Posted by …and other tales from the Turquoise Room
Back in the day, travelling on the glamorous Santa Fe Super Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles, one could step into the ‘Turquoise Room’ dining car (designed by Mary Colter) and enter the golden age of ‘civilizing the west.’ Flash forward to 2022 where Allen Affeldt and Tina Mion carried the vision into Winslow Arizona. Partnering with Chef John Sharpe and his wife Patricia, they marshalled the past to create The Turquiose Room at La Posada.
Patricia designed the vintage placemats for the dining room, celebrating the storied fame of La Posada as ‘the resting place’ along Route 66 and the railroad.
Coupled with the calm tones of turquoise and Navajo and Southwestern art on the walls, the graceful scale of the room was immediately apparent when we arrived. Back in 2000 when he first visited, John Sharpe noted “There was no chef-driven restaurant between Flagstaff and Albuquerque. I felt that if we created a destination dining option we would succeed. We had the building on Route 66 with a view of the trains, in a small rural town put on the map in part due to a popular song — the perfect place for a rest stop. It felt worth the try.”
Wow. Am I glad he did!! With a 5:30 reservation we succeeded in scoring one of the eleven servings of squash blossoms, stuffed with a delicate local cheese. And the joys of the meal didn’t stop there. Sharpe built a regional reputation as a James Beard finalist for Southwest cuisine – twice. And it showed.
Born on the North Sea coast of England, Sharpe consistently cooked with what he had on hand. He celebrates the flavors of the region and its people, including a heritage breed of hardy sheep known as the Navajo-Churro. This lean, flavorful meat is served daily at the Turquoise Room, and Sharpe can be credited with saving the breed by raising awareness and creating a market.
My sampler lamb dish was free-range reared by Irene Bennally in the Two Grey Hills on the Navajo Nation. Red corn pozole with lamb chorizo fired my palette, a sweet corn tamale soothed with a tomatillo ragout, and a savory lamb chop nestled in kale, mint, and garlic. The perfect mixture of spicy, savory and sweet.
Fantastic calamari with a chipotle dipping sauce enhanced by the smoked paprika dusting the sides of the plate. Bison short ribs braised in blackberry barbeque sauce with red chili and agave were tender and delicious, covered in fresh local vegetables. But the real seduction came at the end.
We aren’t dessert eaters as a rule, but when our server told us to order 25 minutes ahead for the white chocolate souffle, we were sold. Steaming when opened tableside, a fragrant and warm chocolate sauce with raspberries simply put the meal over the top.
You know a place is special when you can’t forget it. And it’s also special when everyone we encountered from locals to the line manager at the Flagstaff airport (100 miles away) smiled in happy contemplation of a meal at The Turquoise Room. While John and Patricia Sharpe retired after 20 years in 2020, Affeldt plans no menu changes, and the staff remains in place. Well worth a stop on your way to anywhere… (Jen)
