Huckleberries Online

Fire Destroys Chef In The Forest

Posted by DFO

Dec. 21, 2009 10:17 a.m. • 10 comments

Police tape surrounded The Chef in the Forest restaurant early this morning after a fire destroyed the building at Hauser Lake late Sunday night. (Kathy Plonka/SR)

Hauser Lake fire officials are looking into the cause of a fire at the restaurant Chef in the Forest. The fire broke out early Monday morning. KHQ was able to talk with Hauser Lake Fire Chief Larry Simms, who says the restaurant is a complete loss. Chef in the Forest is located in the 12,000 block of North Woodland Beach Dr. in Hauser Lake. We’re told the fire broke out Monday morning around midnight. At around 2 a.m. morning KHQ talked with Chief Simms who said at that time the fire was mostly contained, but there were still hot spots/KHQ. More here.

Question: When did you last eat at Chef in the Forest/Hauser Lake?

10 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

KeithErickson on December 21 at 8:29 a.m.
Sad news. I grew up about a quarter mile from Chef in the Forest. My mom still lives in the same lakefront home. I haven’t eaten there in years, but way, way back when … in the late 1970s, I was a bus boy at the original Chef under eccentric owners Ralph and Jean Reynolds. Under their ownership, the restaurant was crazy-busy every night. Nobody ever was able to quite pull in the business that Ralph and Jean did.
brandxranch on December 21 at 9:03 a.m.
what a shame…. hope they rebuild, dining there has always been such a unique experience
Cabbage Boy on December 21 at 9:04 a.m.
That is sad news. We just had a gathering of friends out there a week ago. Great food and service.
MikeK on December 21 at 9:43 a.m.
Very sad - hadn’t been there in a while but it was always a favorite when we were really going out for a romantic date. Great food. Hope they rebuild - I’d recommend highly.
mia on December 21 at 10:35 a.m.
Chef in the Forest has been a favorite of ours for years. With its’ Chalet style, nestled seemingly out in the middle of no where, along with their delicious, unique dishes, made for a magical dining experience. We will certainly miss their Duck with Raspberry sauce, their Sauerbraten, and their wonderful pate starter platter with home made bread. What a sad loss. I too hope they will be able to rebuild. Hopefully, Chef in the Forest will not go the way of The Fish Inn.
OrangeTV on December 21 at 10:36 a.m.
Ah, now that I’ve got most my Christmastime madness behind me (except for the main event, of course), I can relax and de-blurk. That, and the HBO’er who drove me out of here by making want to puke every time I read his posts seems to have chilled out enough for me to deal.

Anyway, I haven’t made it out to Chef in the Forest in many moons but I have some very fond memories of the place and find this to be a staggering tragedy. It was completely unique among area restaurants, nothing else quite like it, and it will be greatly missed…
Frum Helen Back on December 21 at 12:42 p.m.
The owners of Chef in the Forest are wonderful folks and I’m so sad for them. Hopefully the City of Hauser won’t give them a difficult time about rebuilding.
christiewood on December 21 at 2:36 p.m.
FHB,

You are in my thoughts. I had the pleasure of meeting your daughter many years ago. She was a wonderful girl. I am so sorry for your loss. May your faith ease your pain.
DFO on December 21 at 2:45 p.m.
@ Frum Helen Back; let me second Sgt. Christie Wood’s comment. You definitely are in the thoughts and prayers of the Huckleberries Online community as the result of the loss of your daughter. Please pass on our condolences to Dave and your extended family.

You HBOers can read Janie’s obituary here: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/12/19/obituaries/janie_alynn_sampson.txt
JIMMYMAC on December 21 at 11:09 p.m.
FHB,
I just read the obituary and memorial and I am deeply saddened to hear of your loss. Janie sounds like a wonderful woman who will be missed by all who knew her. I know your memories will be cherished and I hope you find comfort in them during your mourning. I will be praying for you and your family.
RIP Janie

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.