This 3 ingredient dessert made famous by The Iron Door Restaurant is the perfect way to end a meal. It is a refreshing, delicious frozen treat!
I have a recipe to share and you’ll find that recipe all the way down at the bottom of this post but first I have a story to tell you about a small town and a little girl…a long, long time ago.
This is Maziel Moriarity. Her portrait hangs on the wall of The Iron Door Restaurant in Johnsville, California. Maziel was a member of one of the original mining families that settled in the town of Johnsville during the gold rush era of the late 1800’s. Sadly, her life was very short and she passed away at the age of 10 from rheumatic fever. Although her time here was brief, her presence has remained throughout time and even still today.
About a 4 mile drive up the mountainous Johnsville Road, just behind the town of Graeagle, lies the historic town of Johnsville. Shortly after gold was discovered on nearby Eureka Peak, thousands of miners descended on the Plumas-Eureka area. The town of Johnsville was founded in 1876 and became home to many of these miners, including the Moriarty family. Gold fever was in full swing.
The Iron Door Restaurant opened for business in 1961 in this historic building that served as a general store and post office for the mining town over 100 years ago. It is the only remaining commercial establishment in the small town of Johnsville today.
Just down the road from the restaurant you’ll find Plumas-Eureka State Park where you can walk through the historic museum building that was originally constructed as the gold miners’ bunkhouse. Across the street from the museum is the mining area, including the historic Mohawk Stamp Mill, pictured above, that processed more than $8 million in gold from the mine’s 65 miles of tunnels.
There are several other buildings from the era including the mine office and blacksmith shop. Docents and staff conduct summer time blacksmithing demonstrations and tours which I highly recommend.
As a matter of fact, my Dad was a docent at the blacksmith shop for years. Here he is on the right, giving my husband a quick blacksmithing lesson.
You can also visit the restored Moriarity House, where the Moriarty family, one of the original mining families, lived and raised their large family.
It’s a marvel that a family of ten made due in a house this size. You can sign up for tours of the home but we just strolled around the exterior and peeked in the windows.
Almost directly across from the restaurant where Maziel’s portrait hangs is the Johnsville Cemetery. I’ve always found this cemetery to be so beautiful.
Many residents of the old mining town are buried here.
Strolling through the cemetery and reading the headstones gives you a glimpse into the lives of the people who inhabited the town. You can feel the history.
Many of the miners and their family members lived very short lives due to the dangerous work in the mines and diseases which were untreatable at the time, which brings me back to the story of Miss Maziel Moriarty.
It is common knowledge within the community and especially with restaurant employees that Maziel’s ghost resides in the upstairs section of the historic building. Restaurant staff will very matter of factly tell the stories of strange happenings, especially whenever someone attempts to remove her portrait or move it to another location. For that reason, it remains in it’s place, prominently displayed, as it always has. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a table within view of the portrait of the sweet little girl. Take a close look at her face and you’ll see that she had an old soul and note the evidence of difficult times behind those eyes. The ambiance of the dimly lit restaurant resonates through this picture and all the other antiques and old photos depicting the former mining town. Stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back in time.
In addition to it’s rich history, The Iron Door offers some of the best cuisine in the area and is truly a fine dining establishment. The menu features perfectly-prepared steaks, prime rib, seafood, pasta creations and some German specialties like jaeger schnitzel. The beautiful bar area is worthy of a visit all on it’s own.
I have very fond memories of dining at The Iron Door as a child with my great big family while on vacation. What a treat. I honestly can’t remember what I used to order for my entree but I will never forget dessert. We all had “The Johnsville Special” and it’s still on the menu today. This three ingredient marvel is so festive and irresistible! Luckily, it’s very easy to recreate at home.
It consists of vanilla ice cream, a substantial drizzle of Creme de Menthe and it’s topped of with a sprinkling of Ovaltine. This may sound unusual, especially the Ovaltine, but it’s fabulous. When the powdery Ovaltine hits the ice cream it begins to liquefy a bit and combined with the vanilla and mint…heaven. This is a fantastic last minute dessert you can throw together in a pinch and people will love it.
Thanks for visiting the charming town of Johnsville with me; one of my favorite places in this world. You should visit this area if you can, and be sure to stop by the Iron Door for some delicious food, some killer cocktails, and some great ghost stories.
The Johnsville Special
Ingredients
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Creme de Menthe
- Ovaltine
Instructions
- Place several scoops of ice cream in a bowl. Drizzle with some of the Creme de Menthe. Sprinkle the top with some Ovaltine and serve
- So easy!
