The Pines Lakefront at Big Bear Lake serves good food in gorgeous setting
Traveling as I do, there is a chance to meet some pretty awesome characters along the way.
I met a guy in Essex who fixed my tire when he was not supposed to. I met a woman in an eastern Oregon town who said the Mexican restaurant across the street was the best. It was. I met a person who had seen a Sasquatch, but of course, this was after a few drinks together at a local watering hole. I met a famous writer in Madrid who told me I would never get published in fancy magazines. As of now, he is correct. I met a guy in Morocco who said I did not have to buy a needless $400 rug, but the nasty looks from the guys by the door told me I probably should. I met someone who said there were no space aliens while I was traveling near Area 51 - the double-lidded eyes said he was not telling me the truth.
The point: When traveling across this wonderful globe, the adventurer will come into contact with all sorts of individuals, making the entire journey worthwhile.
Imagine sitting across from a gentleman at a pub in London. He is dressed in a tuxedo, hair perfect, face chiseled like a Greek statue, and he has just ordered a martini, shaken and not stirred.
Instead of face-planting in your phone, you take the chance to know this guy has a story to tell, and you ask him his name. He gently smiles as manly men do and says, “Beyer. John Beyer.”
There, your trip has been made.
Ian Fleming, forgive me for the unabashed nonsense written above.
Fine dining overlooking Big Bear Lake
So, not so long ago, my gorgeous wife Laureen and I spent the weekend in Big Bear Lake. I wrote a column about The Village at Big Bear Lake recently, but this has to do with people you may come into contact with during your travels.
As a surprise, Laureen had reserved a table at the Pines Lakefront in Big Bear Lake for my birthday. It is a rather hotty-totty place where the maitre’d ask for a financial credit score before they seat you.
Overlooking Big Bear Lake's beautiful crystal blue waters on our arrival was enough for me. It was not for Laureen. She wanted to eat at this beautifully decorated and posh place.
“And, Sir,” the maitre’d asked. “Your credit score?”
I used my buddy Paul’s “Two Million.”
“Then, this way, please.”
In all transparency, the Pines Lakefront is quite reasonable, and the food is exquisite. The cuisine, service, and atmosphere make this place one of our favorites when visiting the San Bernardino Mountains alpine wonderland.
Dr. Jerry Lemke and his wife, Midean, are the owners, and they are a delight as they both wander from table to table, ensuring the dining experience is what the guest imagined.
“Is your filet mignon cooked correctly?” he may ask. “Is your glass of wine chilled enough?” he may question. “Are you that guy from the Bond films?” she may ask me.
Jerry is quite the fellow and has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, which makes me wonder if there is an ulterior motive when he questions his diners.
“You want your lobster still wriggling out of its shell as you eat it,” Jerry may inquire. “And how does that make you feel?”
OK, that was made up.
According to Jerry, the restaurant was built in 1920, burned down in 1928, rebuilt in 1930, burned down in 1938, and rebuilt in 1940. Of course, this was the rumored time when some aspects of the Mafia might have been hanging about various mountain communities - though the idea of insurance fraud would be the farthest thing from a person’s mind when thinking of the upstanding characters of the Cosa Nostra. The timing of the fires is questionable, though.
Jerry and Midean purchased the restaurant and the Pines Tavern, beautifully set on a small peninsula just a dozen yards from the Pines Lakefront, approximately ten years ago. They have loved every minute of it.
After serving six years in the Marines, which included action in Vietnam, Jerry earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and began helping fellow service members who may be having struggles coming home after their tours were over. He carried on that noble career for decades before entering the culinary field.
“I love food,” Jerry said, “but I can’t cook. That’s why you must hire the best for the kitchen.”
And he has.
We were seated in a tall padded booth, like the ones you see the goombas from the Mafia sit in, with views of Big Bear Lake, when Jake Martin, our waiter, made our acquaintance.
He was charming, knowledgeable, and had a quick wit. Laureen instantly laughed at his jokes, and I eventually did.
Jake was not only a waiter but a fascinating person.
He is a writer of children's books, fictional short stories, and film scripts and is into producing and acting. Well, this is California, after all.
He oversees the upcoming 2024 Green Jack International Film Festival at the Big Bear Performing Arts Center. This was Jake’s creation and was choreographed by him.
I took an immediate dislike to this guy.
“And what do you do?” Jake asked while handing Laureen her usual four shots of bourbon. Was it just my lager?
“I write a travel column,” I replied.
“Oh, and how would you like your New York cooked?”
We hit it off immediately. We joked he joked, we joked so much more, and he went out to get our salads.
“He seems nice,” Laureen said.
“Yeah, for a writer,” I replied.
Snow Summit could hear the roll of Laureen’s eyes.
A fascinating waiter
When Jake was not seeing to the needs of the Pines Lakefront guests, he also worked as an emergency dispatcher for the mountain communities. The hours are long and often tense in that line of work.
“It is tough,” Jake said. “But when I am told that someone who needed help received it, my entire shift is worth it.”
As a former law enforcement officer, I understand Jake’s feelings. When life-saving becomes a reality, all that came before doesn’t matter. It is when that almost lost life awakens, which makes the job miraculous.
Jerry wandered by to ensure everything was perfect - it was.
Laureen asked why he would start such a time-consuming business after he had retired instead of just relaxing.
“I wanted to give back to the community I love so much,” he said. “This restaurant and tavern are well known and loved by the locals and visitors alike. It is an honor to serve this town.”
A guy who had already served this great nation for most of his life and still found it honorable to continue in this manner was wonderful to hear.
Those are the true heroes.
We sat back and enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant.
A small band played live music - soothing, low, and well-done. One of the band members came to our table to make sure the music was not too loud to interrupt our dining.
I cupped my right hand to Laureen’s left ear and said, “Huh?” The band member left with a shake of her head.
The entire evening under the roof of the restaurant was magical. Music, wonderful drinks, marvelous appetizers, tasteful entrees, and superb service made everything worth doing again and again in the future.
One of the employees at the tavern stated that the entire enterprise was like a family working with one another. “It’s very special here. We all get along, and our clientele truly appreciate it.”
As we bid adieu, we both knew we had had a wonderful evening together and those we had just met on this latest adventure only added to the joy. Folks we had not known a few hours earlier but who would be hard to forget in the future?
And perhaps that is another bonus to traveling - visiting new places and meeting new characters.
For more information: https://thepineslakefront.com
John can be contacted at: beyersbyways@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Views are as good as the food at The Pines Lakefront at Big Bear Lake
