During my first trip to Utah I took a road trip which wound through the mountains and came down on Utah rt 190. As I was driving down the last leg of that trip I passed a little roadside restaurant which caught my eye. I didn't stop that time, but when I made another trip out to Utah I decided that I needed to grab lunch there. Unfortunately, I had no idea what it was called, or how far up the road it really was.
On my first trip I drove down rt 190. On this second trip I drove up it first and what a difference. The trip from the base of the mountain where rt 190 turns to head up to the restaurant was only just a hair over eleven miles, but an amazing eleven miles. The road twists and turns through small outcropping and along rivers and streams and climbs fairly steadily up. The views and geography are simply amazing. It was difficult to get a good picture of the road; all the best places had nowhere to pull off for pictures and anywhere there was a pull off, the road wasn't as interesting or obvious how amazing the drive really was.
Once through the twists and turns the road straightened out (a little bit) and I found the restaurant on the right side of the road. Apparently it's called the Silver Fork Lodge; since I hadn't caught the name when I went by the first time I was going from memory where I though it was on the road. I pulled in and found myself looking at a rustic structure which as I found out wasn't just a restaurant, but a Bed and Breakfast, restaurant and bar. I was driving and that was the main focus of my day, so no beer or wine for me on this trip, but I entered the restaurant and was greeted by a very friendly staff in a structure built of rough hewn beams with a welcoming atmosphere. Apparently the patio is one of the big attractions of the place, but as it was windy and in the 60s outside, I opted for interior dining that afternoon. The food was excellent, the service fast and the staff friendly. It might have taken me awhile to get there, but it was worth it (in case anyone is interested, I had the tomato basil artichoke soup and a turkey club sandwich; the soup was exquisite and the sandwich quite good)
After eating I drove right back down rt 190 and through all those magnificent twists and turns. It was an easy drive, fairly short and fun. I may have just found a new favourite lunch spot for days when I find myself hanging out around Salt Lake City and looking for lunch. It might take a little over two hours (from the airport) to make the round trip but I highly recommend it should you have the chance.