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It’s so great to see the impact Johnsville has had on multiple generations of families. I’m lucky to have been “raised” in Johnsville when my dad bought property on Church Street in the early 1960’s. The love affair with the Town continues now into the fourth generation of Nejedlys’. My husband and I have bought our own “little place in the big woods” and have been furiously fixing it up for the last 2-3 years. Johnsville is paradise, whether you stay at the campground, come for a day-hike, or an event up at the historic Johnsville Ski Bowl. Trig was a big part of the towns’ character, as well as Ora White, Lou the Miner, and many, many more. I’m not sure the next generations will be of such rich character, but I do know we will treasure Johnsville as our parents have. My dad, John A. Nejedly, is in the historic cemetery and we will join him there some day. For now, he “lives across the street” from our little A frame on Church Street.
Love the Iron Door. Several of the antiques upstairs once belonged to my maternal great grandmother. We gave them to a former owner who had the nick name “Trigger.” I wish I knew his real name. I remember sorting out what to give to him when I was about 10 years old. That would have been about 1973-1974. Thus when I eat there I really do visit the past. My family past LOL! Plus that photo of little Maziel Moriaty is haunting in itself.
Hello Warren! It’s great to hear from someone with such a direct connection to that area and to the Iron Door. Our family (the Bolins) have vacationed there for over 50 years and my parents retired there. We are heading up for a big reunion/vacation with our kids in just a couple of weeks. I’m so looking forward to it! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories 🙂
That would be my husband’s father. His name was actually George Trigg but everyone called him Trigg. His wife called him Trigger. Trigg and Jackie Yonge started the Iron Door after the state took over the site of the Johnsville Lodge. Lots of old history and memories for my husband. The firehall was dedicated to his mother,, Jackie.
What a great post and a great story! I love the hidden secrets of small towns and I bet it was fun living there. Great picture of your dad and hubby. 🙂 I might have to turn the heat up in the house so I can try out this ice cream. What a combination!
Bonnie and I enjoyed your trip back to Johnsville. The Iron Door dessert is a perfect reminder. I wish I could find another blacksmith shop like the one at Plumas Eureka State Park, it is an authentic 1870’s shop and fun to work in (and watch). Oh, thank heaven for 7-11!
Hi Dad! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it. That area will forever be my favorite place on Earth 🙂 I’m so thankful for being able to spend time there every summer of my life.
When I saw Johnsonville, my first thought was ” Val has gone off the deep end and mixed ice cream and sausages…” Glad I was wrong. Spooky story
I knew that might get some of my fellow Ambassadors a bit confused 🙂 The town name is Johnsville but we’ve all got Johnsonville fever right now!
YAY! I love the Iron Door too! Val I think I’ve even been there with you before – and of course, other members of your family. GREAT food and yes, the bar is worth the visit. I was also fascinated with the cemetary and the toppled headstones. Thanks for reminding me.
Thanks Linsey! I do believe we may have dined together at The Iron Door. I’m glad you stopped by 🙂
Wow, what an interesting ghost story and a delicious treat inspired by the Iron Door – thanks for sharing, Val! I love memories that take you back to specific meals!
Ooooh, I love a ghost story! The Iron Door sounds like amazing restaurant too, ghosts or no 😛
LOVE this creative ice cream recipe!
Interesting sounding place! Lovely ice cream recipe too.
Aww, it`s always nice to reminiscence over childhood memories through food. And ice cream is a perfectly great way to do that! I actually loved studying about the gold rush in school. I can`t believe 10 people lived in that house. It`s always so wonderful to learn and visit sites from our history. 🙂
Wonderful post! A friend of mine shared it on her Facebook. I was lucky enough to grow up in Graeagle and Chris and Bonnie are very dear friends of our family so we all have very fond memories of the Iron Door. I worked a couple of summers there several years ago and always had a lot of fun. I’m glad you find the story of Mazel so intriguing, some people don’t unfortunately. We all have had interesting experiences with her! Thanks again for your post, it brought back some very fond memories 🙂
I’m so glad to hear from a former employee, Sarah! I’d love to hear more about your personal experiences at the restaurant. Come back and share if you can 🙂
I absolutly love The Iron Door! Chris & Bonnie are two of my favorite people in the world. Your article was put together with the love you have for the past, and Johnsville. Thank you so much.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sue. I’m always so happy to hear from those who know the area 🙂