River Ranch Lodge and Restaurant, a North Shore mainstay for more than 30 years, is shaking things up a bit. New Chef Julia Walter debuted her new menu this June, featuring fresh, seasonal, and organic food. Highlights include:
• Steamed Artichoke appetizer: topped with melted butter and served with a garlic lemon dipping sauce
• Bloomsdale Spinach Salad: organic spinach, warm bacon vinaigrette, and berries, topped with Laura Chenel goat cheese from Sonoma, candied walnuts, chopped Nimon Ranch bacon, and shaved egg
• Idaho Red Trout: with crispy skin and lemon caper brown butter sauce
• Buffalo Hanger Steak: Grilled and sliced, then topped with a red wine demi-glace and a smoky hollandaise sauce of puréed chipotles served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Chef Julia highlights wild game as a staple on the new menu. ‘Most people aren’t aware that buffalo provides a healthier choice than pork or chicken as it’s lean in fat, less calories and higher in iron,’ she said. The buffalo steak is from family-owned Durham Ranch in northeast Wyoming known for their high quality and standards of raising buffalo where the buffalo literally roam the fields.
• Daily Specials showcase Chef Walter’s creativity and highlight seasonal ingredients. This summer, an heirloom tomato salad with tomatoes from Yueng Farms was frequently available due to high demand. Find at least one seafood special depending on what is in season, from Hawaiian Opah, Ono and Ahi, to Alaskan Halibut. Other types of wild game on special menus include Wild Boar, Venison Osso Bucco, and Antelope.
Dinner is available starting at 6 p.m. nightly and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The River Ranch is located at the corner of Hwy 89 & Alpine Meadows Road. 530-583-4264, riverranchlodge.com.
