118:, a uniquely salty and mineral saturated body of water, is visible from the restaurant to the northeast. The gas station also offers a gift shop, a small grocery store, and picnic facilities. Live musical performances are featured about 30 times each year from late spring to early autumn, usually on Thursday and Sunday evenings. The restaurant is closed in the winter. Trapeze lessons were once offered, but liability insurance considerations led to the cancellation of this service.
40:
32:
20:
290:
256:
were described as "beautifully presented and cooked to perfection." The dining experience was summarized this way: "To have one of the better meals of your life in a gas station is bizarre. It leaves you staring at your plate for a moment or two in disbelief."
136:
commented, "When the desire that is the cause of all human suffering returned in the form of appetite, our editors were relieved to find the Whoa Nellie Deli, a shockingly gourmet oasis located at the local Tioga Gas Mart."
555:
140:
In 2022, owners Dennis
Domaille and his daughter, Denise Molnar announced their intention to sell the 70 acre property including the gas station, store and restaurant for $ 16.5 million.
94:, one mile south of the business district of the small town of Lee Vining, California. The business was founded in 1996. Geographically, this location is where the eastern edge of the
565:
332:"The best gas station food you'll ever have is at the Mobil in the Eastern Sierra: After 27 years, this beloved gas station in the Eastern Sierra is listed to sell for $ 16.5 million"
240:
described chef Matt Toomey as "a manic figure in a white chef's jacket and a baseball cap" whose "charisma and sense of humor are reflected in his cooking." The
560:
127:
as "a misplaced
Fellini set carved into the edge of the Mono Basin, dust devils skipping around in the distance like extras on the floor of Owens Valley."
168:
salad served up at Whoa Nellie Deli, inside the Mobil gas station on
Highway 120. Beyond the pumps, Matt Toomey turns out house specials like
570:
222:
is actually a "nuttily gourmet kitchen that turns out huge platefuls of food," and that "the deli is a continuous party all summer long."
231:
of Texas said that Whoa Nellie Deli is an "exceptional eatery" that "offers unexpected surprises with great selections of fine foods."
550:
418:
260:
Commenting on the incongruity between the quality of the food and the fact that gasoline is pumped at the same business, the
511:
359:
331:
91:
205:." The restaurant is located 75 miles away from Yosemite Valley, and it takes well over two hours to drive there.
380:
461:"Food on the Fly: At the Lee Vining Mobil Station, the Trapeze Artists Are as Unexpected as the Gourmet Fare"
486:
444:
364:
262:
227:
123:
460:
308:
209:
107:
60:
56:
303:
157:
used to be a culinary wasteland. Now, hikers can hoof it to the national park's eastern entrance for
95:
481:
402:
385:
149:
132:
439:
67:. The restaurant has received coverage from newspapers and magazines across the United States.
465:
236:
183:
154:
440:"Woah, Nellie! Gas stop offers unexpected surprises with great selections of fine foods"
275:
271:
165:
87:
544:
249:
191:
423:
219:
214:
195:
39:
31:
19:
295:
99:
79:
285:
111:
106:
and other High Sierra peaks are visible to the west. The eastern entrance of
103:
44:
526:
513:
266:
asked, "But who would have believed slices of perfectly seasoned and seared
245:
202:
115:
64:
24:
187:
176:
267:
241:
161:
158:
289:
336:
253:
180:
173:
199:
76:
38:
30:
18:
503:
482:"The Mother Lode: They found culinary gold in the Eastern Sierra"
169:
360:"Fill 'er up means more than gas at quirky mountain Mobil"
23:
The sign for the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining, CA.
153:
magazine observed, "For all its awesome scenery, the
556:
Buildings and structures in Mono County, California
86:on a hilltop just southwest of the intersection of
16:
Casual gourmet restaurant in Lee Vining, California
121:The restaurant's location was described by the
566:Tourist attractions in Mono County, California
8:
55:is a casual gourmet restaurant located in
504:Tioga Gas Mart featuring Whoa Nellie Deli
325:
323:
130:In an article about visiting Mono Lake,
319:
43:The exterior of the Whoa Nellie Deli.
208:Lisa Margonelli, an Irvine Fellow at
75:The Whoa Nellie Deli is located in a
7:
561:Cuisine of the Western United States
480:DaRosa, Alison (February 12, 2006).
35:The interior of the Whoa Nellie Deli
400:"Gourmet Restaurant: Fill 'Er Up".
438:Hall, Jerry (September 19, 2009).
419:"Favorite Gas Station of All Time"
417:Margonelli, Lisa (June 19, 2009).
14:
358:Hall, Carl T. (August 17, 2005).
330:Brown, Julie (October 2, 2022).
