., it was just amazing. 360 degree views - it seemed like you could see everything! The mountains and rock formations surrounding Timpanogos are quite stunning, curvy and looming, carved out by glaciers. It was just spectacular.
Amazing formations to the west
It was also a little chilly, so we took a bunch of pictures, snarfed some snacks, and headed back down after 20 minutes. I had thought the climb back to the Saddle would take a long time because of the loose footing, but we made it down about five minutes faster than it took us to go up. What took us a long time was the 
The hut at Emerald Lake waaaaaaay down there
Although Timpanogos is a very popular and busy hike, often with 1,000 hikers on any given summer Saturday, we only saw around 100 people (and 11 or 12 dogs) on our hike - and we are happy to say that only three of them passed us, either going up or going down. We are less happy to say that despite being promised that the Timpanogos Basin is practically overflowing with mountain goats that are unafraid of people and will often come within 20 yards, making for perfect photo-ops, we only saw six mountain goats at a distance that made binoculars a necessity.
There's goats in them thar hills (really!)
Make no mistake: Timpangogos is a big ol' hunk of rock. To give my eastern readers some perspective: Timp has, as I mentioned, 4,389 feet of elevation gain; Mt. Washington, from Pinkham Notch to the summit, has 4,256 feet of elevation gain. And what's extra cool: the Timpooneke trailhead, at 7,360 feet, is 1,072 feet higher than the top of Mt. Washington. Very excellent mountain, very excellent hike, very excellent day.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
fair weather
Undaunted by our lackluster SLCo Fair experience, we had high(-ish) hopes as we headed to the Utah State Fair on Saturday. It's a little incongruous, having the Fairpark right in the middle of the state's capital city (155 North 1000 West), when so much of the state is ranchland and agricultural land, but it's super-convenient for us city-dwelling fairgoers.
The first state fair was held in 1856 not long after the pioneers got out here; the current 65-acre fairgrounds were purchased in 1902. The fairpark's buildings are beautiful, both the exhibitions halls and the livestock barns. Although this fair is smaller than the Fryeburg Fair (my benchmark), with less than half the animals and a smaller midway, it is extremely clean and nicely laid out. Even the carnival rides looked like they were in good shape - and the carnies were hardly sketchy looking at all.
Special events at this year's fair include: an evening rodeo, a travelling sea lion show, racing pigs, a 13-foot long alligator (admission extra) and numerous musical acts including Boyz II Men (free) and America (also free). There's a nice variety of fair food too, from your standard bloomin' onions and funnel cakes, to Navajo tacos (at $10 per I did not get one) and tamales, to Hawaiian kahlua pig, to BBQ. H went with a Moochie's Philly cheesesteak while I was SORELY disappointed with my deep-fried chocolate-covered bacon ... which turned out to be nothing more than a strip of bacon stuck on a stick and fried, and then drizzled with chocolate sauce. The least they could have done was dunked it in batter first - that's what they were doing with the Oreo cookies and PB&J sandwiches.
Another nice feature that we discovered at the Utah State Fair was all the beer stands: you could purchase a beer - American lagers on draft or Unita Cutthroat in bottles - and walk around the fair with them. (I think there's a beer tent at the Fryeburg Fair but you have to stay there to drink.) The best part was that we got our beers 3-for-2: we each ordered a bottle of Cutthroat and the guy poured them into cups, then topped them off with a third bottle that he had opened inadvertently for a prior customer who wanted Hefeweizen. Yay for us!
We're glad we went to the Fair. It was a gorgeous day (80 and perfectly clear) and just right for walking around, looking at fair stuff. I just don't think we need to do it again anytime soon - too many other things to do, like the Greek Festival, Utah Beer Fest, Snowbird's Octoberfest, the U vs. UNLV game, Alta rec center triathlon ...
The first state fair was held in 1856 not long after the pioneers got out here; the current 65-acre fairgrounds were purchased in 1902. The fairpark's buildings are beautiful, both the exhibitions halls and the livestock barns. Although this fair is smaller than the Fryeburg Fair (my benchmark), with less than half the animals and a smaller midway, it is extremely clean and nicely laid out. Even the carnival rides looked like they were in good shape - and the carnies were hardly sketchy looking at all.
