‘You get what you pay for.’ How many times have you heard this? My grandma always said, ‘He who buys cheap, buys often.’ This deceptively makes sense. It leads one to believe if they pay a lot of money for something, it will last longer, look better, taste better, or your friends will like it more. I believed all this for years, until my mother-in- law pointed out that her $20 handbag carried stuff just as well as my $1,200 Louis Vuitton. My only consolation was that her handbag looked like road kill, and mine did not. However this got me thinking – does paying more, equal more? I started a little experiment where I became downright frugal. I started getting wise with my cash. I became convinced I didn’t have to pay top dollar for top quality. Finding a less expensive way to do the same things as everyone else became a sort of mission. So, when I heard about Lone Eagle Grille in Incline Village being good, but too expensive, I saw a challenge. Could I eat at an ‘expensive’ restaurant on the cheap? Could I walk out with a full belly AND a full wallet? As I found out, it’s all about when you go and where you sit.
If you have never been to the Lone Eagle Grille, it is the worth the trip, even if you don’t stay to dine. You enter the restaurant on the second story, where you are provided with a balcony view of the restaurant and bar area below. The Grille possess a rustic elegance with its high ceilings, two stone fireplaces, rich tapestries, and pine accents that simply make you want to nuzzle into a corner and drink red wine all evening. The bar area can become crowded as people start to show up for their dinner reservations or après ski celebration, but the people watching is so fantastic you won’t mind. Fur hats, fur coats, and facelifts accompanied my wine, and as I sat there, I was in awe of how unique we all are. The restaurant is designed around the magnificent view of the Hyatt’s private beach, pier, and mountainsides, and one cannot help but get lost in the resplendent natural beauty of Lake Tahoe. There is also a fire pit outside of the bar, along the sandy beach, where patrons are welcome to dine if they are brave enough to withstand the bone-chilling wind. However, on a sunlit spring afternoon or summer evening, it would undoubtedly be the best seat in the house.
Entrées are priced between $30 and $45, so a more economical alternative is to sit at the bar and feast on salad with a couple of appetizers, which are identical to those provided on the dinner menu. The bar also offers a variety of gourmet pizzas, which are not available in the general dining area. One of the more elaborate combinations is the smoked salmon, chive goat cheese, red onion, and micro greens with tobiko wasabi. The Grille’s appetizers take a new spin on old favorites, such as saffron clam chowder with corn fritters and chive sour cream, or wild mushroom and pepper jack quesadilla over tomato jam with basil-infused oil.
My husband and I sat at the bar as we feasted on the clam chowder, fried calamari with pesto aioli and spicy marinara sauce, a sizeable panko-crusted Portobello mushroom with herb country cheese, arugula and chipotle chutney, and a salad of mixed baby greens with fennel, beets, tomatoes, focaccia croutons and a balsamic vinaigrette. We also enjoyed two glasses of ‘half-off’ wine as part of the Happy Hour Special available Sunday through Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. All of this, coupled with exceptional service from our server, Mary, resulted in a tab of just $45. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful – all produce, bread and meat is delivered daily from suppliers that are no further away than San Francisco. According to restaurant manager Dave Cribbs, nearly 60 percent of the Lone Eagle Grille’s produce and meat is organic, and local ingredients are purchased when they are available, predominately in the summer. In the coming months, the restaurant will make even more of an effort to buy only from natural, organic or sustainable farms.
As you can see you don’t have to take out a second mortgage on you home to eat well, drink well and experience great service. Simply paying attention to the specials offered and being a little flexible can go a long way.
~ Lone Eagle Grill is located at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nevada, across from the Hyatt. 775-886-6899, laketahoe.hyatt.com
Facts from the book
Create Your Own Lone Eagle Grille Meal
If going out to eat just isn’t an option, try the Lone Eagle Grille worthy recipe below. Catfish is one of the tastiest and most economical fish around, is great for your heart and provides cholesterol-lowering benefits. Bon Appetit!
Pan Seared Cat Fish with Red Roasted Red Pepper Lime Sauce and Toasted Sunflower Seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, or any white-fleshed fish fillets, about 5 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted red pep spers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season both sides of fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add fish fillets to skillet and cook two minutes per side, flipping with a spatula or tongs, until golden brown and fork-tender. Remove from pan.
In a blender, combine roasted red peppers, garlic, lime juice, ginger, and cumin and puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Serve fish with the sauce spooned over top. Sprinkle the top with toasted sunflower seeds.
Recipe: courtesy Robin Miller 2007, author and contributing editor to Cooking Light Magazine
