This week I have chosen Bristols' Ranch House Cafe in Arnold.
If you have read my To Dine or Not to Dine articles before you can probably surmise that I thoroughly enjoy dining out...anyone else cooking for me and then washing the dishes, is far and away the best! So suffice it to say when I visit a place where I walk in and am greeted like family, treated like family and fed like family...I know I have found home! Bristol's Ranch House Cafe is home.
After discovering the serene beauty of Whitepines Lake while on a photo hunt for new views to see through my lens, I had worked up an appetite. After all, sitting on a white sand beach, my feet sunk in the sand, watching the kayakers and ducks paddle through the crystal clear water and the fishermen casting again and again, had me exhausted! Dragging myself to my car I ask a local enjoying an early lunch on a nearby picnic bench where I might stop for a nice bite to eat. Bristols was the first and only restaurant that came to mind. Bristols it was.
Located right on Hwy 4, you would think it would be easy to spot, but ha, its wood cabin exterior nestled into the pines may cause you to miss it..so keep your eyes open. When you pull into the parking lot its much like pulling into a campground. Squirrels, birds and pine needles everywhere! I entered the door and was instantly greeted by the owner Richard who had been sitting with a customer chatting. Quickly seated with menu in hand and coffee on the table I perused the menu. As it was morning the menu offered everything you could want for a hearty country breakfast. An elderly lady at the table next to me leaned over and whispered...'try the biscuits and gravy, they're the best, I come each week just for that!' I took a look at her plate...wiped clean. I took a look at her frail frame and wondered just where she had put all that food.
Not able to make up my mind I watched as plate after plate of food appeared from the kitchen and was delivered with friendly chatter to the tables. Watching the plates made my decision even more difficult as the omelets were bursting at the seams with vegetables, meats and cheeses. The biscuits and gravy servings were so huge I was surprised it fit on the plate. I was pretty sure my ever widening rear was not going to appreciate what I was going to order, but I did it anyway. Oddly enough I ordered a Belgian waffle with seasonal berries.
Now my experience with waffles and fruit is limited to Ihop and places like that where its basically pancake batter made into a waffle and the fruit is frozen and tasteless. Not at Bristols. Have you ever seen a waffle that takes up an entire plate? Not kidding here. That waffle was piled so high with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, whipped cream and berry drizzle it had to be at least 4" high! 'Thighs and rear end be damned...I am eating it all' I said to myself. About 1/3 way through and a couple of grunts to Richard when he came to ask how the meal was, I was pogged! No more could fit in. I noticed I was not alone as many were rubbing their tummies and staring at what remained on their plates. I paid my incredibly affordable bill, slogged it home to Copper and napped like a baby.
So not being able to resist the pull of the lake, especially now that I knew what dining establishment was in close proximity, I once again found myself communing with nature, working up an uncanny appetite just by adjusting my zoom. Off to Bristols again.
This time I asked if there was a special menu....lo and behold...there was! I knew it! Patty Ellington, the culinary creator of all that comes from the kitchen was certain to have creations above and beyond the boundaries of any menu. On that day I knew right away I wanted to try the Mediterranean sandwich. This sandwich is made with grilled zucchini, squash, eggplant, red
onion, spinach, Gorgonzola cheese and pesto aioli on a sour dough roll. GROAN!!!
Dining alone is not an option when you are at Bristols...as their sign says, when you are dining here you are family. So Richard accompanied me though most of my meal as I simply groaned and grunted responses while I devoured my meal. How a sandwich could be so decadent and so flavorful with the ingredients Patty had chosen was beyond my comprehension. Only able to finish half, I sheepishly wiped the mess from my mouth, chin and shirt front while Richard took it all in stride. Probably a common sight at Bristol's.
The following day I finished the other half. It was almost just as good the next day!
I would have to say that this dining experience is one that will gladly be repeated as often as I can get to the Arnold area. The atmosphere is homey, the staff (including those in the kitchen) remember your name, the portions are massive, the food is divine (chef kudos), and the prices easily fit within my budget.
Bristol's Cafe is not open for dinner. Closed on Wednesdays. For more information visit their facebook page at Bristol's Ranch House Cafe or call 209-795-2091
(My little disclaimer: 'To dine or not to dine' is meant to be a
helpful - and humorous - informational piece only. I receive no monetary
compensation for this column nor do I endorse any one eatery. This
is simply my opinion. My tastes will be different from others and I
readily admit that I have no culinary background, but I am pretty
confident I know when food is cooked correctly or not, whether a drink
is poured well or not and especially whether wait staff is
first-rate or in need of a career change.)
