Baked Brie and Grilled Artichoke ·
Tahoe City has many lakefront dining establishments and Dockside 700 at the Tahoe City Marina stands out as one of the best – from the homemade cuisine to the friendly staff to the view.
Partners Dave “D.R.” Richardson, Marsha Wagner and Chef Joe Stecker have created a restaurant featuring items for every palette from tasty pastas and seafood dishes to the oh-so-popular weekend BBQ Grill, featuring many gluten-free options and grass-fed Angus beef. Then, there’s the grab-and-go options from Double Dog Deli, including to-go wines by the glass.
I recently enjoyed dinner lakeside with my friend, Barbara Keck, who praises Dockside’s selection of wines by the glass (along with the prices).
We chose a couple of appetizers from the tapas menu to start the night with the Baked Brie and Grilled Artichoke. The Baked Brie is one of my favorite preparations topped with a blackberry compote, wrapped in puff pastry and baked (yum, yum) and served with crackers. The tapas menu offers great selections for an after-work glass of wine and appetizer with friends, as well. Other favorites among my friends include the Lamb Lollipops and Crispy Polenta.
We also enjoyed the housemade breadsticks, which should be mentioned, because you could munch on them all night. The breadsticks are made using Dockside’s “amazing” housemade dough, as Marsha puts it, with a “special something for seasoning.” Dockside makes all of its breads in house.
For dinner, Barbara ordered the Surf ‘n’ Turf featuring a juicy 16-oz. rib eye with tasty jumbo prawns stuffed with crab and served with a demi glace. This is a hearty portion and could easily be shared by two people, but Barbara finished off the prawns and saved half of the rib eye for another meal.
I ordered the Sautéed Vegetable Medley featuring fresh, seasonal vegetables, which during my visit included red peppers, zucchini, squash and green beans served with the creamiest polenta I’ve had in a long time and topped with fresh shaved parmesan; I finished every bite.
Dockside features its BBQ Grill selections from Friday to Sunday only, where you can see D.R. at the grill most of the day preparing the Certified Angus Tri Tip, Ribs (whole or half racks), and SMART Chickens.
We couldn’t leave without dessert and sampled the Apple Cake – the recipe comes from Marsha’s mother – featuring apple slices coated in cinnamon and sugar and layered in the center of the cake for a light, subtle flavor that is delicious (and, not too sweet).
Dockside 700 is located at the Tahoe City Marina, 700 N. Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with dinner starting at 5. The BBQ Grill is open Friday to Sunday starting at 5 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call (530) 581-0303. Menus are available at dockside700.com.
By Katherine E. Hill
