Executive Chef Jessika ‘Yess’ Bryce of the West Shore Café says it like it is: ‘You can’t survive in Tahoe without the locals. It’s just not possible.’
I’ve lived on the West Shore for most of my life, but in all of my 26 years I had never stepped foot inside the West Shore Café.
That is, until last month, after the doors to the beautiful lakefront restaurant reopened under the ownership of JMA Ventures with a new business strategy: to offer good food at an affordable price — a sharp left turn from the prior establishment that catered to Tahoe’s elite.
‘Our goal is to make [the café] more family oriented,’ said general manager Mike Murphy. ‘To make it a great place to come for good food and good atmosphere.’
JMA Ventures purchased the West Shore Café last August from Nate Topol, who closed the restaurant after the summer of 2009. The restaurant, which is the fourth property JMA has purchased in North Lake Tahoe, is located directly across the street from Homewood and undoubtedly provides another amenity for the mountain’s skiers. According to Homewood’s website, the purchase of the café ‘reflects JMA’s commitment to revitalizing the West Shore.’ A soft, celebratory opening over Labor Day was meant to expose the acquisition to the public. ‘We really wanted people to see [the restaurant],’ said Rachael Woods, spokesperson for JMA Ventures. ‘After Labor Day, then we really went to work.’
Management spent the fall making preparations, hiring a new staff, and creating a new menu. Chef Bryce was hired after a cookoff where she competed against four other chefs to create three courses for eight people. Bryce originally came on board as sous chef, but she was soon promoted to executive chef after the original hire for the position left. General manager Murphy joined the café’s team on Dec. 17, hardly a week before the restaurant opened. ‘It was jump in and roll up your sleeves,’ he said. ‘More than anything, I felt fortunate that there was a great team in place.’
Hitting the ground running, the West Shore Café reopened on Dec. 26, just in time to catch the holiday ski business. ‘The road to getting there, it was full of obstacles,’ said front-of-the-house manager Dana Lipsky. ‘But I’m really proud that we did as well as we did.’
Taking in the view from the West Shore Café is something to savor. Chandeliers and an old Tahoe theme create a homey atmosphere inside the elegant restaurant, which is surrounded by a panoramic view of Tahoe’s glass-like waters and forested peaks.
Most entrées on the café’s new menu lie in the $20-something range and reflect Chef Bryce’s style of putting ‘an eclectic twist on classic food.’
Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, Chef Bryce is not the typical brooding chef on the line. You are more likely to find her smiling than throwing pans. ‘That female energy in a kitchen full of men is really fun,’ Lipsky said. Bryce literally grew up in restaurants of all sorts. At one point, all four of her parents (who divorced and remarried) were chefs. Their influence rubbed off on her. ‘I don’t ever stop thinking about food,’ she said. Bryce does not have any formal culinary training. Instead, she’s learned on the job. ‘If you know your ingredient, you can make anything,’ she said. Bryce handpicked the team on the line at the West Shore Café and said she wouldn’t want to do the job without their support. Her sharp blue eyes staring me down, Chef Bryce said, ‘Any chef is nothing without a good crew.’
With a reasonably priced menu, the West Shore Café is taking obvious steps to accommodate the average local resident, and they’ve received positive feedback. ‘[The café] has been really well received by the neighbors down here,’ said Murphy.
However, the restaurant is only open regularly Thursday through Sunday — prime time to catch tourist business. It would be nice to eventually see the restaurant open seven days a week and become even more accessible to locals who prefer to dine mid-week without the crowds.
‘This [restaurant] is in the middle of the town of Homewood,’ said Woods. ‘We want it to be embraced by the people who live here and the people who visit.’
Info: Open Thursday through Sunday at 4 p.m. for après-ski appetizers and at 5 p.m. for dinner; open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. In addition to regular hours, the West Shore Café will be open all week from Saturday, Feb. 19 to Sunday, Feb. 27. 5160 West Lake Boulevard, Homewood, (530) 525-5200, westshorecafe.com
