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By Root 3327 0

anything tastes good. Every evening, Phantom Ranch offers just three options: a steak dinner or vegetarian dinner at 5pm, and a hearty beef stew at 6:30pm. The vegetarian plate consists of lentil loaf and the same side dishes as the steak dinner: vegetables, cornbread, baked potato, and salad. With all three dinners, the dessert is chocolate cake.

The family style, all-you-can-eat breakfasts are excellent, with heaping platters of eggs, bacon, and pancakes laid out on the long tables in the canteen. The sack lunch includes a bagel, cream cheese, summer sausage, juice, apple, peanuts, raisins, pretzels, and cookies. Alternatively, you can pack your own lunch and, if necessary, supplement it with snacks from the canteen.

Because the number of meals is fixed, hikers and mule riders must reserve them ahead of time through Xanterra (see number above) or at the Bright Angel Transportation Desk. As a last resort, inquire upon arrival at Phantom Ranch to see whether any meals remain.

NORTH RIM

Deli in the Pines

West wing, Grand Canyon Lodge. ☎ 928/638-2611. Reservations not accepted. Breakfast $1.85–$4.80; lunch and dinner $2.85–$6.25; 14-in. Hawaiian-style pizza $17. Daily 7am–9pm. AMERICAN.

Although the Deli in the Pines doesn't serve hand-tossed pies, the hotel's general manager (who is of Italian decent) makes sure that no one who orders a slice of pizza leaves unhappy. The snack bar also serves calzones, burgers, salads, rice bowls, made-to-order sandwiches, and breakfasts. If you just want good coffee and a muffin, stop by the saloon, where a colorful espresso bar operates daily from 5:30 to 10:30am. A café mocha goes for $3.75, and the java is the strongest in the park. The saloon continues to serve espresso, minus the pastries, after the bar opens at 11am.

Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room

At Grand Canyon Lodge. ☎ 928/638-2611, ext. 160. Reservations required for dinner, not accepted for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast $2.50–$9; lunch $4.75–$9.50; dinner $14–$23. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6:30– 10am, 11:30am–2:30pm, and 4:45–9:30pm. CONTINENTAL.

This is, without question, one of the most scenic dining rooms anywhere. Long banks of west- and south-facing windows afford views of Transept Canyon and help warm the room, and the high, open-framed ceiling absorbs the clamor of diners.

For a park lodge, the restaurant offers a remarkably creative menu, using sustainable agricultural products. At dinner, pesto lovers will enjoy pasta Lydia—fresh asparagus and potatoes tossed in pesto sauce with bow-tie pasta. Another excellent choice is poached wild Alaskan salmon topped with raspberry Dijon and served with rice. The restaurant also offers Black Angus strip loin, prime rib, free-range meatloaf, and barbecue chicken, as well as a progressive wine list with organic American wines.

The lunch menu consists mostly of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. At breakfast, a full buffet costs under $9.

Note there are only nine tables next to the windows, which unfortunately cannot be reserved. However, you can see through the windows from any part of the dining room, and are always welcome to walk up to the windows for a closer view.

OUTSIDE THE PARK

NORTHEAST OF THE PARK

Vermilion Cliffs Bar & Grill

In Lees Ferry Lodge, Hwy. 89A, 4 miles west of Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon, AZ. ☎ 928/ 355-2231. Breakfast $4.50–$8; lunch $5.50–$12; dinner $8–$22. Daily 6am–9pm. AMERICAN.

After rigging boats for trips down the Colorado, many river guides come to this remote restaurant, and not just for the 100 types of bottled beer. They also come for nicely prepared steaks, chicken, and fish, and for imaginative sandwiches such as the "Turkey in a Straw"—sliced turkey breast, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese grilled on sourdough bread and served with Thousand Island dressing. It's the most delectable food for miles around, served by a low-key, friendly staff.

TUSAYAN

Cafe Tusayan

Hwy. 64 (next to the Rodeway Inn, 1½ miles south of the park). ☎ 928/638-2151. Reservations not