The resort that we stayed in while in Two Harbors had a lovely little restaurant called The Ledge Rock Grill where we enjoyed a magnificent meal prepared for us by Chef Nathan. The executive Chef Uriah Hefter  created a simply wonderful meal for us, along with a perfect wine pairing to go with every course. We sat right there, front and center to the kitchen. Originally my youngest child, the Gluten Free one, was supposed to join us. She ended up staying behind with a friend at home, with grand social plans, and so the original menu of Gluten Free was modified and changed to allow gluten. For those who are gluten free, this restaurant is VERY gluten intolerant friendly! I was told by Chef Nathan they are in the process of creating an entire menu for GF.

Here was our menu for the night:

And this was our view. My apologies for the blur, Chef Uriah (in the hat) WAS a blur of efficiency and activity!

The first course (amuse) started the night off on a positive note. Pineapple and pork with an asian sauce, perfectly cooked and reminiscent of Hawaii, was much needed considering the blizzard we battled on our journey up the day prior. Chef Nathan was our personal cook, and he finished it off by steaming it a bit with white wine. Oh, what a stroke of genius! It was prettier on the skewer, but I was a teensy bit excited and my camera was slower than my fork!

The amuse was followed by our ‘salad’. Chef Uriah and I had a fun exchange on the naming of them as ‘fingers’. I felt it was more like a lettuce wrap, he was just as sure it was a ‘finger’. HA! That is why HE is the executive chef and I am not! (In the back are my husbands, sans anchovies. In front are mine, avec anchovies. Of course, mine was better.)

The third course I must confess was a bit of a let down. You see, since we were in the unit, enjoying our reading and fireside snuggling, we noshed on local cheeses and smoked fish w/ GF crackers for a light lunch. Still, it WAS tasty and I’m never one to let good locally produced food go to waste!

I was pleasantly surprised that the ‘Roman’ in the palate cleanser was Italian champagne! The raspberry sorbet was homemade and for a moment, I was transported to a nearby U-pick farm I frequent in the summertime. I have decided, this is on my list of ‘To Do’ for summertime entertaining. (Once again, my utensil made it to the target faster than the camera!)

Le piece de resistance was the lamb. While lamb is one of my most favorite dishes (Rack of Lamb is tied for me with Fois Gras) it is NOT one of my husbands. I glanced over to take a peek and gauge his reaction to his serving. The plate was beautifully presented and the lamb was perfectly cooked pink. I have had lamb a lot in my many years of dining, but this had to be one of the best presentations I’ve ever tasted. It was perfectly seasoned. The seasonings accented the lamb without overpowering it, and the lamb was fresh and clean without a hint of gaminess. As you can see, it was simply perfect, served with rustic heirloom potatoes and fresh green beans!

I need not have worried about my sweet hunka love going hungry, as it appeared he felt the same as I did about the lamb. I would like to add that my man never, and I mean NEVER chews a bone. I am the officially designated bone chewer in this family, a duty I enjoy with relish. When it’s pork chops on the menu at home, I get all the bones, they get the loins. I have no reservations either about picking up a bone in public and chomping away.

So, while he is never surprised at my picking up the bone in public, I was pleasantly shocked when he did. I would say he enjoyed it quite tremendously!

We finished up our meal with dessert. Three different homemade frozen treats: chocolate nib, cinnamon and peach/mango. While each one was very different and tasty on it’s own, the peach-mango was our favorite. It must have been that longing we have had for anything that breathes the breath of summer right now.

That was our wonderful food adventure up on the north shore of Lake Superior. This little culinary gem is hidden away in a resort called Larsmont Cottages. If you don’t stay at the resort, you MUST make reservations for the Chef’s Table and enjoy the creative passion of Chef Uriah. It is a mere 15 minutes north of Duluth, an easy drive. I highly recommend for those Gluten Intolerant and those who are not, but if you are someone who deals with celiac you’d have to call the restaurant. I can’t speak to that, sorry.

If you do get a chance to visit – Bon Appetite!