THE ‘HOUSE’ THAT ERNA RUNS

Say “Erna’s Elderberry House” and what comes to mind? A cottage--or perhaps a country store. And where would you expect to find such a place? Deep in a forest, made of gingerbread and surrounded by candy canes. As for Erna herself, you can’t help expecting a grandmother in an apron holding out a handful of sugar cookies. With a name like Erna’s Elderberry House, who could ever imagine the truth?

Erna’s is in the woods, all right, perched atop a high hill overlooking a village near the Yosemite Valley. But Erna is no grandmother, and her house is hardly a country cottage.

Erna Kubin is a young Viennese woman who bounces around with contagious energy. Her “house” is actually a dazzling restaurant on a baronial estate surrounded by seven acres of terraced trees and sculptured gardens. All the candy canes in the North Pole wouldn’t build a corner of it.

When you turn off the main road, you’re apt to think you’re trespassing the grounds of some wealthy recluse. Until you see the parking lot. Then you see a porcelain plaque over the door, on which is engraved “La Domaine du Sureau. “ More uncertainty--until you realize that sureau is the French word for elderberry.

Open the door and you find a sunken wine cellar and a cherrywood bar. Erna, who doubles as chef and maitre d’, may be there to lead you through the three entirely different dining rooms. Terra cotta tiles from France, carpets from Austria, stained glass and meticulous reproductions of 18th-Century art are just a few of the luxuries in which Erna has indulged.

The main dining room, named for Paul Bocuse, has high ceilings, wooden rafters, ornate dark brass chandeliers, plush scarlet and green tapestry chairs. It also has a picture window facing a grove of 150-foot trees. The tables are elegantly appointed with lead crystal, pewter service plates and candle holders, and lace doilies. A pleasant air by Bach or Handel can be heard faintly in the background. The feeling of romance is inescapable.

As soon as you are seated, you are served Erna’s signature aperitif, Champagne and locally extracted elderberry nectar in a fluted glass. Sip it while you peruse the table d’hote menu, six courses, from which you must choose a soup, entree and dessert (the appetizer, entremet, and salad courses are fixed). The menu changes daily.

We began with a dish of black linguine topped with poached scallops and shrimps in a saffron cream sauce; this was a full-bodied combination of exquisite colors and subtle flavors. The second course was equally satisfying. One soup, a frothy cold peach soup garnished with sprigs of fresh spearmint, was much like a cold Hungarian fruit soup. It was tangy and refreshing. The other, pureed asparagus with sour cream and smoked salmon, was simple but inspired, the smoky taste of salmon permeating every spoonful.

After two courses, we asked for Erna’s small but well-chosen wine list. Wines are reasonably priced. While we were deciding, a light red cherry sorbet appeared. Erna came out of the kitchen to ask if we could taste the cherries in it. “Cherries aren’t so good this year,” she said. (The sorbet was fine).

The main course, lamb in a vermouth chive sauce, came next. The lamb, heavily garlicked, with a gamy natural bouquet was excellent. But I especially liked the sprigs of fresh herbs on the plate and the spectacular palette of vegetables--long beans, red pepper with leeks, snow peas, spiced beets and baby carrots--that accompanied it.

By this time, my senses were so sated that I barely touched the salad that followed. This was a rather strange combination of butter and red leaf lettuces, arugula, pears and kiwi in a tropical fruit vinaigrette.

We were led outside to a table on the terrace for dessert. We looked at the illuminated fountain and decided to try all three desserts--Linzer torte, lemon mousse and chocolate ganache. Erna comes by her heritage honestly and, like all true Viennese, she knows her desserts: The Linzer was the best I’ve ever eaten. I washed it down with Chateau d’Yquem, which Erna thoughtfully sells by the glass.

But despite the opulent setting and the elegance of the food, when the bill comes you leave La Domaine du Sureau and go back to that gingerbread cottage. For the price for the entire dinner at Erna’s Elderberry House is only $28, and that includes the elderbery kir.

Erna’s Elderberry House, Victoria Lane at Highway 49, Oakhurst, Calif., (209) 683-6800. Open for lunch Wednesday-Friday; for dinner every night but Tuesday. MasterCard and Visa accepted.