Pretty swanky digs for sheep
Special events at this year's fair include: an evening rodeo, a travelling sea lion show, racing pigs, a 13-foot long alligator (admission extra) and numerous musical acts including Boyz II Men (free) and America (also free). There's a nice variety of fair food too, from your standard bloomin' onions and funnel cakes, to Navajo tacos (at $10 per I did not get one) and tamales, to Hawaiian kahlua pig, to BBQ. H went with a Moochie's Philly cheesesteak while I was SORELY disappointed with my deep-fried chocolate-covered bacon ... which turned out to be nothing more than a strip of bacon stuck on a stick and fried, and then drizzled with chocolate sauce. The least they could have done was dunked it in batter first - that's what they were doing with the Oreo cookies and PB&J sandwiches.
The bacon is a total rip-off:
go with the Oreos or Snickers instead
Another nice feature that we discovered at the Utah State Fair was all the beer stands: you could purchase a beer - American lagers on draft or Unita Cutthroat in bottles - and walk around the fair with them. (I think there's a beer tent at the Fryeburg Fair but you have to stay there to drink.) The best part was that we got our beers 3-for-2: we each ordered a bottle of Cutthroat and the guy poured them into cups, then topped them off with a third bottle that he had opened inadvertently for a prior customer who wanted Hefeweizen. Yay for us!
The sheep in UT are WAY bigger than the ME sheep
We're glad we went to the Fair. It was a gorgeous day (80 and perfectly clear) and just right for walking around, looking at fair stuff. I just don't think we need to do it again anytime soon - too many other things to do, like the Greek Festival, Utah Beer Fest, Snowbird's Octoberfest, the U vs. UNLV game, Alta rec center triathlon ...
Friday, September 10, 2010
west desert day
It was H's turn to pick what we did on our Labor Day holiday and he selected a part of Utah that we really hadn't explored: the nearby bits of the West Desert, west and south of the Oquirrh Mountains. We started with a trip to the Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn State Park, located in tiny Fairfield (off Hwy 73).
Camp Floyd was at one point the third largest city in Utah, when President Buchanan, fearing a Mormon rebellion, sent 3,500 federal troops to Utah to keep an eye on things. Camp followers increased Camp Floyd's size to nearly 7,000 and the town (called by some "The Hell Hole of the West") was notorious for its many saloons and gambling halls, whores and gunslingers. From 1860-1861, Fairfield was also a Pony Express stop and the Stagecoach Inn, built in 1855, was expanded when the town became an Overland Stage stop as well. The inn still stands, now a museum.
A little further north on UT-73 is the Ophir Canyon road. Ophir was once a booming mining town - named after the biblical town where King Solomon's mines were found - but went bust as so many of them did. It's not a total ghost town as there are several occupied residences up the beautiful, steep-walled little canyon, but there are many abandoned buildings and decrepit mining equipment lining the main street. It's now a National Historic Site and we got out and walked around a bit. High up above us on the north wall of the canyon you can see the old tracks leading out of a mine with a string of cars just abandoned there, rusting away. Many of the buildings are in great condition, some restored and some just protected from the elements by the narrow canyon. Ophir is cool.
Not ready to head home yet, we turned south on UT-36 and did a little loop on a dirt road in part of the Uinta National Forest, down by the Sheeprock Mountains. Some might find this landscape sere and empty but we thought it was beautiful: wide golden and sage-green range land ringed by rolling mountains. There was a slight breeze, stirring up random dust devils, and not a cloud to be seen anywhere. We pulled over onto a side road and pulled out our camp chairs for a ham sandwich and PBR picnic; every pickup truck that rolled past us (pulling ATV-laden trailers and heading back after the long weekend) gave us a wave and a smile.
