The finale of our road trip lead us to Truckee for a couple of nights of leisure before heading home. Truckee California is 20 minutes from Lake Tahoe and studded with pines that offer an essence of crisp forest fragrance. The Truckee River runs through the town and the crisp clear waters are often rafted by tourists and locals during the summer months when temperatures heat up.
We arrived at Gravity Haus — a hotel that offers memberships to join it’s multiple locations in ski towns across the Western United States. The accommodations are rustic modern with a cool vibe that suits almost any traveler. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable of dining, outdoor activities, and the local area.
Our first evening we decided to hangout at the hotel and hit the Jacuzzi after several days of driving — we needed to unwind. The weather was warm, but the evening breeze made for the perfect night for a plunge. With a glass of Siduri Pinot Noir in hand — we both took a dip in a bubbling jacuzzi to relax.
Dinner that evening was at Stella, the restaurant on premise at the hotel. The rustic wood beams and surroundings made us feel right at home and allowed us to easily settle into our meal. We enjoyed a Tuna Tartare for starters, followed by a lovely Tomato and Burrata Salad, but the Seared Asian Scallops with Watermelon Radishes was over the top delicious. My favorite dish of the night was the Crispy Salmon with Enoki Mushrooms in a Miso Beurre Blanc – creamy, buttery and earthy all rolled into one dish.
In the morning, we walked to downtown Truckee for breakfast at Cornerstone Kitchen and Bakery. One side of the cafe is the bakery, while the other is the hot breakfast line where you can order these Sweet Potato Croquettes with Scrambled Egg and Creme Fraiche. The crispy exterior and soft center potato patty made the perfect bed for soft scrambled eggs to reside.
I suggest you grab a coffee and pastry at the bakery side of the cafe, while you wait for your hot order to arrive. The Vanilla Bean Pull Apart was scrumptious and the Blueberry Danish didn’t get eaten, yet beautiful — my eyes were too big for my stomach.
After shopping along the streets of Truckee for local fare with some sales going on for Labor Day weekend, we headed back to our hotel. Just by chance our friends from Santa Ynez Valley were in Tahoe, and we headed out with them to Tahoe City to Sandbar — a smallish bar/cafe that sat directly above Lake Tahoe. Sipping on Hugo Spritz, while getting to know some new friends was my idea of the perfect day.
When returning back to our hotel, we decided to walk to dinner along the pathway back to downtown Truckee to get a bit more exercise before a fine dining experience at Trokay. The dark wooden atmosphere was modern and sultry — the perfect atmosphere for a fabulous meal. We started with warm mini Biscuit, Gougere with Milky Cheddar and Grassini with Hatch Chili Salt and a crock of Red Pepper Jam for spreading.
Our second course was a Tomato Salad with Chilled Pho Tomato Broth and a warm Puree of Carrot Soup over Crispy Chickpeas. Both were outstanding and paired so nicely with our Fixin Pinot Noir from Burgundy France.
The Smoked Trout and Trout Tartare with Huckleberry and Lovage was beautifully presented and the flavors delicate and summer-like, while my Soft Shell Crab with Taiwanese Taste and house made Hoisin sauce was my absolute favorite.
Our fancy final savory courses of poached Halibut with Chard Chip and Sauteed Chard with Truffle Bearnaise and Seared Filet of Beef with Creamy Corn and Piquillo Sauce were lovely, however the halibut was a bit bland and needed something more to make it pop.
Both desserts were divine – A Forbidden Berry with Meringue and Almond Cream and a Valhrona Chocolate and Kombu Cream with Miso Caramel.
Don’t skip breakfast at Stella’s in the morning — Chilaquiles with Chorizo and Avocado Toast with a side of bacon were dreamy before we headed home.
See you in the Valley….
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