Little River Inn: Coastal Comforts in Mendocino

By George Medovoy, Editor

It stands to reason that "Where There's Smoke," there's bound to be a good story.

And in the case of Mel McKinney of Mendocino's legendary Little River Inn, there's a story of international intrigue, JFK, and some of the finest cigars this side of Havana.

"Where There's Smoke," published by St. Martin's Press, is McKinney's novel about the Cuban missile crisis and the ensuing embargo on Castro's Cuba -- a fictionalized treatment of a little-known story involving President John F. Kennedy.

The night before declaring the Cuban blockade, Kennedy directed his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, to round up all the Cuban cigars he could find.

(Golfing at the Little River Inn comes with a magnificent view of the blue Pacific)

International politics is one thing, but for JFK cigars added up to another, so Salinger dutifully managed to find about 1,000 of the Cuban cigars for JFK.

Discussing Cigars

When he's not fly fishing, sampling Mendocino wines, or playing "Happy Birthday" on his trumpet for guests celebrating birthdays in Little River Inn's wonderful restaurant, McKinney is usually busy writing...or discussing cigars, a favorite topic.

"My consistently favorite cigar," he says, "is actually made in the U.S.

"It's a robusto made by Tradicion Cubana, a wonderful small cigar factory in the "Little Havana" section of Miami. All their cigars are handmade, most from Dominican tobacco.

"It's a classic small operation, exactly like many of the small cigar factories that used to be prevalent in Cuba. The rollers and the owner are, of course, Cuban. It's as close to the real thing as you can get."

McKinney was a trial lawyer in the Bay Area before he turned his attention to fine lodging and writing.

And he has written two more books: one is called Dead Enough, a capital punishment story set at San Quentin and the Bay Area.

As McKinney explains, "It deals with a prison physician whose conscience collides with his duty when called upon to slip the needle to an inmate he believes is innocent. The story mixes an alcoholic Irish undertaker, a no-nonsense assistant warden and the "born again" doctor together as they cheat the needle."

His other book, still in manuscript form, is Dead Duck, set in the Butte Sink portion of the Sacramento Valley, which is home, according to McKinney, to a number of very high-end duck clubs.

"The story," he says, "pits the billionaire owner of one of these clubs against his neighbor who owns a not-so-tony duck club and whose property sits on top of a large natural gas field coveted by the billionaire."

Little River Inn has been a family-run, coastal tradition ever since Ole and Cora Hervilla -- McKinney's father- and mother-in-law -- opened the lodge in 1939.

That was the beginning of over half a century of hospitality in an unforgettable setting of mighty ocean and romantic sunsets, fine food...and many a night of unequaled camaraderie at the bar, presided over in those early days by the unflappable Ole Hervilla, who arrived in America as a child from Finland.

The inn sits on a hillside on the edge of Highway 1, up the road from Van Damme State Park and two miles south of the art galleries and cafes of Mendocino village.

(The famous bar at the Little River Inn. Note the great view of the ocean)

Ever since Ole Hervilla tended bar and Cora served up the inn's famous abalone dinners, people have been charmed by the inn.

Take the bar, for instance, with its bird's-eye view of the ocean.
In his souvenir book about the history of the inn, The Finn, the Twin, and the Inn, McKinney recalled the time comedian Jonathan Winters put on a hilarious one-night stand here.

Winters was filming "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" in Mendocino and, during a break in the filming, "conducted a three-hour, non-stop monologue...that had people literally rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter. Guests fortunate enough to be at Little River Inn that night will never forget it."

Hollywood discovered Little River Inn in 1939, when the roads leading up here weren't very good...and actress Myrna Loy and her husband happened to be driving up the coast.

Since that time, the inn has drawn the casts and crews of many films made near here, beginning with actress Joan Fontaine of "Frenchman's Creek" fame in 1943.

And what a tale that is.

Fontaine, it seems, preferred caviar, champagne, and filet mignon -- not easy things to get during World War II -- to Little River Inn's menu at the time.

(Sundown at the Little River Inn. Pictured is the inn's main house and reception area)

As McKinney wrote, Ole dutifully went over Fontaine's list with the film company's location manager, who decided to send someone to San Francisco for the items -- but not without telling Ole to charge her double "to teach her a lesson."

"When presented with her bill," wrote McKinney, "she called Ole names even he did not recognize. Paramount Studios and (location manager) Sid Street paid the bill."

Other famous guests?

There was Jane Wyman, star of the 1947 film "Johnny Belinda," and James Dean, who came here in 1954 during the filming of "East of Eden" -- and was chided by Ole to keep his feet off the dining room table.

On Wyman's visit, her husband Ronald Reagan got down on the floor and showed everyone his old football moves.

Wyman also persuaded Ole to let her tend bar one night, but she knew very little about making change and simply put everyone's large bills into the cash register.

Lucky Ole -- he netted $900 in bar receipts that night!

One of the best things about Little River Inn is its memorable menu, filled with tantalizing items like fresh seafood brought into Noyo Harbor in Ft. Bragg.

On a recent visit, I enjoyed the Costa Rican Mahi Mahi filet, which was prepared as fish should be - as moist as can be.

The fish was rolled in pecan and panko chips, with sautéed sweet peas, tomato and spinach with lemon over scallion rice, topped with a tropical fruit salsa. The sliced oranges added a zesty, imaginative contretemps to the fish.

(Dining at the Little River Inn is a tasteful experience)

Other wonderful dishes include the Steak Lover's Peppered Filet Mignon, rolled in cracked peppercorns and finished with a brandy and red peppercorn beef essence, served with the chef's potato medley and fresh local vegetables.

If you like polenta, there is also the Grilled Polenta, blended with Romano and Jack cheeses and served with herb-roasted tomatoes, grilled vegetables, and a cabernet sauvignon porcino mushroom sauce.

Desserts include a warm Olallieberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sundae, or Crème Brulee.

To accompany your meals, Little River Inn serves some wonderful wines, with a preference for Mendocino County wines, of course, especially those from the nearby Anderson Valley, where the Navarro River runs alongside a stretch of rural Highway 128 that is hidden in the trees.

Breakfasts at Little River Inn are equally as tantalizing and include Ole's Swedish Pancakes, served with Olallieberry jam.

If you prefer to eat in Ole's Whale Watch Bar, there is a very nice Bar Menu. Or, you can just claim your perch at the bar for a drink.

A Champagne Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday until noon, with favorites like Eggs Neptune and Little River Inn Blintzes.

As night fell, we could look out the big picture window of our spacious suite and beyond the wide outside deck to the ocean, which was churning up big, frothy waves in anticipation of a storm.

It was time to light the fire and settle in to watch some videos from Little River Inn's extensive library.

We could hear the wind outside…and feel the Mendocino dream.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP
The inn has a golf pro shop, driving range, putting green and two lighted cement tennis courts with a sea view, plus the popular Third Court Salon and Day Spa, featuring body treatments, facials, hair design and relaxing massages.

The tennis courts are available to guests at no charge. Golfers lodging at Little River Inn receive a 10 percent discount on green fees. Golf packages are also available.

Horsefeathers Antiques & Collectibles, right on the property, offers just what the name suggests.

Says McKinney, "One of our staff wanted to open a small antique/collectibles shop, and we felt that would be a perfect spot for her."

For information on Little River Inn, call 1-888-INN LOVE, or visit www.littleriverinn.com.