It really felt like we were in the absolute middle of nowhere and I bet the stars are spectacular at night. It was so peaceful - couldn't hear a darn thing out there - and we resolved to get some camping equipment and go back out there. I find it amazing that everywhere we go, the scenery is so different - the Wasatch front vs. the Uintas vs. the West Desert (vs. the southern redrock, although we haven't gone back down there since we moved) - and yet I just find all of it so striking and beautiful.
The Stagecoach Inn, built 1855
Camp Floyd was at one point the third largest city in Utah, when President Buchanan, fearing a Mormon rebellion, sent 3,500 federal troops to Utah to keep an eye on things. Camp followers increased Camp Floyd's size to nearly 7,000 and the town (called by some "The Hell Hole of the West") was notorious for its many saloons and gambling halls, whores and gunslingers. From 1860-1861, Fairfield was also a Pony Express stop and the Stagecoach Inn, built in 1855, was expanded when the town became an Overland Stage stop as well. The inn still stands, now a museum.
Ophir's ghost town hall never gets direct sun,
that's why it's not bleached out
A little further north on UT-73 is the Ophir Canyon road. Ophir was once a booming mining town - named after the biblical town where King Solomon's mines were found - but went bust as so many of them did. It's not a total ghost town as there are several occupied residences up the beautiful, steep-walled little canyon, but there are many abandoned buildings and decrepit mining equipment lining the main street. It's now a National Historic Site and we got out and walked around a bit. High up above us on the north wall of the canyon you can see the old tracks leading out of a mine with a string of cars just abandoned there, rusting away. Many of the buildings are in great condition, some restored and some just protected from the elements by the narrow canyon. Ophir is cool.
Typical West Desert fenceline
Not ready to head home yet, we turned south on UT-36 and did a little loop on a dirt road in part of the Uinta National Forest, down by the Sheeprock Mountains. Some might find this landscape sere and empty but we thought it was beautiful: wide golden and sage-green range land ringed by rolling mountains. There was a slight breeze, stirring up random dust devils, and not a cloud to be seen anywhere. We pulled over onto a side road and pulled out our camp chairs for a ham sandwich and PBR picnic; every pickup truck that rolled past us (pulling ATV-laden trailers and heading back after the long weekend) gave us a wave and a smile.
We had to wash the truck
It really felt like we were in the absolute middle of nowhere and I bet the stars are spectacular at night. It was so peaceful - couldn't hear a darn thing out there - and we resolved to get some camping equipment and go back out there. I find it amazing that everywhere we go, the scenery is so different - the Wasatch front vs. the Uintas vs. the West Desert (vs. the southern redrock, although we haven't gone back down there since we moved) - and yet I just find all of it so striking and beautiful.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
h earns his breakfast
H has been putting a lot of miles on his bike lately. It's very impressive. To encourage his training, I suggested that perhaps on Sunday he might want to bike from our house to the top of Emigration Canyon: 23.6 miles with an elevation gain of 1,864 feet, mostly at the very end. Then I could drive up there (what? I'm certainly not going to ride my bike to the top of a canyon) and then we could have breakfast at Ruth's Diner together to celebrate.
I gave him a 45 minute head start, finally passing him about two-thirds of the way up the canyon. He was cranking, though, because by the time I got up to the top, parked the car and pulled out my book, I hadn't gotten through more than ten pages before he crested the summit. [Edited to add: H thinks I may be casting aspersions on his prowess as a cyclist, what with the "ten pages" comment. However, not only am I a wicked fast reader but the book I was reading I've read many times before, is a YA fantasy novel and has large-ish print. So "not more than ten pages" truly means "H was riding up the canyon really quickly."]
Being a gorgeous holiday weekend and all, it was packed at Ruth's, although we waited less than 15 minutes before we were seated. For me (since I hadn't ridden 23.6 miles): the fruit, granola and yogurt parfait; for H (because he had): eggs, bacon, sausage, sourdough toast and cheesy homefries. And I even paid.
