Nestled high in the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild feels like a secret hideaway among tall pine trees. This artsy mountain village has no traffic lights, no chain stores, and absolutely no hurry.

When most restaurants serve a Cobb salad, you get the standard affair – some lettuce, a sprinkle of bacon bits that may or may not have come from a jar, and if you’re lucky, an egg that doesn’t have ...