The Nauvoo Cafe is friendly and clean where you can come in peace and happiness glean.

There are many pictures of Old Nauvoo, that will help you enjoy the wonderful food.

Only good people come here to dine where the staff and cooks are friendly and fine.

So if you want to have fun while you eat come to the Nauvoo Cafe for a treat.

There are sandwiches, soups, salad and turkey pot pie, ice cream, cookies, cake and brownies to buy.

So come to the Nauvoo Cafe for a while to stay.

Mitchell Sampson is the new Bakery Business Manager for The Lion House and Joseph Smith Memorial Building! He grew up in Salina, UT and was trained at The Hotel Utah Bakery about 29 years ago. Later he did another certified apprenticeship at the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia under a Certified Master Chef named Hartmut Handke. He has worked as a Chef in various places, including the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Harrah’s Las Vegas and Stanford University.
Mitchell speaks 4 languages and has travelled all over the world, having lived in Saudi Arabia, US and British Virgin Islands and in Vietnam. He and his wife travel to Vietnam every year, where they own and operate 2 schools in Bien Hoa City.
About being a baker, Mitchell adds: “One of the greatest rewards I have had is teaching younger people baking and culinary skills“. We are so excited for Mitchell to be part of The Lion House and Joseph Smith Memorial Building Bakery team! Here’s a little bit of our conversation with him.

When did you start working for Temple Square Hospitality?
I began as a Sous Chef at the Roof Restaurant in August 2012, but I actually began my career here in the bakery at The Joseph Smith Memorial Building in 1984 when it was The Hotel Utah.

What is your favorite thing to bake?
I like making rustic breads, Lion House Rolls and pastries.

How did you become interested in a baker job?
When I was in high school I thought it would be something interesting to learn, from there I kept learning and began traveling and continued learning all over the world.

What’s the hardest thing about being a baker?
The time you have to wake up!!!! Bakers work very strange hours. Our shifts here begin anywhere from 1 am (being the early shift) to 4 am (being the late shift).

We are honored to announce that The Lion House Pantry, The Garden Restaurant and The Roof Restaurant won Best of State 2013 in specific Dining Categories!



The Lion House Pantry – Informal American Dining
“In 1964, the Lion House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark, listed in the Register of Historic Places. Secretary of Interior, Stuart Udall praised the house as a monument to the achievements of the Mormon Pioneers. (…) Because history is a great part of the Lion House Pantry, so is the devotion and contribution of our chefs and staff to keep the traditions alive. (…)The restaurant is a distinctive place where the chefs and employees contribute with family recipes and everything is made from scratch; soups are prepared everyday, fresh rolls, baked goods, etc. The roast beef is a traditional recipe used from the beginning of the Pantry’s existence – almost 45 years. The Pantry also has the exclusive Brigham Young’s Sarsaparilla, a soft drink made from sarsaparilla plant similar to root beer, that he claimed to be his favorite drink.(…)”

The Garden Restaurant – Casual American Dining
“The Garden Restaurant has a rich legacy dating back to 1914, four years after the completion of the prestigious Hotel Utah.(…)This year, The Garden Restaurant celebrates 20 years with the reopening of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It continues to resemble the grandeur that The Starlight Gardens created some 98 years ago. (…) In 2012, The Garden added distinguished items to its Mediterranean inspired American cuisine menu. Among those, long-standing signature items to The Garden Restaurant still remain on the menu, including the famous Fried Pickles.”
This the 4th year in a row that The Garden Restaurant wins Best of State in this category!

The Roof Restaurant – Fine Dining Buffet
“The Roof Restaurant holds an elegant history in conjunction with the majestic Hotel Utah. In 1914, the extravagant Roof Gardens restaurant was opened atop the hotel, which offered immaculate views of the Salt Lake Temple and Salt Lake Valley.(…) Today, The Roof Restaurant is located in one of the interior seating sections of the old Roof Gardens. This particular section of the Roof Gardens was focused around small curved booths, which are still one of the distinct attractions of the current Roof Restaurant.(…) In December 2012, The Roof Restaurant received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Restaurant Association, which is given to restaurant operations that have been in business for more than 50 years. (…) Our in-house Pastry Chefs create our award-winning array of specialty desserts exclusively for The Roof Restaurant. Each evening more than twenty different desserts are displayed at two Dessert Stations located in the center of the restaurant. (…) Executive Chef Mauricio and his staff prepare domestic and international cuisines that change each night. The Roof Restaurant takes special care to make sure every guest’s needs are met.”

It’s April again and General Conference is here! Check out the special hours of Temple Square restaurants during the event on Saturday, March 30 and Saturday, April 6.
All Temple Square restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Halibut Broil Amandine

You’ll need:
6 halibut steaks or fillets
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons lemon juice

How to make:
Preheat broiler in oven. Rinse fish and pat dry. Arrange in a single layer in a greased, broiler-safe baking pan.
Pour broth around fish. Mix butter with thyme and brush half on fish. Place baking sit on broiler pan and place on oven rack about 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil fish (do not turn), basting once or twice with remaining butter mixture.
Broil 3 to 6 minutes for fish that is 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick or 6 to 10 minutes for fish that is 1- to 1 1/4-inches thick.
Melt butter in a small skillet. Add almonds and stir until begin to brown. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
Pour over fish when ready to serve.
Makes 6 servings.

Note: This cooking method works equally well for bass, cod, flounder, red snapper, shark, or orange roughy.

Poppy Seed Spinach Toss

You’ll need:
1 pound fresh spinach
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 Bermuda onion, sliced thin and separated into rings
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1 recipe of Poppy Seed dressing

How to make:
Wash spinach, dry thoroughly, and discard stems. Tear in pieces into a large salad bowl. Tear lettuce in pieces into bowl.
Add Swiss cheese, cottage cheese, mushrooms, onion rings and chopped eggs.
When ready to serve, pour Poppy Seed dressing over salad and toss to coat greens. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings.

Poppy Seed dressing

You’ll need:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon minced Bermuda onion
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

How to make:
Pour vinegar and oil in blender. Add poppy seeds, sugar, minced Bermuda onion, salt, and dry mustard.
Process until well blended or place ingredients in a pint jar and shake until oil is emulsified. Refrigerate.
Flavor improves if made several hours in advance.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.

French Onion Soup with Parmesan Toast Cubes

You’ll need:
3 cups sliced onions
1/4 cup butter
2 cups beef stock (or 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons beef soup base)
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 cups water and 2 tablespoons chicken soup base)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

How to make:
In a medium saucepan, saute’ sliced onions in melted butter until golden brown. Add beef stock, chicken stock, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan Toast Cubes just before serving.
Makes 4 servings.

Parmesan Toast Cubes

You’ll need:
1 loaf French bread
Butter, room temperature
Parmesan cheese, grated

How to make:
Slice French bread into thick slices and place on a large baking sheet. Spread each slice with enough softened butter to cover each slice. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese.
Place slices under broiler and toast until light brown.
Remove and cut into large cubes.