I gave him a 45 minute head start, finally passing him about two-thirds of the way up the canyon. He was cranking, though, because by the time I got up to the top, parked the car and pulled out my book, I hadn't gotten through more than ten pages before he crested the summit. [Edited to add: H thinks I may be casting aspersions on his prowess as a cyclist, what with the "ten pages" comment. However, not only am I a wicked fast reader but the book I was reading I've read many times before, is a YA fantasy novel and has large-ish print. So "not more than ten pages" truly means "H was riding up the canyon really quickly."]
Being a gorgeous holiday weekend and all, it was packed at Ruth's, although we waited less than 15 minutes before we were seated. For me (since I hadn't ridden 23.6 miles): the fruit, granola and yogurt parfait; for H (because he had): eggs, bacon, sausage, sourdough toast and cheesy homefries. And I even paid.
Monday, September 6, 2010
a dog's life
We almost missed this (our calendar system definitely has a flaw in that if we don't look for stuff to add to the calendar, the calendar gets empty): the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship. Luckily I was paging through the local alternative newspaper Saturday morning while H was biking and found an article about it. He got back from his ride, got cleaned up and off we went - after a brief stop in at the Murray Sports Authority's "SNIAGRAB*" sale to buy a new and less dowdy ski parka for me and a new soft shell for H. Skiing is coming after all.
After the shopping we headed off to the Heber Valley, where our GPS told us to drive through the adorable town of Midway en route to the Soldier Hollow cross country ski venue where the sheepdog trials were being held. Unfortunately, our GPS did not tell us that "Swiss Days" was in full swing in Midway, an event also missing from our calendar. It will not be missing next year: there were far more people attending Swiss Days than were at the Salt Lake County Fair.
We finally made it through the crowds and slow-moving traffic and paid $5 to park in a field below the Soldier Hollow Resort. This fee, plus the $12 entry fee (plus the $$ fair food) made for an expensive afternoon's entertainment. But the cost was more than made up for by seeing all these dogs - working border collies, a performing agility troupe of rescue dogs and the water-loving "splash dogs" - out and about and having fun.
The Splash Dog competition was an open field where folks could sign their own pets up for a chance to dive off a platform into a pool for fame and everlasting glory. Many of these dogs just launched themselves off the platform; some, an adorable puppy included, had to be convinced that it was a good idea. A lot of these dogs seemed to be rescue dogs, including Bruce, a happy, three-legged black lab, whose 7+ foot leap was a personal best for him (the winning jump was 21+ feet). The crowd cheered for everyone, regardless of the distance.
The border collie trials, an international event with forty-two competitors from all over the worldevery continent, are impressive. A small herd of five range sheep (large and fairly brave (for sheep) sheep who live out on their own) were positioned a l o n g ways away from the dog and its handler. Guided only by the handler's whistle and occasional shouted commands, the sheepdog must bring the sheep down and across the field, around through three gates (which these semi-wild sheep are not interested in doing, going through gates), then back to the handler where the dog must "shed" the five sheep into a pair and a trio. Finally, the handler opens a pen and the dog must put all five sheep into the pen (which the sheep are even less interested in doing, being penned up) - all within a thirteen minute time limit.
The dogs on the leader board had apparently all run in the morning, and we didn't see anybody actually pen the sheep. But these border collies possessed impressive skills that didn't necessarily seem connected to their age and experience. The last run of the day was by a young dog named Wyn. She did great, quickly driving the sheep down and putting them through two of the three gates, and even shedding the sheep without breaking a sweat. Right at the end, however, as she was supposed to collect them and push them towards the pen, Wyn got frustrated and darted towards one of the sheep. She didn't come close to nipping it, but that was a break in form that disqualified her run. Hopefully she did better on her second run on Sunday.
The good thing is that all these dogs don't get disappointed or feel bad if they don't do well. They're outside, doing what they love to do and were built to do - whether it's retrieving a buoy off a dock or driving sheep across a mountainside. We would all do well to take a lesson from them and learn to enjoy living in the moment every now and again.
* That's BARGAINS spelled backward. Sigh.
