2008 Woodie Awards
Hilltop sits high:
Historic restaurant gets facelift
Dale W. Eisinger
Issue date: 7/30/08 Section: Culture
|
"It's a little slice of the wilderness. You're only seven minutes away from city limits, but you're out of cell-phone range," Danarae Clor, owner of the restaurant said, "and the view is unbeatable."
Clor, a real-estate investor and property manager, purchased the property a little more than two years ago. At the time, her plans had nothing to do with running a restaurant of her own but the loss of a loved one helped convince her to change direction. Clor named the new restaurant after her late husband Don who died of a heart attack in May of last year. The Kodiak Grill is named after Kodiak, Ala., Don's favorite fishing spot.
Dana didn't want to tear the building down due to its cultural significance and because it is the only commercially zoned plot on a long stretch of the highway. It turns out this was the right decision: business has been booming, with a healthy response from new and original customers. The menu has been revamped with a number of specialty items, including the prim-rib bite appetizer and the Kodiak Big Bear, a half-pound, smoked sausage, melted-jack and cheddar cheese burger. The restaurant boasts hand-cut steaks and generous portions as well. Clor described the nachos as "foot high" and all the chips and fries as "hand cut."
The interior of the restaurant, too, has been revamped with an understated elegance; tiles flank raw wood in a look of outdoor chic. Clor and her team, including her son Carlton, spent the past two years renovating the decades-old space from the ground up. The result has been as popular as ever. The clientele has lasted right along with the building. The original Hilltop Café opened its doors in 1956; many who frequent the restaurant today are the same who've been coming to Hilltop for years.
"You wouldn't believe how many people have stories about this place," employee Zak Oberbillig said. "And they want to tell you every single one
of them."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 4
Kylee
posted 8/05/08 @ 1:33 PM MST
Dale, this photo rocks!
b
posted 8/06/08 @ 5:57 AM MST
Good for them, that site needs good owners/operators. I just want to know what the name change. It has been 'Hill Top" for over 40 years. What does "Kodiac" have to do with Idaho, much less anything on Hwy 21?
Post a Comment