701 West Main (Route 191)
Bluff, Utah, 84512
Phone: (435) 672-2303
(888) 475-7673
Website:
http://www.desertroseinn.com/
In 1997, Amer and Cindy
Tumeh, invested in property, just outside of Bluff, to open up hospitality
cabins. Within two more years, the
Desert Rose Inn and Cabins was created and has only continued to flourish, but
something was missing. In 2015, that
something developed into Duke’s Bistro which serves lodgers, locals and
visitors with amazing breakfast and dinner selections.
On a long trip back from
gallivanting around Historic Flagstaff; AZ, the warm, welcoming lights of
Duke’s was a beacon to we two hungry travelers.
Right now the bistro is in winter hours, 5pm to 8:30 (ish), as the sign
states, Monday thru Sunday; and it was already busy. Many tables were taken, and the rest filled
up quickly as time went by. Duke’s is
what I would call a “high end” bistro with absolutely beautiful décor; exquisite
tables, chairs and place settings.
Normally a bistro, in its original Parisian incarnation, is a small
restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. We were wondering if our casual dress would
define us as “not belonging” in this type of dining environment. Boy, were we anxious about nothing!
We were greeted with
smiles, and our server, Nona, was awesome – attentive, friendly and extremely
knowledgeable about Duke’s and the menu items.
While many items are not locally sourced, this is due to Duke’s policy
of finding only the best, quality foods to serve its guests. Desserts, soups and sauces are made in-house;
the staff is well trained to know the ingredients which is very helpful for
those on special diets, or with food allergies.
As I stated, I consider
Duke’s high end, but the menu prices are not very much different than other
local eateries. So, let’s get to the
food; we ordered burgers which come with oven roasted potatoes. The Anasazi Burger is 7 ounces of ground
Angus beef with all the fixings, and they’re not kidding. Nona asked if I’d like Swiss or Cheddar
cheese; to which I responded “Yes!”; in other words, I received both cheeses
and at no extra charge! The fixings were
piled high, the burger was perfectly cooked at medium-well; the pretzel bun was
not overly salty, toasted with wonderful flavor and texture. The potatoes were lightly salted, rustic,
fluffy inside and a great accompaniment to the burger.
Roy ordered the Pineapple
Delight Hamburger; 7 ounces of Angus beef, grilled pineapple, slices of
avocado, fixings, on that delightful pretzel bun with oven roasted
potatoes. Again, the burger was cooked
to a perfect medium-well; the pineapple and avocado sliced thin to meld with
each other, instead of fight for dominance.
I did have to swat at his hand as he kept trying to pilfer my potatoes.While the described desserts sounded mouthwatering (homemade cinnamon ice cream…oh my!), we were very content with the meals we had just consumed. We made sure to tip Nona well, she deserved it; and home we finally went.
While Duke’s will be closed
on winter holidays, they do offer catering for a holiday party in a separate,
private room. Simply call them and speak
with the manager who will happily work out all the details with you.
Personally, I’m looking
forward to those warmer months when the breakfast menu comes into swing
again. Now who doesn’t love a great
breakfast before going adventuring!
By the way, make sure the Bistro you stop at, when in Bluff, is Duke's; not that other so-called bistro that serves hot foods ice cold; has snobby staff that has no knowledge of menu items; and an owner that attacks anyone who criticizes by blaming the customers for not having a good time...and makes you pay the bill in full. Check the poor, terrible and average reviews on Tripadvisor.com; consider yourselves warned!!!
Mary Cokenour
