The Mango Lassie

I thought I had found sanctuary from the snow by coming to Arizona, but a trip to the top of nearby Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina mountain range proved me wrong. About three days into our trip, Empanada Boy and I piled into the rental mini-van with Popover, Tofutti Cutie, and Sushi Sister and Croque Monsieur (EB’s sister and brother-in-law) who had joined us from Portland.

As we wound up the mountain, we passed through four different ecological zones, and the desert landscape faded away to forests. We tried to stop at the Mt. Lemmon Cafe, but the place was crowded even at 2 pm, and most diners seemed to have waiting for quite some time. Undaunted and famished after an earlier hike, we made our way to a ski resort at the top of the mountain with a restaurant called the Iron Door.

The interior of the restaurant is dark with wooden walls, heavy doors and a hunting lodge feeling. We sat outside on a back deck that looks out onto the ski slope.

After a long day of hiking, I could think of nothing more appetizing than a nice hearty bowl of chili. The Iron Door’s version is made with a variety of beans, carrots and onions and contains sizeable chunks of beef roast. It comes with cheddar cheese and white onions to sprinkle on top and a massive piece of cornbread. The cornbread was coarse in texture, but suprisingly light in density. It had a touch of sweetness, which often comes from adding sweet corn, but no kernels were detectable. Both cornbread and chili were exceptional.

After lunch, we returned to the take out window at the Mt. Lemmon Cafe where about 15 different homemade pies are being served on any given day. These range from cherry to Mississippi Mud. A slice is large and a bit pricey at $6.50 each. I tried the blackberry pie, which, like the cherry pie, was filled with a jellied version of the fruit. The bakers probably can the berries when they are fresh and then pour the pre-made filling into the crust. The result is a too-sweet concoction without much of the essence of the original fruit. The bottom crust was fairly flaky, although I wasn’t that impressed. Instead of a top crust, there were crumbly clusters of brown sugar and butter (or lard or shortening, depending on the restaurant’s fat of choice).

I liked the crumbly crust, but the fillings just weren’t tart enough. When I think of good blackberry pie, I think of the ones I make with my Mango Mama with berries we pick from the beach or the trail behind my house in Portland. Even frozen berries maintain the same texture and flavor of the fresh ones, but both are lost in the jellied version. Still, the view from the mountain top is stunning, and the chili at the Iron Door is another reason to make the climb.

Iron Door Restaurant
10300 E. Ski Run Rd.
Mt. Lemmon, AZ 85619
520.576.1321

Mt. Lemmon Cafe
Village of Summerhaven (first building on the left)
Mt. Lemmon, AZ 85619
520.576.1234