By day 7 of our cross-country journey, Alex and I were ready to be home. But we still had more than 1,000 miles to go. So, after we left Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Tuesday morning, we vowed to drive as far as we could in one day. As I looked on the map, St. George, Utah, looked like a good spot to spend the night. We really had no idea what to expect.
So, while Alex was driving, I got out my iPad (which I might add is a fantastic product) and started looking for hotels. For some reason, I decided to click on the link to “Bed and Breakfast” spots. One of the choices that came up was the Green Gate Village Historic Inn. After looking at photos of the location, I called and spoke to the owner, Ed, who told me that they had a room available.
Since we would not be arriving in St. George until after 9 p.m., I called Ed back and asked him for a recommendation for a place to eat. Although it sounded a bit funky, we took his recommendation and made reservations at the Painted Pony restaurant.
Let me start by saying that after reading the awards, articles and prestigious recognition hanging on the wall, I was a bit surprised to find out it is considered one of the top 10 restaurants in the country!
Here we were, two foodies, worn out by 7 long days of driving, and we were going to experience one of the best meals of our life!
The carrot and jalapeno Soup was our first course. I would never have thought to pair these two ingredients together. It was sweet and not too spicy.
Next, I had the beet salad which was stupendous and a work of art! Alex’s spinach salad with green beans and deviled eggs was gentle and tasty. Our main courses were the rib eye steak with Stilton cheese fritters (yum!) and a bone-in pork chop with a sweet onion bread pudding (worth every calorie).
We were satiated, but our waiter Eric told us that we really needed to try their cheesecake, because it was unlike any other cheesecake we had ever tasted. (I was thinking that was hard to believe.)
Well, here’s a photo. They actually bake the cheesecake filling, cool it, and then pipe it in between thin cookies and top it with a drizzle of fruit sauce. It was truly unbelievable!
Obviously, the dinner did not disappoint us. But when we drove down the street and arrived at the Green Gate Village – our breath was taken away. This cluster of 14 buildings, including 9 restored historic homes, was absolutely charming.
The next morning, we were able to truly enjoy the charm and majesty of this venue. We met the owners, Ed and Lindy, who made us breakfast and spent some time telling us about how they came to the Green Gate Village. Ed retired from United Airlines and informed Lindy one day that he was buying a B & B and they were moving to St. George! They are obviously passionate about being wonderful and caring hosts and took great pride in touring us through the complex.
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| Ed and Lindy, of Green Gate Village Inn |
Our final stop was the vintage candy store on site, so we could stock up with Abba Zabbas and other favorites for our final day on the road.
Believe it or not, St. George is only about 90 minutes Northeast of Las Vegas. That’s it! So, next time you are in Vegas, I recommend that you drive to St. George for the evening and visit this Southwestern town and have one of the most fantastic culinary experiences of your life! Better yet, call Ed and Lindy and stay at the Green Gate Village Historic Inn.
Almost home,
Karen
