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Lake Tahoe’s Après-Ski Scene Heats Up
Après-ski activities can be  just as memorable as the time spent on the slopes and North Lake  Tahoe is keeping things lively with a fresh influx of eateries and  watering holes and longtime favorites, offering even more options for  posh cocktails, cold brews and unforgettable flavors.

The area’s most anticipated opening is Manzanita at The Ritz-Carlton
Highlands, Lake Tahoe. Located mid mountain at Northstar-at-Tahoe,
Manzanita will be helmed by Traci Des Jardins, the James Beard award-
winning chef behind San Francisco’s Jardinière and Mijita Cocina
Mexicana. Skiers and snowboarders can end their day with Des Jardins’
signature French-inspired cuisine infused with mountain flavors 
created with organic ingredients and sustainable, locally grown meat
and produce. Bound-to-be favorites include Liberty Farms duck 
meatballs with mission figs and Lucques olives and Dungeness crab 
sliders. Manzanita opens December 9.

Tahoe City recently got a taste of Thai when Thai Kitchen opened in 
early September. The city’s Cobblestone Center is also home to a new
wine bar, Corkscrews Wine & Cheese Bar, with a sleek, modern look,
boasting an impressive selection of boutique wine labels and cheese,
including Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam goat cheese.

Also new this winter is Squaw Valley’s Cornice Cantina. Located in
the old Red Dog at Squaw Valley USA, the Cantina serves authentic 
Mexican food and margaritas till midnight. The Village at Squaw’s 
Twenty-Two Bistro & Bar celebrates its one-year anniversary this
December and basks in the glow of KT-22. The eatery serves up small 
“social” plates of New American cuisine as well as substantial
entrees for skied-up appetites. The owner of the Village’s Uncorked 
opened Soupa last year, which features affordable, house-made comfort 
foods from organic, sustainable ingredients.

Fat Cat Café in Tahoe City re-opened its doors last May after an
extensive remodel. Guests can pick their poison from an extensive 
martini and cocktail menu at the cherry-wood bar and enjoy “share 
plates” with friends. Popular items include the Alley Cat, a dirty
martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives; along with Thai lettuce
wraps; and Fat Cat Mac, a four-cheese macaroni and cheese with smoked  bacon, crimini mushrooms and truffle oil. Live music is featured 
Friday and Saturday evenings.

The masterminds behind Moody’s Bistro will also be celebrating the
one-year anniversary of Baxter’s Bistro and Lounge in the Village at
Northstar. Chef Mark Estee and JJ Morgan welcome hungry skiers and
riders with live jazz and comfort food created with farm-to-table 
ingredients in a hip atmosphere. New this winter is an outdoor patio
with fire pit and couches where revelers can keep warm with seasonal
cocktails, such as the Naughty Cider.

Incline Village welcomed Bite in December 2007. The lounge-style bar
and restaurant boasts a chic and dramatic atmosphere, specializing in 
small plate and American tapas. The bar creates artisan cocktails 
from scratch, using premium spirits, house-made infused syrups and
fresh herbs and fruit. Locals swear by the Lemon Ginger Zinger and
the Lime Basil Gimlet, as well as the Ahi Sliders with Arugula, 
Pickled Ginger and Wasabi Aioli. Truckee’s FiftyFifty Brewing Company  also opened in 2007 and is the place to head for an authentic taste of Sierra-brewed beer. Local favorites include pints of Rockslide
IPA, preferably served with huge plates of nachos, Belgian mussels
and frites or bourbon-grilled shrimp over sweet potato fries.

Famous fixtures such as the Lone Eagle Grille, Gar Woods Grill and
Pier, Moody’s Bistro and Lounge and Big Water Grille still serve as 
beacons for post-slope revelers. It’s Old Tahoe ambience overlooking
the waters of Lake Tahoe at the Hyatt Regency’s Lone Eagle Grille in
Incline Village, where winter enthusiasts rest their weary limbs next 
to stone fireplaces. The food is hearty and includes seared elk chop
and rosemary grilled quail. Gar Woods in Carnelian Bay offers 
expansive lake views and Warm Woodys (the winter counterpart to their
renowned slushy Wet Woody, which is available throughout the year). 
Moody’s stylish setting exudes warmth while boasting one of the 
area’s coolest atmospheres and menus. Located in the Truckee Hotel, 
Moody’s is known for live music (including impromptu performances by
Sir Paul McCartney), the Aviation Cocktail and the “Big Ass Pork
Chop.” Big Water Grille provides spectacular, panoramic lake views
and a wine list with 200 different wines from around the world.

Winter enthusiasts have also long flocked to PlumpJack Café,
Sunnyside and Caliente. Situated at the base of Squaw, PlumpJack
remains an energetic scene where high-end city folk and local ski 
bums mingle over Crockett’s Cool Breezes. Sunnyside Lodge’s location
right on the water continues to pique the interest of visitors, but 
it’s the fish tacos and crispy zucchini sticks that keep them coming
back. It’s always animated at Caliente in Kings Beach, especially at
their monthly tequila tastings hosted by distillery representatives.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe 
International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International
Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International
Airport.

“Jazz in the West Wing” is Back!
Due to popular demand, Silver Legacy’s award -winning Sterling’s Seafood Steakhouse, brings back “Jazz in the West Wing.” Jazz vocalist Cece Gable will make special appearances on Thursday January 14 and January 28 from 7-10 p.m.

“Jazz in the West Wing” showcases the amazing talents of Cece Gable, one of the premier jazz singers in the region known for her ‘50s song style with a contemporary twist.

A consummate jazz cabaret performer, she has made appearances in jazz clubs throughout the United States and Europe.

The event features a special jazz menu along with the regular Sterling’s menu and cocktails. Menu items include Dungeness cab cake over spicy slaw topped with crab salad and a duet of sauces, ahi tuna tartare served over cucumber spaghetti with sesame vinaigrette and Sterling’s strawberry steak, which is a petite filet mignon lightly encrusted with black pepper and served with an aged balsamic butter sauce and fresh strawberries.

A $15 minimum charge per person is required. Seating is limited; reservations recommended. For more information, please call 1-800-687-8733 or
775-325-7401 or visit silverlegacy.com.

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