Pizza lovers should stop at the Esca-Latte Internet Cafe & Pizza Parlor, located in Escalante Outfitters, 310 W. Main St. (tel. 866/455-0041 or 435/826-4266; www.escalanteoutfitters.com). This is the place for true aficionados, where you can build your own 12- or 16-inch pizza by selecting up to a dozen toppings, ranging from pepperoni to pineapple. There is also a salad bar, a variety of hot and cold coffee drinks, and both draft and bottled beer, including proprietor Steve Robert's own microbrewed Everett Ruess Vagabond Pale Ale. Most main courses cost from $6.95 to $11. The restaurant is open daily from 8am to 10pm in summer, with shorter hours in spring and fall, and closed from November through February.

For Mexican dishes, deli sandwiches, salads, and great desserts, head to Georgie's Corner Cafe & Deli, 190 W. Main St. (tel. 435/826-4784), located in a historic house that dates to 1905. This popular (and often very busy) lunch and dinner spot has a limited daily menu, but lots of specials, so be sure to ask what Georgie's is cooking up today. Especially popular are the nachos -- not just an appetizer but a full meal with meat, cheese, and veggies -- and the veggie sandwich, which includes generous portions of mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, onions, and alfalfa sprouts. Also on offer are turkey and ham sandwiches, tostadas, and quesadillas. Pies and cheesecakes are all homemade -- be sure to ask for the fresh raspberry pie -- and the chocolate milkshakes are heartily recommended. Summer hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30am to 8pm, with shorter hours the rest of the year. Prices for most items are $6.50 to $7.95 (desserts are in the $3-$4 range). No alcohol is served.

Excellent regional cuisine, prepared from organic ingredients, is on the menu at Hell's Backbone Grill (tel. 435/335-7464; www.hellsbackbonegrill.com), a classy but casual restaurant about 28 miles northeast of Escalante in the community of Boulder, 20 N. Hwy. 12. They're open 7 to 11:30am and 5:30 to 9:30pm daily from mid-March through November; closed the rest of the year. The menu changes seasonally, but for dinner you're likely to be offered a pork tenderloin chop with apple-green chile chutney, chipotle meatloaf with lemony mashed potatoes and vegetables from the restaurant's own farm, or skillet fried trout with cornmeal and molasses. Try to leave room for one of their yummy desserts: Navajo style peach crisp with piñons or a chocolate chile cream pot. Breakfast items include farm eggs, French toast, quiche, and various breakfast meats. Dinner main courses are priced from $17 to $37, while breakfast items cost $6 to $12. There is a kid's menu and outdoor seating, and wine and beer are served.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.