After the shopping we headed off to the Heber Valley, where our GPS told us to drive through the adorable town of Midway en route to the Soldier Hollow cross country ski venue where the sheepdog trials were being held. Unfortunately, our GPS did not tell us that "Swiss Days" was in full swing in Midway, an event also missing from our calendar. It will not be missing next year: there were far more people attending Swiss Days than were at the Salt Lake County Fair.
We finally made it through the crowds and slow-moving traffic and paid $5 to park in a field below the Soldier Hollow Resort. This fee, plus the $12 entry fee (plus the $$ fair food) made for an expensive afternoon's entertainment. But the cost was more than made up for by seeing all these dogs - working border collies, a performing agility troupe of rescue dogs and the water-loving "splash dogs" - out and about and having fun.
Going the distance
The Splash Dog competition was an open field where folks could sign their own pets up for a chance to dive off a platform into a pool for fame and everlasting glory. Many of these dogs just launched themselves off the platform; some, an adorable puppy included, had to be convinced that it was a good idea. A lot of these dogs seemed to be rescue dogs, including Bruce, a happy, three-legged black lab, whose 7+ foot leap was a personal best for him (the winning jump was 21+ feet). The crowd cheered for everyone, regardless of the distance.
The border collie trials, an international event with forty-two competitors from all over the world
Workin' dog
The dogs on the leader board had apparently all run in the morning, and we didn't see anybody actually pen the sheep. But these border collies possessed impressive skills that didn't necessarily seem connected to their age and experience. The last run of the day was by a young dog named Wyn. She did great, quickly driving the sheep down and putting them through two of the three gates, and even shedding the sheep without breaking a sweat. Right at the end, however, as she was supposed to collect them and push them towards the pen, Wyn got frustrated and darted towards one of the sheep. She didn't come close to nipping it, but that was a break in form that disqualified her run. Hopefully she did better on her second run on Sunday.
The good thing is that all these dogs don't get disappointed or feel bad if they don't do well. They're outside, doing what they love to do and were built to do - whether it's retrieving a buoy off a dock or driving sheep across a mountainside. We would all do well to take a lesson from them and learn to enjoy living in the moment every now and again.
* That's BARGAINS spelled backward. Sigh.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
eleven
Yesterday was the eleven month anniversary of our arrival in Utah. What did we do to celebrate? What we always do: go to the Porcupine, just as we did that fateful day nearly a year ago (since we didn't know of any other place, really). Fortuitously, one of the bartenders whom we met on our first day at the Porcupine was on last night - Edd, whom I had run into at Target earlier in the day (random). We like Edd. He's gregarious, has good stories and an amazing recall for names/faces, and is a wicked good bartender. I can't believe we've been here almost a year.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
halftime report
I can't post much right now, partly because it's halftime during the Pittsburgh v. Utah game (H has been hilariously and awesomely calling out a play-by-play to me from the t.v. room since I don't have a laptop and am currently confined to the office), but also because we don't have much to report. It's all been work of late.
The long weekend is coming right up, however, and the weather is supposed to be FABULOUS - I'm guessing there will be much time spent outside, biking and hiking. And weeding, unfortuately. I'm going to have to stop reading so many novels and pick up a few landscaping/xeriscaping/native plants books at the library: I have had it with these flower beds and am determined to do something different, more low maintenance and less water-needy next year.
Gotta go - current score: Utah 14-7 Pittsburgh, 1st and goal for Utah in the third quarter. Go Utes!
The long weekend is coming right up, however, and the weather is supposed to be FABULOUS - I'm guessing there will be much time spent outside, biking and hiking. And weeding, unfortuately. I'm going to have to stop reading so many novels and pick up a few landscaping/xeriscaping/native plants books at the library: I have had it with these flower beds and am determined to do something different, more low maintenance and less water-needy next year.
Gotta go - current score: Utah 14-7 Pittsburgh, 1st and goal for Utah in the third quarter. Go Utes!
Monday, August 30, 2010
first snow
That's right: it snowed today, August 30th. While it was 48 F at home when we left for work, the canyons are usually 10-20 degrees cooler than the valley. Ergo, snow.