288:
459:Sangree, Hudson (May 5, 2002).
98:meets the western edge of the
1:
278:, served in a gas station?"
114:, is 12 miles to the west.
571:Delicatessens in California
379:Morris, Bob (May 2, 1999).
587:
92:California State Route 120
551:Restaurants in California
212:observed in the pages of
527:37.947311°N 119.113426°W
487:San Diego Union-Tribune
445:San Marcos Daily Record
365:San Francisco Chronicle
263:San Diego Union-Tribune
228:San Marcos Daily Record
124:San Francisco Chronicle
59:, California, east of
532:37.947311; -119.113426
309:Lee Vining, California
244:and wild berry glazed
210:New America Foundation
108:Yosemite National Park
61:Yosemite National Park
48:
36:
28:
304:List of delicatessens
274:, fanned on a bed of
252:with a dozen grilled
71:Location and services
47:is in the background.
42:
34:
27:is in the background.
22:
523: /
386:The New York Times
381:"Style; Footnotes"
133:The New York Times
49:
37:
29:
466:Los Angeles Times
237:Los Angeles Times
63:and just west of
578:
538:
537:
535:
534:
533:
528:
524:
521:
520:
519:
516:
492:
491:
477:
471:
470:
456:
450:
449:
435:
429:
428:
414:
408:
407:
397:
391:
390:
376:
370:
369:
355:
349:
348:
346:
344:
327:
298:
293:
292:
53:Whoa Nellie Deli
586:
585:
581:
580:
579:
577:
576:
575:
541:
540:
531:
529:
525:
522:
517:
514:
512:
510:
509:
500:
495:
479:
478:
474:
458:
457:
453:
437:
436:
432:
416:
415:
411:
406:. October 2002.
399:
398:
394:
378:
377:
373:
357:
356:
352:
342:
340:
329:
328:
321:
317:
294:
287:
284:
192:mashed potatoes
164:and pan-seared
155:Yosemite Valley
146:
73:
17:
12:
11:
5:
584:
582:
574:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
543:
542:
507:
506:
499:
498:External links
496:
494:
493:
472:
451:
430:
409:
392:
371:
350:
318:
316:
313:
312:
311:
306:
300:
299:
283:
280:
276:edible seaweed
145:
142:
88:U.S. Route 395
84:Tioga Gas Mart
72:
69:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
583:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
548:
546:
539:
536:
505:
502:
501:
497:
489:
488:
483:
476:
473:
468:
467:
462:
455:
452:
447:
446:
441:
434:
431:
426:
425:
420:
413:
410:
405:
404:
396:
393:
388:
387:
382:
375:
372:
367:
366:
361:
354:
351:
339:
338:
333:
326:
324:
320:
314:
310:
307:
305:
302:
301:
297:
291:
286:
281:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
264:
258:
255:
251:
250:sirloin steak
247:
243:
239:
238:
232:
230:
229:
223:
221:
217:
216:
211:
206:
204:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
184:crème fraiche
182:
178:
175:
171:
167:
163:
160:
156:
152:
151:
143:
141:
138:
135:
134:
128:
126:
125:
119:
117:
113:
110:, located at
109:
105:
101:
97:
96:Sierra Nevada
93:
89:
85:
81:
78:
70:
68:
66:
62:
58:
54:
46:
41:
33:
26:
21:
508:
485:
475:
464:
454:
443:
433:
424:The Atlantic
422:
412:
401:
395:
384:
374:
363:
353:
341:. Retrieved
335:
261:
259:
248:and the top
235:
233:
226:
224:
215:The Atlantic
213:
207:
196:garlic bread
188:seafood stew
148:
147:
139:
131:
129:
122:
120:
83:
74:
52:
50:
530: /
518:119°06′48″W
296:Food portal
100:Great Basin
80:gas station
545:Categories
515:37°56′50″N
343:January 8,
315:References
203:Margaritas
170:fish tacos
112:Tioga Pass
104:Mount Dana
82:named the
57:Lee Vining
45:Mount Dana
246:pork loin
218:that the
198:and even
116:Mono Lake
65:Mono Lake
25:Mono Lake
282:See also
177:coleslaw
162:taquitos
403:Gourmet
270:-grade
268:sashimi
242:apricot
159:lobster
150:Gourmet
144:Cuisine
337:SFGate
254:shrimp
220:"deli"
181:wasabi
174:ginger
200:mango
190:with
172:with
77:Mobil
345:2024
234:The
225:The
194:and
179:and
90:and
51:The
272:ahi
166:ahi
102:.
547::
484:.
463:.
442:.
421:.
383:.
362:.
334:.
322:^
186:,
490:.
469:.
448:.
427:.
389:.
368:.
347:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.