Ritz-Carlton redefines dining at the counter

By Kathryn Reed

TRUCKEE – Knives go so fast it’s a wonder no one is injured. Flames shoot up. Pans are occupying nearly every burner, yet nothing is being neglected. A quick squeeze and flick of the wrist creates an artist-like design.

It’s controlled chaos in the kitchen at Manzanita.

A small army of sous chefs is assisting Chef Chris Watkins who is in charge of the restaurant on this particular Friday.

This is no ordinary counter we are dining at. The wood and rock make for a seamless transition from the outdoors. It’s more elegant than rustic. This is the Ritz, after all. But the splendor of Tahoe is not far away. To our right are windows that look out to the Martis Valley, while there is a more expansive view to our left of the hotel’s patio and Northstar’s ski slopes.

In front of us is the show. With mirrors on the ceiling we are able to better see some of the precision workmanship of the men and women dressed in classic chef apparel. Not only are they preparing our six-course meals, but the restaurant is full of regular diners.

Manzanita Chef’s Tasting Counter is a bit of a misnomer. At least the word “tasting” is – assuming one was to define it as a sample or bite-size. While most of the portions of the six-course dinner were not over the top, they were ample and appropriate to the point that we might have turned down a seventh course.

With that said, each morsel kept getting better. If we weren’t full, we would not have wanted the experience to end.

Watkins has been at Manzanita for less than a year, having spent the last 10 years in San Francisco at restaurants like Campton Place and Aqua. He quickly had to show his versatility with what he was going to serve me because my personalized menu had fish on it – something I don’t eat. He didn’t seem fazed by the sudden change in plans.

Bob, Carolyn and I were presented with our own menus that outlined the six courses. For the most part theirs was the same except for the omission of soy for Carolyn. Mine was vegetarian.

A smoked trout rillettes with trout skin chicharone started the evening. Bob and Carolyn raved about the skin, adding that the flavors kept bursting in their mouths. I could say the same about the roasted beet salad with house made ricotta and honey rosemary vinaigrette.

Watkins explained that the foie gras is essentially deconstructed and put back together, which makes it taste less gamey. Bob, who is a big fan of foie gras, raved about this incarnation of the delicacy.

The seared scallops with summer succotash was Carolyn’s favorite course of the night. They were perfectly cooked and the flavor of the vegetables outstanding.

Bob had a harder time picking a favorite, saying each course brought something new and another culinary surprise.

Being a fan of mushrooms, the fifth course – herb gnocchi with fava beans peas, morels, mushroom consume and shaved pecorino – was hands down my favorite. My meat eating dinner mates had lamb in their dish. I know I was given more morels than they were. I was in heaven. The only disappointment was seeing the bottom of the bowl.

We had the option to buy a bottle of wine or pay for six tastings. We chose the latter, which was fun because wine steward Travis Masten introduced us to varietals and wineries we were not familiar with – such as Pedro Ximenez’s Mayu from Chile.

This is the first summer the Ritz-Carlton at Lake Tahoe has offered the Chef’s Tasting Counter. The counter accommodates six people. The intimate interaction with the chef and wine steward made for an even more enjoyable experience compared to most foodie events that involve a room full of guests.

Catering to small parties is exactly what the Ritz was aiming to do when staff came up with the idea.

“We recognized an opportunity to enhance and further activate this existing counter space in the restaurant. With dining trends becoming more casual, not all diners are interested in a formal, sit-down pairing menu, but these same guests still want to enjoy a unique culinary experience and personal interaction with the culinarians,” Robin Penning with the Ritz told Lake Tahoe News.

Also making these dinners special is that the chef creates a meal for that evening for those at the counter that isn’t being served elsewhere on property.

When it was all over, Carolyn said, “This is the best food I’ve had in a really long time.”

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Notes:

·  For reservations, call 530.562.3121. They must be made 48 hours in advance.

·  Tasting Counter dinners are Fridays and Saturdays.

·  Dinners start at $95, with alcohol separate.

·  Each dinner is six courses.