Sorrel Ranch came with right dressing

Hilde G. Lee Daily Progress correspondent
Published: November 18, 2008

As I mentioned in last week’s column Allan and I spent some time at the Sorrel River Ranch outside of Moab, Utah. Located at milepost 17 on Highway 128, this four-star resort is situated between red rock buttes and the Colorado River. It encompasses 240 acres with magnificent views all around.

We had been to Moab several times, but had never visited that area except to take a shortcut to Interstate 70.

The atmosphere at Sorrel is casual, with accommodations in elegant log cabin-like structures. There are four units to each house. Some have kitchens and an upstairs loft for additional sleeping space. Most of the knotty pine furniture has been handmade. All have porches with rocking chairs for relaxing and viewing the surrounding scenery.

Sorrel River Ranch is a large working horse farm and it provides horses for riding, if one desires. There also is a full service spa, as well as pool, tennis courts and a basketball court. One also can go bike riding on various trails or go hiking in the nearby mountains, both just across the road.

Pass or play

There is a nearby golf course, and the natural wonders of the Arches and Cannonlands National Park. River rafting on the Colorado can be fun both as a participant and spectator sport. We chose the latter.

In talking with Don Taylor, the manager, one morning I found out more about Sorrel River Ranch and its history.

In 1903 Fred and Ida Stearns claimed this property on the Colorado River as their homestead. (It was then still under the government Homestead Act.) At that time the property was a wilderness, but Fred, with a single plow and horse, cleared enough land to feed his family and cattle. The original two-room farmhouse is still on the property.

Levin’s vision

In 1993 Californian Robbie Levin found this beautiful stretch of land along the Colorado River. It had been sadly neglected, but Levin had a vision for it.

Robbie Levin had been the bass guitarist for rock musician Rick Springfield in the mid-’70s. After that he became a highly successful entrepreneur in the women’s clothing field with his Nine West operations featuring clothing and accessories. He also owned some resort property in Park City outside of Salt Lake City.

When he saw the dilapidated ranch on Route 128 in the heart of the Colorado River Corridor, Levin envisioned an eventual resort and began to make plans for it. First he created a horse farm and built a large ranch house for his residence. That structure houses the hospitality facility on the first floor and the restaurant on the second floor.

(Levin has another

home on the property.)

Taylor manages both the resort and ranch.

“We also raise quite a bit of hay, which we sell,” he said.

Before coming to the Sorrel River property, Taylor had been associated with Levin in the Park City facility.

Breakfast and dinner are available at the resort. A picnic lunch can be prepared for those wishing to go hiking, biking or sightseeing. Allan and I found the food outstanding.

A buffet breakfast is included and can be enjoyed on the glassed-in veranda or on the upper porch. For breakfast there is a variety of fruits and cereals, pancakes, bacon and some of the fluffiest scrambled eggs I have ever had.

Chef John Clickner focuses on American foods with continental accents. He always tries to have a lamb dish on the menu and often has a long-roasted or stewed meat as a special of the evening. He changes his menu seasonally. One evening I enjoyed the Osso Bocco with its rich gravy and fork-tender meat.

The first night of our stay I ordered the Smoked Trout as an appetizer. The trout was raised locally and smoked in the smokehouse near the main building. It was excellent and served with a creamy caper sauce. Allan opted for the thick tomato-dill soup.

Whenever I see sliced tomato with mozzarella and basil as a salad on the menu, I have to order it. I was not disappointed — and neither was Allan in his Caesar salad. It seems that Caesar salad is Allan’s criterian for judging a restaurant.

The Colorado tenderloin of lamb served on roasted peppers with fingerling potatoes was excellent. There also were roasted duck, Dover sole with crabmeat and various vegetarian and pasta dishes on the menu.

One pasta dish that intrigued me was offered as an appetizer and also as a main course.

It was eggplant and Capellini (angel hair pasta). Strands of pasta were wrapped around thin, rolled-up slices of eggplant and fontina cheese, and then baked in a marinara sauce. It was very good.

There is plenty of opportunity for exercise to work off the extra calories at this beautiful resort. The two nearby national parks can take one a full day of sightseeing. Hopefully we will go back in the not-too-distant future.