Both Alta and Snowbird had photos on their web sites, revelling in the dusting of white so early. Season passes are now on sale and Alta is claiming 81 days 'til their chairs start turning, conditions permitting. I am not the snow-fiend that H is, and I refuse to wish away my days, but I will confess to getting a little excited today about the prospect of skiing.
Both Alta and Snowbird had photos on their web sites, revelling in the dusting of white so early. Season passes are now on sale and Alta is claiming 81 days 'til their chairs start turning, conditions permitting. I am not the snow-fiend that H is, and I refuse to wish away my days, but I will confess to getting a little excited today about the prospect of skiing.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
celebrating at log haven
While our regularly posted anniversaries on this blog are for our arrival here in Utah, H and I recently celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary, deciding to go somewhere slightly more high end than our usual places. Friend of the blog Jessica has been telling us since we came out here that we HAD to go to Log Haven, nestled about four miles up Millcreek Canyon. H made a reservation on that online Open Table service (direct link on the restaurant's web site) and so credit card in hand, off we went.
Log Haven has been around since 1920 but was refurbished into its current lovely state after Margot Provost rescued and remodeled it in 1994. It is apparently one of the premier places in the state for weddings and special occasions, what with its numerous waterfalls and lush outdoor spaces, as well as its acclaimed restaurant. We sat on the outdoor patio, tucked in between the two wings of the large log-built structure and surrounded by tall trees and a moss-covered waterfall. Although it had been 96 F when we left our house, the sun was going down and the temperature plummeted by 20 degrees by the time we were seated; I was grateful for the heaters placed strategically nearby.
There were a few other tables eating - at 7:45 p.m. on a Wednesday - but lots of waitstaff attentively taking care of everyone. Our server was cute and funny and very well-informed about the menu; she also had a huge scrape down her forearm from a recent mountain-biking crash. She told us about the specials and then let us examine the menu at our leisure. It's not the longest menu but there are plenty of options for everyone - from vegetarian to fish to big chunks of meat - most of which sounded absolutely delicious. Since we were celebrating, and not factoring the entree prices into our decision-making process, it took a while to decide what to order.
We had a bottle of Australian Greenpoint Shiraz which started out a little fruitier than we usually prefer but then seemed to mellow a bit as the meal went on. Before the food was brought out, they served tiny appetite-whetters of a watermelon chunk topped with a morsel of goat cheese, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and garnished with baby arugula - fresh and juicy.
The appetizers and the salads both come in two sizes - full portions and "tastes" - which is a nice option if you're concerned about ending your meal overstuffed. H had a taste portion salad of romaine hearts, avocado and queso fresco with a "creamy jalapeno-lime vinaigrette" while I had a taste portion baby frisee salad, with huge blackberries, candied pancetta (!!!) and butternut squash chips and a lovely, light citrus vinaigrette. My salad was excellent and H didn't leave any of his either.
For our entrees, H picked the Double R Ranch filet mignon (which was served the rarest version of medium I've ever seen), served with pepper-gruyere pureed potatoes, green beans and "micro mirepoix" which are simply micro greens of infant onions, carrots and celery. I tried the micro mirepoix and it was amazing: those teensy, tender plants tasted exactly like the vegetables they would grow up to be. I went with the grilled Rocky Mountain elk tenderloin, mostly because I've never had elk before. It was delicious - rare and tender - but if you had told me it was a cow, I would have believed that. The steak was served with pureed parsnip potatoes, a vegetable I don't remember, more of those giant blackberries and a marchand de vin sauce. It was sweetish (which our server had explained) but not overly so and I absolutely cleaned my plate. [Note: the portions at Log Haven are reasonable: not ridiculously huge as is par for the course in so many restaurants; but not so small as to send you home hungry and outraged at the price you've just paid.]
Of course we found room for dessert. I had the panna cotta with fresh cherry syrup and crumbled Amaretti cookies and H selected the molten lava cake. Our server told us that she didn't really care for the mint sorbet that the cake came with and would be happy to swap it out for any of their house-made ice creams (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or blueberry). H likes mint, however, so he went with that ... when our server checked in with us, H admitted that the sorbet was kind of like eating really cold toothpaste which made her laugh.
