Tag Archives: hi-mountain drug

Exact Change et al

On our trip one grocery purchase was $1.76 and I gave the checker $2.01. She stared at the penny, finally gave it back to me with the four pennies I did not want in my wallet. What are we teaching children these days besides how to use facebook and myspace?

If you’re headed to Jackson WY, south of there is a place called Blondies. We didn’t expect much out there, our first trip, but were pleasantly surprised with a good burger, service and we met a really nice trucker at the counter from NC. Hey there bud!

We stayed in Jackson one night, what a rip-off, hotel-wise. We went downtown to check out the place and restaurants and walked the town square. Then we looked at $38 steaks and buses started unloading patrons at 5:30 p.m. so we took a walk and found a place, Mountain High Pizza, that met our needs. Good, honest house-made thin whole wheat crust in a homey atmosphere with locals.

This past weekend we found out about Tommy’s Texas BBQ in Heber, UT. We’ll definitely check that out one of these days. If you’re ever in Kamas, UT you must go to Hi-Mountain Drug, a real drug store with camping and Mormon books and sheet music and outdoor artifacts. And the State’s best burger. Sit at the old fashioned counter and get a fresh-made lemonade or limeade for the full effect of ‘fifties dining.

We didn’t mention the places that disappointed us or tell you why we cut our trip short. We did drive through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the Grand Targhee National Forest and we saw some wonderful sights. I drove the entire way so while in the car I took my role as driver seriously and looked out for the road, other cars and especially wildlife crossing the road. Jim got to see more but that’s good. We’ll come back, this was just a taste.

Since we came home early we started on our list of things yet to see in town, so that when guests come in, we can tailor a trip for them that meets their needs. It was the Zoo this time, a small Zoo that has smaller enclosures than I’d like but has evidently been re-done recently with both guests and animals in mind so would be excellent for children under ten.

One thing we need to mention, especially to Val the Vet, is that the young lady, age eight, who took care of Zoe is an excellent dog-sitter and wants to become a Vet. Our Zoe has a new friend and is happier for their few days together. Do you think she needs to go to A&M for her training? Thank you, everyone for reading and writing in.

Now I must plan menus for several upcoming social events. It’s a challenge because 99.5% of my kitchen is in storage half a country away! I can’t even sit on the bed surrounded by cookbooks and come up with a menu! Wish me well. Cheers! Dee

Favorite Local Haunts

There’s this guy named Steve… that owns a local restaurant. I can’t say I was pushed into writing this, OK I was, but it’s easier than writing about my favorite homemade dinners of all time.

We generally go out locally for dinner once a week, and two lunches each weekend. It gives Jim and I time to be together without my cooking up a storm. As to dinner, either I’m lazy or was too busy one day to cook, or he didn’t call from work (1/2 hour commute) until well after 7:30 and there was no way I was going to start dinner at that time of night when work beckons in the morning.

Tonight was one of those late nights. We went to Loco Lizard, one of our favorite local restaurants. Everyone treats us well there, even Steve, the owner. Recently I remarked that his tacos al pastor were a bit inconsistent. I’ve been working my way through his menu for the past year or so, but tonight tried the tacos al pastor once again and they were excellente. Perfectly marinated and charred pork and pineapple in small, thin corn tortillas. I know that when I break out my new achiote paste and try the recipe at home, it won’t hold a candle to what Chef Roberto made tonight.

In the spirit of very tasty yet simple things, Flippin’ Burgers is a treat. Perfectly cooked burger with Idaho fries. Last time they had a special Island Burger with pineapple and it was incredible. We love going there for Saturday or Sunday lunch.

One of our formerly favorite places is Purple Sage, but they’ve been closed every time we’ve walked by over the past year so too bad, it’s out of the running.

Maxwell’s has the best pizza in town. Jim loves their “Untouchables” that just the aroma of it makes my eyes water. I stick with plain pepperoni or spinach/feta. This is one of our first restaurants here and while we’ve had our ups and downs, we are stalwart fans of their people and their food. They were sued for cooking breakfast (chef made me poached eggs off the menu for months of Sundays and they make a killer Bloody Mary).

Reyes Adobe has the best carne asada I’ve ever tasted. This young couple has made more than a ripple in the local pond, and we are glad we found it last year. I brought my mother-in-law and nephew a couple of weeks ago, during the week, and they were great about having a kids meal for this seven year-old, plus we shared the carne asada and a side of chips and guacamole.

In Kamas, about 1/2 hour drive away, there’s a diner called “Hi-Mountain Drug” and yes, it’s a pharmacy, camping and book and “stuff” store as well as a counter and a few tables. They make a great burger, rated the best in the state. It’s a bit of a trek and they’re closed Sundays but this is one place we take out-of-state guests.

The one thing all these places have in common is that they treat people, and us, especially well. We thank them for being here and doing what they do that makes our lives easier and our increasingly longer stay more pleasant. Bravo to our local restaurants and restaurateurs! Cheers, Dee