| Silver Fork Lodge: A Great Escape In Big Cottonwood | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 09/21/2001 | |
| BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON -- When the world turns upside down, as it did last week, the gilded aspen slopes of the Wasatch Mountains can help put things in perspective and remind us how beautiful our world can be. Silver Fork Lodge is surrounded by these ancient rocks, their greenery punctuated with the reds and gold of autumn. The view from the two-story deck is serene, a world away from the harsher reality gripping the world. Walk through the front door and enter another time, closer to the middle of the last century, when knotty pine and moose heads were de rigeur cabin decor. Silver Fork Lodge was built in the early 1940s as a combination general store/cafe, with eight guest rooms added during the following decade. Their nightly rate includes breakfast; a ground-floor banquet room is available for meetings or private parties. Current owner Dan Knopp, whose family photos adorn the river rock fireplace, didn't change the look of the lodge except to add a deck after he bought the property seven years ago. It is a marvelous addition, allowing diners to eat outside during warmer months and taking full advantage of the view of nearby Silver Fork Canyon. At least one of the menu items, the sourdough pancake starter, is nearly as old as the lodge itself. According to the menu, the starter has been going for more than 50 years, an amazing feat. But the rest of the food has changed with the times, with mixed results. The restaurant is open 365 days a year for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a large and varied menu, ranging from pancakes to a stir-fry beef dish served over udon noodles. In between are omelettes, salads, pastas, burgers, steaks and fowl, a demanding load for any kitchen. The bottom line: Silver Fork does basics well, but has trouble with some dishes requiring more finesse. Vegetarian lasagna ($7.75 and $12.50 for dinner) is a good example. It offered a wealth of veggies, but the pasta was scant and overcooked. The heavy sauce was over-seasoned with oregano and tasted strongly of tomato paste. The salad that came with it contained some greens that were past their prime, adding up to a plate that pretty much flopped. A similar lack of seasoning sense was evident with the seared trout salad ($8.25 at lunch, $12.50 for dinner). The greens were better, but the trout was covered with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette that didn't do anything to enhance the flavor of the fish. At the least, the menu should specify that this dressing doesn't have the expected vinegary flavor. That said, Silver Fork should still be on your dining-out list, by virtue of its location, rustic charm and the fact that much of the food is quite good, especially at breakfast. The sourdough French toast ($5.75) is a generous serving of thickly sliced bread, crisp and fragrant with cinnamon. The poached eggs in the eggs benedict ($9.95) were perfectly cooked, and the hollandaise sauce was creamy and tart, although the meat tasted more like ham than Canadian bacon. The hash browns that came with it were actually brown (no hash "whites" here!) and tender. Portions are large enough to fuel a rigorous hike or bike ride. Later day dishes were sampled and liked, included the chile verde burrito ($7.75), a large flour tortilla stuffed with rice and chunks of pork, covered with a mild green chile sauce. The diced jalapeno peppers sprinkled on top saved it from being too mild. Another good choice is the veggie wrap ($7), with its filling of varied fresh vegetables and smear of mayo. It came with steak fries that were golden brown but not crisp. Service on all three of our visits was friendly and unhurried, even slow when the place is crowded. The most noticeable lapse was the failure of our young server to collect the check and credit card in good time because she was busy talking to a friend. Places like the Silver Fork Lodge are rare. They let us connect us to a time when life seemed simpler, even if it wasn't. While the menu tries to do too much, it is possible to ignore that over-achieving aspect and stick to what the kitchen does well. Escape doesn't get much easier. Silver Fork Lodge Big Cottonwood Canyon, 533-9977 Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (9 p.m., November through April); Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Prices: Breakfast, $4 to $10; lunch and dinner entrees, $6.25 to $24 Liquor: Beer and wine Reservations: No Child's Menu: Yes Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: Yes Parking: Off-street lot Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
||