Now we were full.
Log Haven is not inexpensive. It is not going to be anyone's regular eating establishment (unless you have lots and lots of disposable income). But for special occasions, it is just wonderul. A beautiful and cool mountain setting, fantastic food and excellent service - it's worth the price when you're celebrating something. Plus they validate your Millcreek Canyon entry fee!
Log Haven has been around since 1920 but was refurbished into its current lovely state after Margot Provost rescued and remodeled it in 1994. It is apparently one of the premier places in the state for weddings and special occasions, what with its numerous waterfalls and lush outdoor spaces, as well as its acclaimed restaurant. We sat on the outdoor patio, tucked in between the two wings of the large log-built structure and surrounded by tall trees and a moss-covered waterfall. Although it had been 96 F when we left our house, the sun was going down and the temperature plummeted by 20 degrees by the time we were seated; I was grateful for the heaters placed strategically nearby.
There were a few other tables eating - at 7:45 p.m. on a Wednesday - but lots of waitstaff attentively taking care of everyone. Our server was cute and funny and very well-informed about the menu; she also had a huge scrape down her forearm from a recent mountain-biking crash. She told us about the specials and then let us examine the menu at our leisure. It's not the longest menu but there are plenty of options for everyone - from vegetarian to fish to big chunks of meat - most of which sounded absolutely delicious. Since we were celebrating, and not factoring the entree prices into our decision-making process, it took a while to decide what to order.
We had a bottle of Australian Greenpoint Shiraz which started out a little fruitier than we usually prefer but then seemed to mellow a bit as the meal went on. Before the food was brought out, they served tiny appetite-whetters of a watermelon chunk topped with a morsel of goat cheese, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and garnished with baby arugula - fresh and juicy.
The appetizers and the salads both come in two sizes - full portions and "tastes" - which is a nice option if you're concerned about ending your meal overstuffed. H had a taste portion salad of romaine hearts, avocado and queso fresco with a "creamy jalapeno-lime vinaigrette" while I had a taste portion baby frisee salad, with huge blackberries, candied pancetta (!!!) and butternut squash chips and a lovely, light citrus vinaigrette. My salad was excellent and H didn't leave any of his either.
For our entrees, H picked the Double R Ranch filet mignon (which was served the rarest version of medium I've ever seen), served with pepper-gruyere pureed potatoes, green beans and "micro mirepoix" which are simply micro greens of infant onions, carrots and celery. I tried the micro mirepoix and it was amazing: those teensy, tender plants tasted exactly like the vegetables they would grow up to be. I went with the grilled Rocky Mountain elk tenderloin, mostly because I've never had elk before. It was delicious - rare and tender - but if you had told me it was a cow, I would have believed that. The steak was served with pureed parsnip potatoes, a vegetable I don't remember, more of those giant blackberries and a marchand de vin sauce. It was sweetish (which our server had explained) but not overly so and I absolutely cleaned my plate. [Note: the portions at Log Haven are reasonable: not ridiculously huge as is par for the course in so many restaurants; but not so small as to send you home hungry and outraged at the price you've just paid.]
Of course we found room for dessert. I had the panna cotta with fresh cherry syrup and crumbled Amaretti cookies and H selected the molten lava cake. Our server told us that she didn't really care for the mint sorbet that the cake came with and would be happy to swap it out for any of their house-made ice creams (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or blueberry). H likes mint, however, so he went with that ... when our server checked in with us, H admitted that the sorbet was kind of like eating really cold toothpaste which made her laugh.
Now we were full.
Log Haven is not inexpensive. It is not going to be anyone's regular eating establishment (unless you have lots and lots of disposable income). But for special occasions, it is just wonderul. A beautiful and cool mountain setting, fantastic food and excellent service - it's worth the price when you're celebrating something. Plus they validate your Millcreek Canyon entry fee!
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