The Cellar Door Restaurant at the Groveland Hotel

The Cellar Door restaurant's executive chef Greg Lutes has an amazingly large talent for a small town outside Yosemite National Park. Groveland, California, is a gold rush era town with about 1,500 residents. It is not exactly the place one would expect to find impeccable cuisine, but Chef Greg's list of foodie fans continues to grow from the California and the Bay Area to the UK. A recent review reads, "We ate at the Groveland Hotel's restaurant on our way in to Yosemite. It was, without a doubt, one of the best meals we've had in a long time...I eat at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco and I can assure you that Greg Lutes is as good, if not better. His dishes had very subtle, unusual and delicious flavors....a chef to watch...eat at the Groveland Hotel before you're paying $100 for the same entree in San Francisco." Chef Lutes came from Chicago with quite a reputation, having achieved a Zagat rating of 27 out of 30 at his previous restaurant. The draw was the proximity to Yosemite, and the opportunity for new personal and culinary inspiration. In his words, "I feel that being isolated from the influence of other chefs and trends in the culinary world makes my dishes more authentic. My focus has moved almost exclusively toward sustainability and community supported agriculture. Searching out local farmers on narrow, winding, mountain roads is a great way to combine my passion for the best of local products with my love of mountain biking." Chef Lutes insistence on the best ingredients has led to relationships with local farmers on narrow, winding back roads like Wards Ferry Road and from Taylor Farms in Murphys, another gold-rush town. Certified organic range grown turkey is purchased exclusively from Diestel Ranch in nearby Sonora. Cheese, fish and most of his meats are from California. Chef Lutes says, "The abundance in California is awesome!" "Friendly waitresses. Creative chef. Great ambience. A short drive from Yosemite. It's great value and half the price for double the inspiration." Find Chef Greg Lutes at the Groveland Hotel's Cellar Door restaurant Wednesday through Saturday evenings. The restaurant hours are 5:30 p.m. to closing time.