Food on the Fly

I first ate at the Tioga Gas and Gift Mart in Lee Vining two years ago during a trip to the high desert and the Eastern Sierra. My girlfriend and I were staying at a historic lodge that overlooked Mono Lake, and we asked the owner where to dine that night. To our amazement, she recommended Tioga Toomey’s Whoa Nellie Deli inside the Mobil station on the other side of town. “The chef there has been getting rave reviews,” she said.

Skeptical but hungry, we headed across town past motels and filling stations, pulling into the Mobil station’s parking lot. An empty flying-trapeze rig sat on the lawn beyond the gas pumps. Inside, beneath bright fluorescent lights, a familiar assortment of six-packs and fishing lures, quarts of milk and Yosemite T-shirts greeted us. In the far corner was a deli counter and eight Formica tables, each with its own squeeze-bottles of mustard and ketchup. The place was empty and didn’t look too promising.

There was no table service, so we had to order at the counter. A glance at the evenings’ specials indicated we might do better than hot dogs on metal rollers: Fried duck in a dark cherry chipotle sauce, lobster taquitos, and buffalo meatloaf with port wine au jus were just a few of the offerings. Dare we risk spending $16.95 on one of these entrees, or should we play it safe and just order hot dogs?

At that moment, Matt Toomey, a manic figure in a white chef’s jacket and baseball cap, hustled out from behind the counter. “Order something good,” he told us. We settled on the apricot- and wild-berry-glazed pork loin and the top sirloin steak with a dozen grilled shrimp. We also asked for dinner salads, which weren’t on the menu, but Toomey said he’d whip them up for us anyway.

Our salads were the first surprise. Served in deep bowls and bursting with color, the greens were topped off with a mountain honey and berry vinaigrette. When our entrees were ready, Toomey just shouted: “Steak! Pork loin!” We had to grab the plates from the pick-up counter ourselves. Garlic mashed potatoes and crispy sauteed spaghetti squash accompanied each dish, which was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection.

To have one of the better meals of your life in a gas station is bizarre. It leaves you staring at your plate for a moment or two in disbelief. On one of several return visits, I watched two vacationing German nurses gape at the racks of barbecued ribs jutting off the sides of their plates. On another, a well-heeled lady from San Francisco pulled out her camera and started taking photos of her brightly colored bowl of grilled artichoke soup. “Can you believe we’re eating this in a gas station?” she asked her companions.

I keep thinking the surprise will wear off, but on a recent visit to the Mobilmart, as the locals call it, I ordered pan-seared ahi on a bed of mixed greens. It came with a wasabi-soy vinaigrette and slices of fresh mangos and papayas. There’s another surprise on the menu every time.

Toomey, 36, is the former head chef at Whiskey Creek, Mammoth’s largest restaurant. About six years ago he quit his job to strike out on his own, rode to Lee Vining on his Harley and persuaded the gas station’s owner, Dennis Domaille, to open a gourmet deli instead of a Pizza Hut Express or other fast-food chain.

Since then the Whoa Nellie Deli has become a favorite with locals and tourists alike. People come for the food, but they also come to see Toomey, whose charisma and sense of humor are reflected in his cooking. He’ll often emerge from behind his stove to banter with the customers.

Need another reason to go? Try this. Trapeze performers give lessons during the day to tourists, who swing by their knees 40 feet in the air with an upside-down view of Mono Lake swooshing back and forth below. While the gas station is open all year, the deli and trapeze rig are only open from late April to mid-November.

So if you’re heading to Mono Lake or Yosemite this summer, stop in, take a trapeze lesson and order something good from the specials board. Toomey says that if it’s what you really want, he’ll even cook you a hot dog.

Southwest Duck with Dark Cherry-Chipotle Glace

Serves 4

1duck, cut into quarters, leg and breast separate

Salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

Cumin, to taste

Chili powder

3 cups vegetable oil

Glace

4 shallots, diced

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup blackberry brandy

1 small chopped chipotle chile, seeds removed

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a little water

1 16-ounce can dark cherries with juice

2 cups stock, preferably duck

To make glace: Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring until they brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add brandy. Return pan to heat and continue to simmer until brandy is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add chile, cherries and stock. Bring to boil. Mix cornstarch with water to form paste and slowly add, stirring until mixture begins to thicken. Simmer 5 minutes.

To cook duck: Season leg and breast with salt, white pepper, cumin and chile powder. Heat oil in large saute pan, about 350 degrees. Fry legs first until skin is crispy and brown, about 5 minutes. Repeat with duck breasts. In a 350-degree oven, cook breast an additional 10 minutes and legs for about 20 minutes. Serve with dark cherry chipotle glaze. Garnish with fresh dark cherries.

Lobster Taquitos with Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 18 taquitos

Taquitos

8 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup of jack cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped

11/2 cups cilantro, stems discarded

1 cup medium red onion, chopped

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

11/2 pounds cooked lobster meat, chopped

1/2 cup oil

8 corn tortillas

8 toothpicks

Tomatillo Salsa

7 tomatillos (green tomatoes), peeled and rinsed, roughly chopped

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1 tablepoon olive oil

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 cups fresh pineapple, chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tablespoon cumin

1/4 tablespoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

To make salsa: Saute tomatillos and onions until brown in olive oil, about 1 minute. Transfer to food processor, adding remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

To make taquitos: Mix cheeses, garlic, cilantro, onion, bread crumbs and spices in mixing bowl. Transfer small batches into food processor and puree until smooth, transferring each batch into a second mixing bowl until all has been pureed. Add lobster meat and mix thoroughly. Heat about 1/4 inch oil in a saute pan. One by one, dip tortillas into hot oil for one second, just to soften. Allow to cool, then add 1/4 cup lobster mixture. Roll into taquito and hold together with a toothpick. Repeat process till all mix is gone. Fry in saute pan with oil about two minutes until crunchy. Top with tomatillo salsa.

Summer Salad

Serves 6

2 bags spring mix or baby lettuce mix

1/2 pound shredded red cabbage

1/2 pound shredded carrots

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1 cup mangos, chopped

1 cup pineapple, diced

1 cup plums or pears, diced

1 cup wild berries or blackberries or boysenberries

Divide spring mix salad on six plates. Place all other ingredients around salad and on top of salad. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette.

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Food stylist - Christine Masterson