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
Cooking with Dee 