my backpack, tightened my shoelaces and began the trek down from the snowy road to the lake. As I ventured around the white sand, smooth rocks and arctic blue water’s edge I couldn’t help but feel completely speechless about the natural beauty that is Lake Tahoe. Here I am standing on a rock, looking out over the entire lake to the mountains miles away on the other side, behind me stands a massive peak scattered with pine trees and fresh fallen snow, and a few feet under my toes splashes ice blue water, in that moment I felt so humbled by the scenery of Lake Tahoe. Minutes turned to hours as I explored that little bay tucked along Highway 126, soon enough I realized I was almost late for our dinner date at the Hyatt’s on-property fine dining restaurant, the Lone Eagle Grille. I raced back to the cottage to find Amy just about as relaxed as I’ve ever seen her. As we walked over to the Lone Eagle Grille my appetite grew exponentially as did my excitement for this dining experience. We were promptly seated at our table and my eyes speedily read through every ingredient of every dish across the menu. The only thing I could think was, “Yup, I’m gonna have to order one of everything…” Interestingly the Lone Eagle Grille features cuisine inspired by the High Sierras and the menu change seasonally to reflect local, in-season ingredients. The menu ranges widely from expertly prepared game meats and seafood to innovative takes on vegetarian favorites. To us, this trip was about having new experiences, so I ordered the Pigeon Head India Pale Lager, a type of beer I had never heard of. For the avid craft beer drinker this is certainly one you should explore. For our appetizer we easily agreed on the Seared Sea Scallops with Braised Pork Belly, carrot puree, marinated fennel, and topped with a blood orange gastrique. The scallops were charred on the outside yet warm and juicy on the inside, and the pork belly added a rich and savory aspect, but my favorite part was the blood orange gastrique, it completed our first plate with an excellent tangy finish. Next we decided to share the Cider Marinated Beet Salad with granny smith apples, goat cheese, hazelnuts, and a cider vinaigrette. For any beet lovers out there this is an all-time favorite. Golden and red beets were certainly in no shortage; they were roasted to perfection, and complemented so well by the cider vinaigrette and goat cheese. My main course was definitely the hardest decisions of the trip. Should I go for the Duncan Ranch Elk Strip Loin or Durham Ranch Bison Tenderloin? Each meat I had never tried before and each one sounded enticing. I decided I had to consult the expert, our attentive and personable server. In the end she sold me on the elk, it’s sourced from New Zealand and flown overnight directly to Lake Tahoe multiple times a week. The elk is accompanied by a romesco red pepper sauce and topped with a sunny side up local quail egg, and on the side we ordered the creamed baby spinach with smoked ham and toasted garlic. When our main courses arrived I cut off a piece of the game meat and quail egg, dipped it in the romesco and right when it hit my taste buds I knew I had made the right decision. Even its memory makes my mouth water. To finish our meal we ordered the Pineapple Cake. It was the perfect warm sweet finish to a dining experience that seemed too good to be true. We left the Lone Eagle Grille to find a spot on the water’s edge to watch the sun disappear over the Sierra Nevadas. My inner child convinced Amy to adventure around some half submerged rocks along the shallows of the lake. As we gazed over the lake’s pinkish hue from the sky above I felt totally connected to the bare naked naturalism that is Lake Tahoe. And although our toes were soaked from the icy lake water, our hands were freezing and our teeth were chattering Amy and I shared an experience that was simply unforgettable. As we drove southbound down the 395 the next morning, there was only one thought on my mind…“We need to go back.”
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Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino 111 Country Club Drive Incline Village, Nevada laketahoe.regency.hyatt.com 775-832-1234
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