Squeeze Inn--One of the Best Restaurants EVER!

We passed by the Squeeze Inn several years ago on our first trip to the timeshare. We ate there that year, and now look forward to it all year, every year!


Squeeze Inn is a little red house on the side of the road in Clark Fork, Idaho. Clark Fork is a few miles east of Hope.


It is a totally magical place.  It is not 'fancy' in a luxurious way.  But, it is charming in its touches of light, flowers, and whimsy.

The family poses at the dinner table.

The woman who owns the Squeeze Inn, Janet, is a 'Nona'  (Italian grandma) as she calls herself.  She is involved in every aspect of the restaurant.  She always makes us think of our dear friend and Mumzie, Mrs. Lynam.

The first time we went there, her daughter was there working as a server.  The daughter was an aspiring artist.  She worked in many media.  She was ill for a time and stopped creating art for a time.  We were all excited to hear that she got married this year and is starting to paint again.  Yay!  Janet has many of her daughter's art pieces on display at the restaurant.  And, last year, we purchased some of the art.

This is a fabric art piece.  It is a family tree of sorts.  There are small bits of fabric representing the family members.  I really like this piece.  It has amazing texture!

This is my favorite painting by Janet's daughter.

This is a glass sculpture that is set in a tree stump.  It was also created by Janet's daughter.

There are also a few murals on the hallway walls completed by her daughter.

Though the art, atmosphere, and music (she has a continuous mix of blues, classical, and folk that always takes me to different places in my memory) are endearing, we do actually go there for the food, too!  There is a full menu that is quite extensive, but we like the other part of the menu.  Each night of the week from Tuesday through Saturday, there is an all-you-can-eat, family style, prix fixe menu including soup, salad, entree, vegetables, bread, wine, and dessert (ice cream).   The prices range from $13.95 (Asian night) to $19.95 (Basque night).  Some of the other nights (Mexican, Italian) are $14.95.  All-in-all, a pretty great deal!

The extra dessert that Allison and Dana tried this year was particularly fun.  It was coffee ice cream with a praline cookie dipped in chocolate. The reason the sunglasses are pictured is because when we first arrived this year, Janet said, "oh hey guys!  I think I have your sunglasses from last year."  She went into another area and came back with two pairs of glasses, Allison's and Dana's!  We could not believe that she saved the sunglasses and then was able to go find them so quickly. 

A close-up of the sweet treat!

Our whole group near the end of dinner.  It was a lovely Basque feast!
  

From the first time we met Janet, Dana and I have always said she reminded us of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Books were childhood favorites of mine. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, like Janet, is a whimsical character full of magic and fun.

This is an illustration of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (courtesy of theaterinchicago.com)!

This is a photo of Janet looking through the specially painted kitchen door!  Obviously, she doesn't take herself too seriously.  We learn new things about Janet every year.  For instance, we had heard that she traveled south (California, where she lived until Clark Fork) every winter, but this year we found out that she goes to South America every other year.  Now, she and her husband have been to every country in South America and Europe.  So, in two years (this year they are going to South America again), they will begin Asia with India.  It all sounds wonderful to me!