With it, we relived our wonderful dinner with Blake and Jen and celebrated other cheery memories of our grand tour of the American West.Ĭheryl and Bill Jamison write about food and travel, always with mouthwatering results. We finished it off on the last morning of our trip, just before leaving heavenly Boulder to return to Santa Fe. The second selection, a pear bread pudding with butterscotch sauce, we wrapped up to take to our motel room. The dark chocolate pot de crème, enlivened with a dash of New Mexico red chile, we ate at the table. It arrived with a mound of fluffy mashed potatoes, flavored intensely with bits of lemon, the perfect counterpoint to the spicy meat mixture.Įven though we were stuffed already, we ordered two desserts. For the second entrée we debated between several options on the regular menu, including grilled trout and an arugula-pesto pasta, but ultimately chose the chipotle meatloaf. ![]() On a cool spring evening we started with two warming appetizers, a cup of lamb posole (like a southwestern hominy stew) and a Utah goat-cheese fondue with house-baked crackers and dried local fruit.įor one of our main dishes we decided to try the daily special of shredded-beef enchiladas topped with Monterey Jack cheese and a generous ladling of green chile cream sauce. Our dinner was simply splendid in all respects. We made a long detour to enjoy the cooking again, having visited once before five years ago. The Mormon servers don’t drink wine themselves, of course, but Blake and Jen give them samples to sniff so they can describe a wine’s aroma to customers. They chose the town because it offered ample space for a kitchen garden-now supplemented by a full farm-plus locally raised meat, considerations most chefs ignored at the time.īlake and Jen thrilled the residents so thoroughly with their food and their respectful character that the town council actually awarded them a liquor license to sell wine with meals, an incredible accomplishment in a small Mormon community. Just ask the United States Postal Service, which kept using mules to bring in the mail later than in any other area.īlake Spalding and Jennifer Castle came to this wilderness wonderland 10 years ago to open a restaurant, the Hell’s Backbone Grill, named after a prominent local landscape feature. For dessert, we recommend the dark molasses gingerbread with butterscotch and fudge toppings.Despite being right in the center of the country’s most majestic natural glory, Boulder is as remote as any spot in the nation. The waitstaff performs a well-orchestrated dance, as servers refill mint-leafed water and provide cracked-pepper biscuits with sage butter. ![]() The rib-eye steak, though nicely seasoned, is substantially fatty, but we do suggest the chipotle meatloaf. Even the Moqui macaroni and cheese has flair, thanks to the spunk of green chilies. Every preparation is surrounded by a potpourri of fresh vegetables-spaghetti squash, Jerusalem artichokes, heirloom tomatoes and chunky mashed potatoes. The menus are a stockpile of organic meats, farm-grown organic vegetables and fruits picked from the restaurant's own farm and greenhouse, whipped into creative dishes that seem more improvisational than by-the-book. The main dining area, surrounded by bay windows, showcases the Red Rock Canyon country of Hell’s Backbone on the way to Grand Staircase Escalante. ![]() This enchanting restaurant at the edge of tiny Boulder, Utah, is one of those places that you'll need to search out-and we recommend that you do just that.
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