<p>Chocolate mint ganache and cheese cake were two of the dessert menu's five items.</p>

The elegant Nancy Lincoln has long been a fixture in Wallowa County culinary circles. I started thirty years ago with a lunch wagon, moved on to catering for hunting camps and fire crews. In 1989 I had a small joint in Enterprise called Nancys Fine Food.

For the last eight years, Lincoln has owned and operated the legendary Calderas in Joseph. We, of course, have good days and bad days but I still enjoy offering what we have to visitors and the community.

Lincoln wants to mention that she sorely misses the invaluable presence of her charming daughter Danyiele who worked with her for eight years and has recently left to devote herself to other concerns. However, Calderas still retains master chef Mikey Gamboa who has been commandeering their kitchen for the past three years.

The importance of food presentation is a concern of ours, says Gamboa. Were trying to provide unique and exciting menu items in a beautiful and elegant setting. Happy food; ergo happy people.

Calderas is in a lovely sylvan setting gardens on all sides and a stunning mountain view. Above the restaurant, Lincoln displays a collection of unique clothing and her own fine art fused glass in the style of Art Deco. The Art Nuevo ambiance of the interior, coupled with a magnificent dining experience, was one that even my companions bestial presence could not sully.

We began with Mediterranean flatbread layered with Calderas’ own pesto and artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and Greek olives. My companion then ordered two(!) entrees: six large prawns sautéed in pesto and served on a baguette which she inhaled with ghastly shrieks of delight. I then ordered a garden salad consisting of luscious greens grown in Nancys Imhaha garden. A small salad is an ample and delightful meal in itself; my companion, of course, ordered the large version and the large spinach salad, tossed in an orange basil vinaigrette.

And now the piece de resistance: Mikeys Killer Parmesan Chicken, a tender chicken breast superbly baked in a delicate white parmesan sauce and finished with a light crunchy topping. My dining companion, with the horrific sounds that apparently accompany her gustatory procedures, roared directly to the dessert menu where she devoured all five (!) of Calderas’ splendid offerings an espresso Crème Brule, a hot lava cake (gluten-free), cheese cake cascading with Marion berries, and a chocolate mint ganache.

Nancy and Mikey had provided my companion and myself with an ethereal dining experience and I could not have been more satisfied. My companion waddled to her car emanating burps and bellows celebrating a gastronomical triumph. The sun was setting. I walked out into the fragrant evening, down toward The Hydrant and a modest dozen or so pleasant nightcaps: a calm, peaceful man.

Calderas is open Thursday through Monday, 1 to 9 p.m. It is located at 300 North Lake Street, Joseph; (541) 432-0585.

Arts & Leisure columnist Tom Hutchison formerly wrote the Art Notes column for The Chieftain, and was formerly a columnist for The Santa Cruz Sentinel, and, before recorded time, The Stanford Daily.