Wolfdale's Cuisine Unique — Restaurant in California

Celebrating a personal WIN and wanted a "Tahoe Unique Experience" -- and Wolfdale's was the place!

I made reservations online via their website and it was confirmed within minutes. Great. We headed up to the Lake and took the scenic route - because who can deny the beauty of the Lake.

Small parking lot, plenty of on-street parking. Came to the door and they had a Covid setup outside. Hand Sanitizer, masks, spray, what else do you need? Covid Side note: I felt they did a very good job of keeping us safe without being too intrusive on the experience. Now, back to the story.

Kathleen greeted us and congratulated me on the WIN - She obviously read the notes in the reservation. A nice touch - a telling beginning to the evening.

Large dining room with limited number of tables - and at each table was a group or a couple who were SUPER happy to be out on a Saturday Night and they were all ENJOYING themselves. It was lively, it had an air of celebration, delight.

We started with some of their craft cocktails, WD42 (WolfDale's 42 Years Anniversary cocktail) and it was delish! Rye, ginger and lime ... well balanced and served in a great glass. He had the Bahia which was similar to a hand crafted margarita - with a kick. Obviously, their bar program is top notch. We also ordered a bottle of Truckee River Pinot with dinner and it was a wonderful choice.

Now - to the food. The restaurant is small and they don't have 150 entree item selection. If that is your interest - try Denny's. They have maybe 8-10 entrees and all of them are great. I imagine their proteins stay the same, or similar and the accompaniments change to match the seasons. Our meals had a very "autumnal" feel to them.

We started with the Poke Cones and the Smoked Trout. The trout is from Idaho and they smoke it in house. It is AMAZING. Poke cones - the scent of sesame oil drew me to them - but the flavor was not overpowering - again, well balanced. We shared an Arugula Salad - it was GREAT .. feta, beets, pecans... a great salad.

Entrees, we went with the Lamb Shank and the Scallops. Lamb was served with white cannellini beans, parmesan gremolata while the Scallops had a butternut mash with brussels and dry cranberries. See? A very SEASONAL setup. Everything was so delish. The wine worked its magic and we were "well pleased and satisfied".

Desserts - warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the chocolate mousse pie with raspberries. The raspberries added the right touch to decadent mousse. The apple pie was flaky and warm and not too sweet. The slices of apples still had integrity - weren't mushy.

All in all - a wonderful meal. Bob and Kathleen stopped by our table periodically to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. And we were.

Already planning...

This is going to be a great review. This is my new favorite place. It's pricey and for special occasions for the likes of me. But that said, my daughter took me to Nobu's in Palo Alto, which was marvelous. I enjoyed "Wolfies" better. And when you factor in the price, wolfdales is clear. To be honest, even if you don't factor in price, I'm still in wolfdales corner. Why?

To start, we started with a pinot noir from the impressive wine list. Familiar to me, this started the meal experience in high gear.

We started w the lobster tempura. Lightly coated, not breaded really, and served w a butter dip and a spicier dip. Hardly need a dip. Skip the spicy one even though it is quite piquant, just too much for the lobster.

I ordered the Chilean seabass and my wife the duck. Chilean seabass has a nutty flavor and is rich in its own fats and oils. For reference, halibut is not something I like as it can be too lean and flovor too subtle like most whitefish. Not the Patagonia toothfish. I can buy this fish locally previously frozen but this one had a much firmer texture reflecting its quality I would not have access to as a civilian. And there was no hint of a fishy undertone which can be overpowering for lesser quality. It's presentation was simple and sensible to protect the flavors of this fish. Great portion size too. This rich fish is controversial, but if it stays in the hands of people like Mr. Dale and not end up at Costco, this fish may be sustainable.

My wife had the duck. I got a taste and immediately said this does so does not taste like chicken. That's a bit crass, but it's my way of really acknowledging the savory flavor. It reminded me as a child of the Peking duck my family would order at our favorite Chinese restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, everyone's favorite.

We had the dark chocolate mouse w raspberries with the last of the wine. The experience just didn't let up.

Eat a bit, drink wine, talk w Bob the colorful waiter... so much fun.

And to top it off, Bob brought doug dale to our table to chat. What a dude.

I know I'm gushing like an infomercial, but if you're waiting for a criticism, you'll be waiting awhile. I'm going back next weekend. And im bringing reinforceents....

Impeccable service! Arvi (I hope I got his name right) was our server. He was phenomenal and extremely attentive. The food, EVERYTHING, was dynamite! For starters, we had a dozen Pacific Northwest oysters, I had a Buillet Rye old-fashioned, and my wife had their Aperol Spritz with Mango Juice added. We shared their Tomahawk Steak (pictured, not a great photo), which was accompanied by their Shitake mushrooms with currants. We are not mushroom people, but these were absolutely delicious. Their wine list is not extensive, but a great selection for any wallet wanting quality wines with their meal, to sip or pair with dessert. We had an amazing view. It was our anniversary and I had requested a view. We showed up about 15 minutes early, not thinking they would be ready for us. The hostess greeted us with a smile and said our table was ready to go. She sat us right in front of the window where we had an amazing view while dining. I usually find most restaurants to be good and somewhere they miss. Whether it is a staff member. The drink from the bar is not great, or the food is not fresh or prepared well. NOT Wolfdale's! They were above my expectations, and I am giving them a HARD 5 star review, and if a 6 star were possible, I would give them extra credit! Thank you from the hostess to the server and then the chef for making our 27th anniversary a...