Randall House is located at 3821 Highway 87 in Pine. For more information, call 928-476-4077.

© Nick Berezenko

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House and Homey

Pine In the early 1900s, George and Mary Ellen Randall's house was the place to go in Pine to socialize over a cup of coffee and indulge in homemade pastries. Fast-forward to today, and Randall House is the place to go in Pine to socialize over a cup of coffee and indulge in homemade pastries.

When Mary Ellen Randall passed away in 1998, it was her wish that her home be turned into a coffeehouse for the community to enjoy. Barbara Frazin-O'Connor and her husband, Patrick O'Connor, granted that wish: They bought and renovated the home, which dates from 1881, continuing its tradition of hospitality.

With its evergreen-trimmed white clapboard, Randall House immediately charms. You can dine alfresco by a giant blue spruce, among the scent of flowers and the chatter of locusts. Or venture inside, which is like eating in an antiques shop.

"It's a homey atmosphere, with it being Mary Ellen's home," Barbara says. "People come in and they feel like they're in grandma's house."

The snug dining rooms are painted periwinkle, sea foam and butter, and decorated country-style. The tables might be decked with doilies, wildflowers in a Mason jar, and snowmen-shaped ceramic salt and pepper shakers. Some of the knickknacks are even for sale, including Route 66 memorabilia, mugs and toys.

One of the rooms displays the building's original log and adobe walls, constructed in 1881 by blacksmith Alfred Jason Randall while his family endured the winter in a covered wagon. Some of the garland-draped windows overlook the original Pine Library, which is about the size of a single-horse stable, and decorated as such.

But just because the setting is atavistic doesn't mean the food is tired and stodgy. "Everything is made to order," Barbara says. "We use good quality meats and cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits. The pastries, dressing and sauces are all homemade."

You can breakfast on a wild salmon scramble, a wedge of quiche studded with fresh vegetables, or a stack of generously blueberried multigrain pancakes drizzled with maple syrup.

The lunch menu features several salads — including one chock-full of dried cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese and candied pecans. Heartier appetites can choose from numerous burgers, wraps and grilled sandwiches. Even vegetarians and vegans won't leave hungry, but they will have difficulty deciding between the grilled vegetable wrap, the black-bean burger with avocado salsa, or the balsamic-marinated portobello mushroom burger.

Regardless of the main course, save room for dessert. "We get people who come from the Verde Valley or Fountain Hills just for a piece of pie," Barbara says. "A lot of our customers have been coming here for years. We see their kids grow up."

It's just what Mary Ellen Randall would have wanted.

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