Fill 'Er Up at Red Cliff Lodge's Cowboy Grill.

Cowboy Grill at Red Cliffs Lodge

Mile 14 on Highway 128
Moab, Utah, 84532

Telephone: (435) 259-2002 or (866) 812-2002

Email: office@redcliffslodge.com

Website: http://www.redcliffslodge.com/restaurant/

 

 

We have always wanted to try out the Cowboy Grill at Red Cliffs Lodge, but thought, due to the outside packaging that we could never afford it.  Were we wrong and happy about that!  First off, a little background about the area and the Lodge compound before I get to the restaurant.  The location is only 14 miles east on Route 128 outside of Moab; the roadway parallels the Colorado River and is spectacular scenery wise.  At the entrance, a large sign will direct you to either reception/restaurant or the Castle Creek Winery.  Going along the drive, you'll pass by the corral and see the cabins available for rental; there is also a pool/spa, so basically everything you need for a glorious vacation in the red rocks of Moab.

 

 

The inside of the Lodge is stunning with the Old West decor; there are meeting rooms available, a museum and gift shop.  Brochures galore are all over offering all the sites any visitor would want to indulge in.

 

What truly impressed us was the staff, so very friendly and helpful; not once were we made to feel like we "didn't belong", considering we were only there for the Sunday brunch, and not staying at the Lodge itself.   We paid for our meals at the front desk, took the short walk to the restaurant area and chose a table at the windows.  There is also seating outside and the view is truly to die for!

 

 

Once again, the friendliest staff ever, from the omelet chef to the gentleman who made sure all the hot food items were kept full.  Diane, aka the "Head Guru of Breakfast", made sure that our every need was met, and her smile was infectious; simply adored that woman!  The buffet area is in sections; hot foods, fruits and cobblers, the meats (bacon, ham, sausage), omelet station, pastries near the coffee and tea (to-go containers are available)...all-you-can-eat!!!

 

Talk about delicious!!!  Made to order omelets, fluffy scrambled or southwestern eggs, the pancakes and biscuits are the airyous, the meats are thick and they even served up thin slices of "melt in the mouth" prime rib in a mild barbecue sauce; we were in brunch heaven.

 

 

Whenever we're in the mood for a Sunday brunch, you can bet your bottom dollar that you'll find us at the Cowboy Grill at Red Cliffs Lodge.  By the way, they also serve up daily breakfast and lunch buffets, and nightly dinners.  Our wedding anniversary is in October, so you know where we'll be having our celebration dinner...at the Cowboy Grill.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

 



Pancake Haus' Breakfast is What They Do Best.

Pancake Haus

196 S. Main Street (next to the Ramada Inn)
Moab, Utah, 84532

(435) 259-7141

Website: N/A

Open daily from 6:30am to 1 pm, the Pancake Haus is always busy and they focus on one type of service, Breakfast. So it's no wonder why they brag about doing it best; and I've never had a complaint.

The staff is buzzing around, but that doesn't deter them from being polite, friendly and attentive. Our waiter, Ugur, is an immigrant from Turkey and talk about being a pro; we had our coffee in seconds, and the other diners around us didn't have to wait long either. Order taken immediately after and served up about 15 minutes later; and considering how packed they were, that was fast! However, Ugur did have a few moments to answer some questions and that pleasant attitude and friendly smile never left him. We made sure to tip him very well.

So lets talk about the food at Pancake Haus; having eaten there before I can attest to the fluffiness of their pancakes, the awesome flavor of the French toast, crisp and fluffy waffles. I often favor the Pigs in a Blanket; savory sausages wrapped in those fluffy pancakes. Then there are the omelettes.


When I was there last, I ordered the Cheese Omelette with hash browns and toast (you can get silver dollar pancakes if you prefer). The omelette is large and puffy; loaded with cheddar cheese and simply delicious. The eggs were not dry and overcooked, or runny and undercooked; they were just right!


