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Restaurant
Happenings - May
2005 |
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The
No Frills Grill
Moab UT 84532
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The Rio’s Grill Still
Thrills,
Even Without Frills
by Deirdre O. Keating
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Dream with me, please,
and imagine that the 2005 Chicago Cubs are blessed by whatever
curse-breakin’ spirit graced the Boston Red Sox last
season. After hiking or biking in Moab on the day of that
big game, you don’t want to spend the evening screaming
in front of a small TV screen in your hotel room. You want
two things: a very cold beer and a very big TV screen,
as well as the community that a sports bar & grill
provides when you just can’t make it to Wrigleyville
that night.
Enter Alan Fogg, who
can’t make any promises for the Cubs, but has created
the perfect spot to eat well and cheap, while socializing
and watching any big game you can imagine. After retiring
from UPS in Denver four years ago, Alan “just couldn’t
take the big city anymore.” His love of the backcountry
brought him to Moab, where he has poured all his energy
into creating The Rio’s No Frills Grill. This fun,
friendly place is a favorite with many locals, while also
welcoming visitors from all over the world.
As a private club, the Rio has been affected by recent changes in Utah’s
convoluted liquor laws. Yet Alan has remained committed to keeping
the kitchen open. Since family dining at private clubs has been eliminated
under the newest laws, Alan has stripped the menu of frills (hence
the new name) and gotten it down to the essentials without a lot of
high preps. Nevertheless, other than some appetizers, everything is
made on site. Allan says confidently, “You always get more than
you pay for here.”
The
grill still offers a diverse selection of sandwiches, including
hamburgers, BLTs, clubs, Italian sausage, and Philly cheese steaks.
And their Reuben is made the way a Reuben should be: corn beef,
sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on dark
rye bread. The menu features an impressive assortment of appetizers.
The sample plate, at $6.00, includes Jalapeno poppers with salsa
and sour cream, chicken fingers with ranch or blue cheese dressing,
cheese sticks with marinara sauce, and a portion of popcorn shrimp
and onion rings. There are also Buffalo wings, fried mushrooms,
corn dogs, potato skins, and, of course, baskets of French fries.
Is there anywhere else in town where you can fulfill your craving for
falafel? Six falafel balls are served in two half pita shells with
lettuce, tomato, and your choice of yogurt-cucumber or Tahini-lemon
dressing. The vegetarian menu also includes a veggie burger and a mushroom
or bean burrito. Alan is best known for his green chili, a past winner
at the Grand County Fair, as well as all his Mexican dishes, from chili
cheese rellenos to three kinds of quesadillas. The most popular dish,
besides his green chili, is the steak and shrimp deal. At only $7.95
a plate, it’s hard to beat!
Alan is proudest of having a “relaxed, friendly place” with
an amazing staff, many of whom have been with the Rio for years. “If
it wasn’t for my staff, I wouldn’t be here,” says
Alan. “We are always striving for perfection, and offering high
quality for low cost.” They are also always offering entertainment,
via sports or music. “There isn’t a seat in the place that
doesn’t have a good view,” Alan observes. With a 70” screen
in the center, and several ceiling-mounted TVs throughout the restaurant,
you are sure to find whatever team you love whenever they are playing.
The Rio has every sports channel conceivable, including ESPN, ESPN2,
Fox Sports Net, and the NFL as well as the NHL ticket, supported by
satellite as well as cable.
Karaoke
is offered Sunday-Thursday from 9:00 pm till 1:00 am, with live
music on the weekends. While out of town bands play at times, Alan
makes an effort to support local bands like Stonefed. “I
spend locally, on everything I buy and do, and try to encourage
our local talent,” explains Alan. There is also the opportunity
to play pool and foosball, or just enjoy a cold one at the extended
bar with a beautiful oak top.
It’s obvious that Alan invests a great deal into constantly updating
the No Frills Grill. There are new tables and bar stools, as well as
a top-of-the-line Honeywell system to eliminate smoke, allowing smokers
and nonsmokers to enjoy the same area comfortably. In addition, the
upper patio will be opening soon.
Under the newest Utah laws, you must be 21 years old and either a member
or sponsored by a member in order to enter the Rio. Annual membership
is $12.00, while out of town guests can pay a reduced $4.00 visitor
fee that is good for three weeks. There is no charge if you are accompanied
by a friend who is already a member and willing to sponsor you.
Alan stays motivated by always having something new going on at the
Rio, such as the recent offering of Saturday lunch. Meanwhile, other
things stay traditional, like the extremely cold beer. Alan sums it
all up by saying, “Basically I enjoy my job, the people and this
town. I am very hands-on, almost always here, so people can talk directly
to the owner.” Come in soon and say hi to Alan. And, while you’re
there, say a prayer for those Cubbies!
Recipe
of the Month
No
Frills Grill at The Rio
375° Carrot
Cake
Commercial-sized recipe – reduce
accordingly
Cake Ingredients:
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda (NOT baking powder)
2 tsp salt
5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
8 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups white sugar
3 cups corn oil
7 cups peeled/shredded carrots
Instructions: Oil
and flour a large cake pan. Mix flour, soda,
salt, cinnamon and allspice together. In a processor,
beat the eggs, vanilla, and white sugar. While
the motor is running, slowly add the corn oil.
Then mix the dry and wet ingredients. Stir in
the carrots. Fill the pan and bake at 375° until
the sides pull away from the pan, approximately
45 minutes.
Frosting: Mix
12 oz softened cream cheese with ¾ cup
butter/margarine. Add ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp
vanilla, 6 Tbsp Half & Half. When well-mixed,
gradually add 7 cups of powdered sugar. Do not
overbeat. Spread on completely cooled cake.
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