While history books are filled with stories about Abraham Lincoln throwing no-hitters, they rarely cover one of his most lasting achievements, opening a gourmet restaurant inspired by the log cabin. Rediscover Lincoln's legacy with today’s Groupon, which gets you $35 worth of woodsy American cuisine and drinks for $15 at Lapellah in Vancouver, WA. It's a comfortable, rustic restaurant where simplicity and natural ingredients create a homey and hearty atmosphere.

Thoreau might have lasted longer than two years in the woods if he’d been within walking distance of Lapellah, a restaurant that draws strongly on the deep-woods vibe of the Pacific Northwest, with dark wood furnishings, comfy booths, warm brick walls, and plenty of roaring fire—Lapellah features a wood-oven stove and a flaming grill. The elemental atmosphere of wood and flames is reflected in the name: Lapellah comes from the trading language used by natives of the region and means “roast.” And like any good citizen of the woods, Lapellah endeavors to minimize its footprints in the soil. The restaurant works with area farmers to obtain sustainable, local ingredients and recycles or composts 80% of its waste. This locally owned, do-gooder restaurant also gives back to the community, donating turkey dinners over the holidays.

Lapellah’s focus on fresh, local ingredients and comfortable, wood-grilled fare informs the simple yet creative dishes on its menu. Take advantage of the juiciness with a grilled hangar steak ($21.95), a tender cut served with fried oysters, spinach, and Yukon-potato hash. Top-quality pork gets the Lapellah-grill treatment with the 12-oz. bone-in pork chop ($20.50), a thick, juicy preparation that comes with Yukon potatoes, grilled broccoli, and a house-made apple sauce. Another entry on the list of meaty hits is the grilled leg of lamb ($22.95), with porcini mushroom sauce, brussel sprouts, and sour cherries. Lapellah honors the “Pacific” part of Pacific Northwest with some elegantly prepared salt-water bounty, notably the bacon-wrapped, cornbread-stuffed trout ($20.95), served with sweet potatoes, winter greens, and Creole mustard sauce. Smaller plates are also available, including the classic Lapellah hamburger ($10.95) and some light starters that break the wood-grilled theme with great success, such as the New Orleans barbecue shrimp ($9.95) and Washington mussels ($10.95). You can use up to two Groupons for tables of four or more, so grab a date and bring both of your animal spirits for a cozy roundtable.

Reviews

Lapellah's opening was reviewed with many sparkly words by the Oregonian:

• Still, it's the council fire ambience that pervades the restaurant and the menu, and it produces meats that are pungent and juicy. The steak, with a light char and scatterings of sweet grilled onion bits and horseradish shreds, is inspiring. The same approach produces a juicy, thick pork chop, lightly gilded with a sweet chili sauce; moist rotisserie chicken with an herbal crunch around the skin, and rosy slabs of grilled lamb with a faint spice around the sides. – Shawn Vitt

OpenTable users agree with that sentiment, rating the restaurant four stars plus the left point of another star, and Yelpers give three stars overall:

• Quality ingredients. I tried the burger and it was fantastic....juicy and delicious! I've had lunch and dinner at Lapellah and both were very tasty...locally grown ingredients. Good wine selection. Nice atmosphere. – OpenTable user who dined on 1/31/2010
• Lapellah is the best restaurant in Vancouver and challenges many of the best restaurants in Portland in quality, as well. The service is superior. Their menu has several excellent entree selections with choice of two side dishes. The broccoli, the cauliflower and the caramelized onion potatoes are wonderful. – OpenTable user who dined on 1/11/2010