My husband had the House Omelette; eggs done up the same as mine and it was loaded inside and out with vegetables. He did not leave a scrap of omelette on his plate!

If you're looking for a great breakfast to start off your day in Moab; definitely go to the Pancake Haus. You may have to wait a bit because it's always busy, but it's worth the wait.

Mary Cokenour

Omelet Making 101

Making an omelet can be terrifying at first, but in this case, practice will make perfect, and so will the right tools.   While a skillet will work in a pinch, an omelet/saute pan has sloped sides making it easier for the spatula to work with the egg mixture, and to slide the finished omelet out of the pan.  Having a long, narrow spatula is a blessing as it slides more easily under the cooked egg mixture to help flip over one side and enclose the ingredients without breakage.

When purchasing your pan, look for a 10 inch heavy duty nonstick brand; remember that this will also work for sauteing, not just making omelets. You also don't want to go too large on the pan, as it will be more difficult to work with the egg mixture; more surface to fold will mean more chance of breakage.

When it comes to ingredients for the omelet, the basics are:

3 large eggs
3 tsp cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter for the pan

When it comes to seasonings and herbs, you have the choice of adding them to your egg mixture, or sprinkling them over the mixture once it's in the pan. Ingredients for inside the omelet can be just about anything you would enjoy with eggs; just make sure that meats and vegetables are at room temperature. Nothing worse than having a nice hot omelet loaded with cold ingredients in the center. Cheese should be thinly sliced or shredded to make sure it melts properly as the omelet cooks.

To get started, melt the tablespoon of butter in the pan over medium-high heat. While doing this, whisk together in a small bowl the eggs, water and salt. The butter will foam when first melting, but once it stops pour the eggs into the pan evenly and let them settle in the pan for about a minute. Gently lift an edge, tilt the pan and allow a little egg mixture to flow underneath and repeat this all the way around. Continue this procedure, lifting a little more of the solid egg each time, until all the egg mixture has been incorporated around the pan.  You are basically allowing the omelet to build up.

On one half of the omelet, begin adding your fillings; cheese first, so it can melt; next meat and finish with vegetables. Only do this on one half as you'll be flipping the other side over the ingredients you added into the pan. Let the omelet sit for two minutes, now gently slide your spatula under the egg only side of the pan and quickly flip it over the filling side. Don't think about it, just do it; otherwise you are giving the omelet a chance to break where the spatula is not holding it.

The above photo is of a Chili Cheese Omelet I made for my hubby. I had about 1 1/2 cups of my Sirloin Beef Chili left over and a cup of shredded Mexican mix cheese. Inside the omelet, I spread 3/4 cup of the cheese and then one cup of the chili over that. After flipping over the egg only side, I spread the remaining cheese and poured over the remaining half cup of chili. Not a bite was left on his plate.

So be a little adventurous and make that omelet you're craving; it might be messy at first, but it'll still taste yummy.

Mary Cokenour

You take your chances when going to Denny's.

Denny's

2059 E. Main Street
Cortez, CO, 81321

(970) 564-0832

Website: http://www.dennys.com/

Every once in a while we want breakfast out, so we're not novices to Denny's.  The problem with the Denny's in Cortez is when it's busy, the service is slow and the food is low quality; when it's slow, service is better and so is the food.  We were there on Sunday morning and it was busy.

Create your own Grand Slam breakfast: I asked for soft scrambled, they came out hard and cold; the bacon was barely crisp; the pancakes and biscuit though were fluffy and hot.

From the new All American menu, hubby chose the Philly Cheesesteak Omelet.  It smelled great, not so with the taste though.  The eggs, again, were hard and cold; the steak was tasteless; actually it had a sort of artificial taste to it; the best part of the omelet was the grilled peppers and onions.  The hash browns were the typical, nothing to write home about, hash browns.

Our waitress though did make sure our coffee cups were filled throughout our time there, so kudos to her for that.

Another short, but not so sweet, restaurant review.

Mary Cokenour