It was the perfect date!

A friend visiting from Los Angeles joined me for lunch, and I’m proud to say I sent her home with an experience uncommon in her natural habitat. Isolated among tall trees in the middle of a dirt road stands a beautiful site very unique to the usual dining scene. Log Cabin Café (aka Sierra Banquet Center) is a two-story, cozy cabin look-alike, thanks to the exterior’s hand-carved, red pine logs and interior’s granite, wood-burning fireplace and elk chandelier. If the eatery doesn’t leave you with a smidge of historical sentiment, perhaps the 900-year-old bar’s wooden top (the ninth oldest in the U.S.) may have something to add.

Kudos to the waiter for putting our appetite into gear with the deep-fried butterfly shrimp starter, followed by my entrée: fettuccine Alfredo with smoked salmon. Tossed in creamy Alfredo sauce, capped with robust salmon and finished off with grated, Parmesan cheese, it was love at first sight (with the assistance of Frank Sinatra’s music filling the room). The folks in the kitchen must know the true meaning of the term “fresh” because my guest was overly pleased with her choice of fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. Both entrées were served with Log Cabin’s house salad, lightly dressed in a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. The apple berry crisp—a soft crust topped with baked apples, berries and scoops of vanilla ice cream all drizzled with warm caramel sauce—was the perfect finishing touch.

Fettucine Alfredo with Smoked Salmon

Remarkable dishes may be one reason behind the confidence the restaurant exerts when offering memorable events (another service they provide), but the views are another. The second story shares a breathtaking sight of the Sierras and the gardens below. I can’t say which I appreciated more, the comforting setting or the vigorous meals, but am conclusively giving it two thumbs up for the combined experience. After all, there was nothing more satisfying than leaving my guest content with her visit.

Log Cabin Café, 3220 Pondorado Road, Camino, 530-644-0345, sierrabanquetcenter.com.