It was “lights, camera, action” at The Point when a crew arrived on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to film for an upcoming show of America’s Best Restaurants (ABR).
The national media company travels the country seeking to highlight unique foods and share the stories of locally owned, independent restaurants as part of its “ABR Roadshow” on multiple digital platforms.
When ABR first contacted The Point for an opportunity to be showcased, owner Michael Hall didn’t think it was a legitimate offer, so he ignored their emails. But they persisted, and it paid off.
Hall shared, “Finally they called here and said, ‘Are you not interested in being on America’s Best Restaurants?’ and I said, ‘Oh, this is real?’”
In addition to “outstanding” reviews, a picturesque setting and “stellar food,” show staff explained that The Point was selected to be featured thanks to a nomination by Rena Carlin, who said it is “a must try” with it’s “quality food,” “wonderful ambiance” and “friendly staff.” Hall said ABR staff looked deeply into The Point before reaching out, and after that the vetting process was even harder.
Before the film crew arrived, Hall asked the community via social media to help him decide which menu items should be featured.
“It was really hard narrowing it down,” he said.
The top contenders for the dinner category were seafood fettuccine, prime rib, and fish and chips. It was the seafood fettuccine that ultimately won out, and Hall also served up his classic eggs Benedict, Miner Ranch Pepper Bacon Burger, Pepper Bacon bloody mary, and an apple crisp cheesecake pie with salted caramel made special for the visit by Natalie Seeber.
The crew spent several hours capturing footage at the restaurant. They filmed Show Host J Russell in the kitchen with Head Chef Cody Davenport as Davenport cooked up the featured items, followed by an interview with Hall and Floor Supervisor Sunhee Bitter.
“I am loving how much the (restaurant) crew really enjoyed it and how proud our community is of them,” Hall said of the experience.
The Point, overlooking scenic Foster Lake, serves its fare out of a home that was originally built in 1936 and converted into a restaurant in 1970. Hall literally worked there from the ground up before he and his wife, Mirasol, took over ownership of the restaurant in 2009.
Hall explained that he started tending the garden and grass at The Point in 1983 when he was 13 years old. One fateful day, an employee called in sick, so the owner asked Hall if he could wash dishes.
“And the rest is history,” he said.
He eventually started learning prep and baking pies, then prep cook and fry cook, then on to bussing tables and serving until, at age 18, he was asked to train for an assistant manager role. Hall worked there for 10 years until, in 1993, he decided to move on to corporate-run restaurants.
“I hated it,” he said of the corporate experience. “That was not the culture that I was groomed for. It just wasn’t me. I wanted to come back to this type of restaurant, whether it was here or somewhere else, but I’ve always had a heart for The Point.”
Still, he took a detour, trying his hand at Willamette Industries for a number of years. Then he began dabbling part-time at The Point again until he returned to full-time employment and, eventually, buying the business. The Halls will celebrate 15 years of ownership next month.
“I honestly was surprised how much (ABR) had did their research,” Hall said. “Most every question that they were asking, they already had the answer for. They definitely wanted to make sure the answers that I was giving matched what they had researched.”
Russell told The New Era he could tell as soon as he walked in the door that “this is the kind of restaurant that deserves to be on the show,” based on the fact that Hall met them outside, along with the amount of community engagement and support The Point received.
“There’s not a better location in America than Sweet Home, Oregon. I’m just gonna say it right now,” Russell said. “I’ve done over a hundred (shows), so I’ve seen a great deal of this country. There are places that have some very scenic views, but Sweet Home is definitely growing on me.”
Coming out of the deserts of Arizona, Russell said he can appreciate the cool climate, the scenery and the local photographs of nature hanging on the walls, and suggested that many of the restaurants he travels to are not situated in such a panoramic location as The Point.
“You’re not going to see this in Kansas,” he said.
As he talked with Davenport in the kitchen, Russell heard the term “burger relish” for the first time in his culinary experience. Davenport explained to him it’s a mayonnaise-relish sauce created by the original owners of the restaurant.
Director of Operations Austin Turner explained the production team will need a minimum of two months for editing before the show can be premiered on the restaurant’s Facebook page, ABR’s Facebook page, ABR’s YouTube channel, and ABR’s website (americasbestrestaurants.com). The Point’s Facebook page will announce when the show will premiere.
“They’ve been really, really nice,” Hall said of the experience so far. “They’re really engaging. They’re very professional and they definitely know what they’re doing.”