Graham Rock, owner and maître d’ of Graham’s at Squaw Valley, arrived in Tahoe in 1982 after traveling the world in his late teens and early twenties. His first trip was three months on a kibbutz in Israel, simply because the Middle East fascinated him. Like so many people who stop in Tahoe for a season, Rock’s one year morphed into three decades. He pursued a career to compliment his lifestyle in high-end restaurants such as Wolfdale’s, Chambers Landing, his own Backstreet Bistro, and for the past 22 years, Graham’s at Squaw Valley. Five years ago, Rock traveled to India and encountered the Sisters of the Holy Cross Women’s Center, a safe home for victims of domestic violence, which he now supports financially. His donations have helped the sisters buy a new generator system, put in a water system, and build dormitories.
One early August afternoon during a hailstorm, Moonshine Ink sat down with Rock while the phone rang constantly for reservations.
Moonshine Ink: Your charming English accent leaves the first obvious question on the table, where are you from?
Graham Rock: I grew up in Worcestershire, England, and left there after a couple of years in college. I studied business and economics, and really hated it. Much to the chagrin of my parents, I told them I wanted to take a sabbatical for one year to travel. I got a diploma to teach English as a foreign language and went all over the world: North Africa, South Africa, South America, and Europe.
MI: You stopped in the South of France and wrote home saying, “See you in a while.” Then what happened?
GR: In 1974, I did a kitchen apprenticeship in France, largely floor work and public relations. I didn’t do any cooking at all. I had a job as a restaurant manager near Saint Tropez in the summertime, and a wintertime job in the Alps near Val d’Isère. I used to flip between the two, and in between I’d do the vendange [grape harvest]. I spent the time either picking grapes or serving them in the form of wines.
MI: How did you get from France to Tahoe?
GR: In 1982, I came to Tahoe to ski. I met Doug Dale the second night I was in town after I heard that Wolfdale’s was looking for a waiter. I drove to Homewood, got the job, then took over managing the front of the house when Doug’s brother, Tim, moved away. I stayed with Doug and Kathleen until 1988.
MI: Tell me about Graham’s and how you landed in Squaw Valley?
GR: I came to Squaw Valley in 1989 and opened the Backstreet Bistro behind the movie theater. I ran that for two years and then heard that Sandy Poulsen was looking to lease out this building. We opened here in 1992. It’s the original Poulsen house, built in 1946 by Sandy and Wayne Poulsen. There’s also a six-room inn called the Christy Inn, which I manage as well.
MI: How do you handle your off season?
GR: It’s cheaper for me to close up, go on vacation, come back hungry, refreshed, and ready for another season. You know, you come here and may have a good first season, but you don’t go out and buy a brand new car and you don’t put a down payment on a house because you never know what the next season is going to bring. Having said that, the people who live here all the time love that seasonality because they catch up on life. I have long-term employees. They’re family to me. When it’s off-season, we can enjoy one of the prettiest areas in the world.
MI: What’s your favorite thing to do here aside from your job?
GR: Golf is my sport now, and I love traveling. The current and future phase of my life is sending support to the sisterhood in India. They’re like family, too. It’s my passion and I hope other people join me.
~ Graham’s recommendation for the next Tahoe Stories is Carolyn Wallace Dee, mayor of Truckee. Comment on this column below.
