Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [453]
Erna's Elderberry House
At Château du Sureau, 48688 Victoria Lane, Oakhurst. ☎ 559/683-6800. Reservations recommended. Prix-fixe dinner $85, prix-fixe brunch $38. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30–8:30pm; Sun brunch 11am–1pm. EUROPEAN/CALIFORNIAN.
One of the most renowned eateries in the Yosemite area, this elegant restaurant is a feast for the eyes; a contemporary seating area with purple walls and modern prints adjoins a more traditionally elegant room. Likewise, it is a feast for the taste buds, with a nightly changing menu that might include any number of European culinary traditions sculpted into a meal that is definitively Californian. Offerings might range from marinated mussels and chilled carrot-coconut soup to red pepper and prosciutto-wrapped beef tenderloin, spinach gnocchi, and blueberry yogurt terrine. Each menu comes with a list of recommended wines. Proprietor Erna Kubin-Clanin and company also offer regular gourmet cooking classes.
Groveland Hotel's Victorian Room
18767 Calif. 120, Groveland. ☎ 209/962-4000. www.groveland.com. Reservations recommended in summer. Main courses $16–$30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6–9pm in summer; daily 6–8pm in winter. CALIFORNIAN.
Top-notch food in a casual atmosphere is the signature of this fine restaurant. The menu has something for everyone and constantly changes to reflect what's fresh and in season. There's a sumptuous rack of lamb marinated in rosemary and garlic, salmon with fresh cucumber and dill, chicken breast with fresh-fruit salsa, and more. The menu usually has fresh seafood and pasta specials, as well as an innkeeper's special. All entrees are served with soup or salad and fresh warm bread. The Wine Spectator award-winning wine list—wine being one of owner Peggy Mosley's passions—is fantastic. In summer there is also courtyard dining.
Happy Burger Diner
5120 Calif. 140 (at 12th St.), Mariposa. ☎ 209/966-2719. Menu items $3–$15. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6am–9pm. AMERICAN.
One of the best fast-food joints we've seen anywhere, the Happy Burger offers practically any type of fast food you can think of—it has the region's largest menu—with everything cooked fresh to order. The food here takes a few minutes longer than at your usual chain fast-food restaurant, but it's worth it. Breakfasts (served until 11am) include numerous egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, and the like. The lunch and dinner menu, served all day, features a multitude of charbroiled burgers, sandwiches, stuffed potatoes, Mexican dishes, salads, and dinner plates such as top sirloin and fried shrimp.
In typical fast-food style, you order your food at the counter. Take a seat at a booth, among the record-album covers from the 1960s and '70s and a vintage pinball game, and your piping-hot food is delivered an instant later.
Iron Door Saloon and Grill
18761 Calif. 120, Groveland. ☎ 209/962-6244. Main courses $7–$9 lunch, $10–$23 dinner. MC, V. Mon–Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–10pm. Bar open later. AMERICAN.
In 1852, this establishment started serving whiskey from an "'obligatory' plank over two flour barrels," making it California's oldest bar. Now it's the colorful anchor to a city block of businesses (including a soda fountain, an art gallery, and a general store), with scads of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling alongside rusted mining equipment, a menagerie of taxidermy, and odd little displays on such topics as the origin of Groveland's name and the career of Black Bart. The menu is fairly basic, with steaks, burgers, and poultry as well as fresh fish and pasta. You can eat in the 150-year-old bar or in the more placid adjacent dining room. Lunch runs to wraps and salads (and floats and shakes from the soda fountain). Although they're not bad, the food and service don't quite live up to the colorful atmosphere, but the Iron Door is a can't-miss nonetheless.
PJ's Cafe and Pizzeria