By Lou Phillips ·
What do The French Laundry, Alinea and a little ol’ restaurant in Truckee have in common? Multicourse tasting menus of renown, and executive chef-owners with world-class resumes.
John and Nina Weatherson started Trokay in 2011 with a vision “To offer cuisine characterized by esoteric ingredients, deep and soulful flavors, textural complexity, and the constant pursuit of perfection.” I can also bear witness that there’s a whole lotta’ modern gastronomy going on. Spheres, vegetable caviars, sous vide and much more molecular magic are frequent sightings here. And, what a restaurant the Weathersons have created. When I first visited a few months before Trokay got started, it looked like a fracking site. Now, when you enter, your senses are heightened by the organic meets industrial chic.
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, John went on to work under Michelin-starred chefs David Bouley and Daniel Boulud. At the front of the house, general manager Roxy Dominguez displays her passion for hospitality by leading the staff in precise and gracious service. Their goals include building a classic and cutting-edge wine program, with both breadth of selections and depth of vintages.
The French regions of Burgundy and the Rhone are stars here, with vintages dating back to the 1980s highlighting a list rarely seen outside of big-city programs. John stated that he is committed to adding older vintages of Napa and Bordeaux in the near future. You will find world-class rarities with bottlings from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (Burgundy), Guigal Hermitage (Rhone) and Ornellia (Tuscany) in the cellar. Although this is clearly a program with a focus on the high end, you will find many choices for less than $75, as well. Spanning the globe with selections from France to California to South Africa, all have been selected with a focus on structured food-matching qualities
Even with this being a wine-centric column, I frequently offer food-pairing suggestions along with the featured wines. I make an exception here as the Trokay team has two Level 1 Sommeliers on staff in Domiguez and lead barman Zak Stein, in addition to Chef Weatherson. All are available for a tableside consult. When a restaurant makes such a commitment to staff wine knowledge, I like nothing better than to recommend their expertise.
Go ahead and set your expectations to infinity and beyond. The Trokay team wouldn’t have it any other way.
For more information or for reservations, call (530) 582-1040 or visit restauranttrokay.com.
Lou Phillips is a Level 3 (advanced) Sommelier and wine educator specializing in advising private collectors and businesses. He may be reached at (775) 544-3435 or wineguru123@gmail.com. VisitTheTahoeWeekly.com for more Wine Time columns.
