Whoa Nellie Deli facts for kids
The Whoa Nellie Deli is a special and surprising restaurant in Lee Vining, California. It's known for serving amazing, fancy food even though it's located inside a Mobil gas station! Many newspapers and magazines across the United States have written about how unique and delicious this place is.
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Where to Find the Whoa Nellie Deli
The Whoa Nellie Deli is found on a small hill near the main roads, U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 120. It's just a short drive from the small town of Lee Vining. This spot is where the huge Sierra Nevada mountains meet the Great Basin desert.
From the deli, you can see beautiful Mount Dana and other tall mountain peaks. The eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park is also nearby, about 12 miles away. You can also see Mono Lake, a very salty and unique lake, from the restaurant.
What Else is There?
Since it's part of a gas station, you can also fill up your car here. But there's more! The location also has a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs. There's a small grocery store too, if you need snacks or drinks.
If you want to eat outside, there are picnic tables available. During the warmer months, from late spring to early autumn, the deli often has live music. Bands play about 30 times a year, usually on Thursday and Sunday evenings. The restaurant closes for the winter.
Delicious Food at the Deli
Even though it's in a gas station, the Whoa Nellie Deli serves amazing food. Gourmet magazine once said that the area around Yosemite Valley used to not have many good places to eat. But now, hikers can find delicious meals at the Whoa Nellie Deli.
Popular Dishes
You can find interesting dishes like lobster taquitos. They also serve pan-seared ahi salad. Chef Matt Toomey creates special meals. Some favorites include fish tacos with ginger coleslaw and wasabi crème fraiche. They also make seafood stew with mashed potatoes and garlic bread. You can even get mango Margaritas!
Surprising Quality
Many people are surprised by how good the food is. The Atlantic magazine called the deli a "nuttily gourmet kitchen." They said it serves "huge platefuls of food." They also mentioned that "the deli is a continuous party all summer long."
The San Marcos Daily Record in Texas described the Whoa Nellie Deli as an "exceptional eatery." They said it "offers unexpected surprises with great selections of fine foods."
The Los Angeles Times wrote about Chef Matt Toomey. They said he is a "manic figure in a white chef's jacket and a baseball cap." They also noted that his fun personality shows in his cooking. They praised dishes like the apricot and wild berry glazed pork loin. They also liked the top sirloin steak with grilled shrimp. These dishes were described as "beautifully presented and cooked to perfection."
It's a very unique experience to eat such a high-quality meal at a gas station. The San Diego Union-Tribune wondered, "But who would have believed slices of perfectly seasoned and seared sashimi-grade ahi, fanned on a bed of edible seaweed, served in a gas station?" It truly is a surprising place to find such gourmet food!
