By
Bob Cox
My
wife Diana had recently suggested that we do something different for
a change and take a ride out to the country. When I asked her where,
she wasn't sure. A few days later I got a call from Kraig Clark,
the owner of Clark’s Corner Restaurant in Ione. He suggested we
meet in his restaurant and I eagerly agreed.
Through
each passing mile, I felt the stress of the day slowly dissolve into
a peaceful euphoria. The sparse traffic and lush green rolling hills
covered in hearty Oaks made me feel like I was hours away from hustle
and bustle of the city. In reality, the entire journey actually took
just 45 minutes from the Sacramento area!
The
rustic charm of Ione was undeniable as I pulled up and stepped into
Clark’s Corner. I felt as if I stepped back in time to the mid
1800’s, which created some vivid imaginations. Kraig greeted me
immediately and suggested we sit outside on their beautiful patio
behind the restaurant. I was eager to learn more about this community
that reminded me of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show.
Q:
Why should people who visit Ione make Clark’s Corner their first
stop?
A:
A lot of people like to stop for a specialty coffee or meal to relax
and plan their day if they are taking a day trip. We have a
comfortable atmosphere and we keep up with what’s happening in the
community so we can help direct people based upon their interests.
Q:
Can you tell us a little about the history of Ione?
A:
Ione was an important supply center, rail stop and agricultural hub
for gold miners.
Q:
Clark’s Corner in Ione is much more than just a restaurant and a
great place to eat. Can you tell us about the thought process behind
this business?
A:
We started Clark’s Corner over six years ago to promote and support
the community. I always call it a community center because we’re
here to serve the community and we have a lot of community activities
that we promote. Because we have a small community, we have to try
and satisfy many different tastes and desires for the community. For
example, we have story time on Tuesday mornings, trivia (2nd
Thursday), bingo (3rd
Wednesday), prime rib on Friday, live music and dinner specials on
Saturdays and Clark’s Kids on Sunday afternoons. We also have a lot
of events and activities, such as a cycling challenge once a year in
October where we've hosted Grand Tour champion Chris Horner for the
past 5 years. We've done unique and eclectic things like a sock
hop, car show, one man play, belly dancing, barefoot runner, 3-time
world champion boxer and a host of other activities. It’s worked
out really well and the community supports what we’re doing, which
is the reason behind why we started Clark’s Corner.
Q:
What are some of the fun things to see and do here in Ione?
A:
We have the historical Preston Castle, which was built in the 1890's.
If golfing is your game, we have a really fantastic golf course,
which has great views of Preston Castle. We have a group of about 25
people that golf and then dine at Clark’s Corner afterwards. We
have the old train engine downtown called Iron Ivan that celebrates
the important area railway history. This is also a great area for
cycling. We get a lot of people from Stockton and Sacramento because
there are great foothill rides here. It’s the perfect place to stop
if you’re out for a country drive.
Q:
Are there any big events coming up in the next couple months?
A:
We have a big Mother’s Day brunch on Mother’s Day (May 10). We
also have the Ione Homecoming, which will be the second weekend in
May on Friday and Saturday. There’s a great hometown parade that
goes through downtown on Saturday morning at 10 am. There will be
carnival rides, a soap-box derby and many activities for kids and
adults. We have a fireworks celebration that Friday over at Howard
Park. It’s a big event and it’s been going on for 139 years!
Q:
Do a lot of people book weddings here?
A:
Yes, we have a lot of services for people that are booking weddings.
We host rehearsal dinners, after wedding parties and wedding-day
caterings. We started offering wedding planning services to help the
brides plan and coordinate their special day. We’re hosting a
wedding fair on June 6th
at Preston Castle and it’s free to vendors and brides. There are
twenty-one confirmed vendors and we've partnered with Real Weddings
to help with the marketing. There are some great wedding venues in
town including Preston Castle, the Heirloom Inn and private ranches,
which are beautiful. We’re opening a small two unit bed and
breakfast a couple of doors down from Clark’s Corner. This is in a
building that was built in the late 1800’s.
A:
Yes, there are over 40 wineries in Amador County. It’s become a
popular destination because of the proximity to Sacramento and there
are some fantastic wines. A lot of people like to stop at Clark’s
Corner either before or after their wine-tasting experience.
Q:
It looks like you also have plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy.
A:
Absolutely! We have a diverse selection of restaurants including Don
Luis (Mexican), Ione Kitchen (Italian), Paisano's Pizza, Ione
Chinese Restaurant, Ione Café and many others. We have some great
salons including Platinum Hair as well as some cute boutique shops
like Ione-It-Now and Zoey's Place. A lot of people like to pamper
themselves at the salons and then come to Clark’s Corner for lunch.
Editor’s
notes: For more information about Ione or Clark’s Corner, visit
www.clarkscornerione.com, call (209) 274-2233 or stop by their
restaurant at 12 Main Street in Ione, CA.
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