By Lou Phillips ·
As a long time North Shore resident, I was excited to see the makeover of the former Stanley’s in Incline Village. Now the home to Nine41 Eatery and Bar, the al fresco dining on the deck and cozy interior bar and dining room welcomes guests looking for a glass of wine and a hearty bite to eat.
Justin Kaplan serves double-duty as executive chef and general manager. His menu delivers an Alpine twist by creating comfort food with an emphasis on local seasonal ingredients.
“We source locally wherever possible and even started our own garden on premises,” he says.
He also said that Nine41 is known for comfort food while offering gourmet options, as well. My guest and I can attest to Kaplan’s skills in the kitchen as what we experienced showed real creativity and finesse.
We started with a 2012 Eifel Riesling ($7 by the glass), which had just a touch of sweetness that balanced the bright minerality typical of wines from the Mosel region of Germany. This worked nicely with the spicy Blue Crab Corn Fritters with black beans, fresh corn and paprika aioli.
The 2012 Shepherd Sauvignon Blanc from Napa ($8 for the glass) was a surprise offering the bright grapefruit and herbaceousness that brings to mind quality SBs from New Zealand. House-made Ricotta Gnocchi with heirloom tomatoes, herbs and peas from the eatery’s own garden was the perfect foil here and shows off the kitchen’s commitment to local products.
Shug Winery’s 2011 Estate Pinot Noir ($11 by the glass) displayed the cherry flavors, bright acid and touch of earth that the Carneros region is famous for. Pinot and Salmon are made for each other and the match with Scottish Salmon – a firmer filet – nicely grilled and served with a lemon aioli really sang.
Our finale was a NV Fonseca Bin 27 Port that had a bright raspberry streak to go with the port richness. There could be no other match than the Chocolate Pot du Crème with a sweet/tart strawberry sauce. Mmmm.
Nine41 offers a selection of fan favorites on its wine list with prices starting at $18 and nothing more than $50. You will see favorites such as 2012 Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros ($48 by the bottle), and 2011 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles ($43 for the bottle). There also are some adventurous selections such as the 2013 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend ($29 by the bottle) and the 2011 Familia Bianchi Malbec ($42 for the bottle).
Nine41 is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Dinner is served nightly from 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (775) 832-0941 or visit ninefortyone.com.
Lou Phillips is a Level 3 Sommelier and Wine Educator who specializes in guiding private and commercial clients in buying and selling wine collections. He may be reached at (775) 544-3435 or wineguru123@gmail.com.
