RECIPE OF THE MONTH - May 2001

The Slickrock Café - Fun, Fresh and Flavorful!
Center & Main Street - Downtown Moab  435-259-8004

Hungry? Slickrock Café can take care of that rumble in your tummy three times a day! Anthony Mason, operating partner of the eclectic Main Street restaurant takes pride in serving big portions of healthy food.

“All of our food is made from scratch,” says Anthony. “No canned food is used for any of our recipes. We make our own sauces and all of our desserts. And it’s all healthy stuff…well, if you include French fries as health food,” he laughs.

The Slickrock Café started feeding people in 1994. Anthony is proud that the restaurant is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Moab. Built in 1907, the Cooper-Martin building originally housed a mercantile where Moab residents shopped for dry goods and other day to day household needs.

Today, the building has quite a different flare. While the original block sandstone is evident on the building’s exterior and brick walls are exposed inside, the restaurant has a definite contemporary feel. It possesses a lively, colorful atmosphere and is usually teeming with laughing diners and good vibes. The menu selections are pretty lively, too. The favorite for breakfast is the “Hungry Biker,” home fries topped with veggies, melted cheese and two eggs, guaranteed to satisfy even the hardest peddling cyclist. The Canyonlands Burrito combines scrambled eggs, jack and cheddar, black beans, green chilies and fresh salsa in a sun-dried tomato tortilla. And if you want to skip the eggs, a tofu burrito with black beans, mushrooms, roasted red peppers will get you ready for a ride in the rugged backcountry.

Lunch can be anything from a classic hamburger to portabella wraps or a vegetarian focaccia sandwich. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Uranium Burger, a half pound of ground beef laced with fresh garlic and chunks of blue cheese (no doubt the “uranium”). Additionally, Anthony is not modest about claiming, “…. we have the best Caesar salad in town,” which is served at lunch and dinner. Evening fare includes fresh Utah trout, meatloaf with gravy, sun-dried tomato pesto with chicken or a vegetarian stir fry among the many choices. In fact, the biggest problem might be in deciding what to choose off of the Slickrock’s large, diverse menus. The restaurant is “vegan friendly” and can accommodate folks with special dietary restrictions or preferences. In fact, Anthony feels like the restaurant can make just about anyone happy.

“We seek to please visitors from New York to Los Angeles and everybody in between including our own local clientele,” says Anthony. Visitors from overseas will certainly enjoy the diverse and eclectic menu items as well, especially those with a decidedly southwestern flair.

Diners have almost every hour of the day to try out the Slickrock as well. The restaurant opens for breakfast at 7:00 a.m., in time to have a hearty meal before you hit the trails. Breakfast service ends at 11:00, just in time for the lunch crowd, but you have time to catch a mid-day meal until 5:00 p.m. After 5:00, the Slickrock starts dinner service and doesn’t stop until 10:00 p.m. And this happens every day, seven days a week!

The building was no doubt a hub of activity in 1907 where people bought their supplies and met for some good conversation. Today it remains a busy place full of friendly people. While you’re there, don’t forget to take home one of their popular T-shirts as a souvenir of Moab and the Slickrock Café.

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