PANNING FOR GOLD IN MARK TWAIN COUNTRY
Murphys Grille
Our (Richard, Bob, Nguyen and me) jaunt into the quaint, gold rush town of Murphys, touring main street and its historic hotel worked up our appetite. There were plenty of interesting restaurants to choose from, but Murphys Grille beckoned us in with a smile from the owner and a diverse lunch menu that appealed to us. He also said he'd refund 150% of the cost of our meal if we didn't like it! We were tempted to lie.
Though the inside of this bistro was lovely...
... we decided to take a table on the front patio so we could enjoy the outdoors and do some people watching.
I didn't think I was going to review Murphys Grille as we started to eat, so I didn't take pictures of our entrees, but after sampling everyone's dish, as well as my own, I changed my mind. It turned out to be the perfect place for lunch.
Brother Bob had the Santa Barbara Chicken sandwich ($10). Though our waitress didn't know why it was called Santa Barbara chicken (free range on the beach?), it was a delish blend of grilled chicken, not too crisp/not too fatty bacon and jack cheese with a rosemary aioli.
A lover of fish and chips, Nguyen couldn't resist ordering it when she saw it on the menu ($12). Traditionally prepared from Cod and served with malt vinegar, the fish was crispy on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside. If we weren't in the beautiful Sierra foothills, this dish would have made me long to be in a pub in England.
Richard went for the Salmon Cakes ($12). My review: mouthwatering delicious and the herbs used truly enhanced the flavor of the cakes served with a lime/cilantro vinaigrette. Richard thought the black olives in the mixture was wrong for it... I didn't agree.
I went for the grilled chicken "burger" ($10), a perfectly cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast in a homemade burger roll, served with caramelized onion, lettuce/tomato and garlic aioli... dill pickle on the side. I love grilled chicken sandwiches and this chicken footed the bill.
Also on the menu was an Asian Calamari Fritti ($11), lemon aioli with Moi Poi, marinaded in paprika, cumin, chili powder, coriander and liquid from the calamari... Murphys Grille signature dish: an onion, mushroom, goat cheese tart ($11)... a selection of lunch salads ($10-$11)... a Caesar Salad Wrap ($11)... a Reuben ($11)... a BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich, with jack cheese and cole slaw ($10)... and an open face Steak Sandwich ($13) made from ribeye, with sauteed onion, mushroom and a blue cheese spread.
We will definitely return to Murphys Grille the next time we're in this charming town and pan for more food gold.
Lunch over, it was time to get back to the serious job of wine tasting.
MURPHYS GRILLE
380 Main Street
Murphys, California 95247
209-728-0304
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