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nnovation and re-invention are some of the methods restaurants must use to stay relevant. Keeping up with current food trends is imperative to keeping customers engaged and in creating a great dining experience. But 2020 has been unlike any year we’ve encountered. COVID-19 has changed everything. While many people remain on edge and are staying closer to home, summer in Tahoe was anything but slow. People moved from the cities and bought homes
“There are three to four new items weekly. People order three to five meals a week,” says Bellas. She, along with her chef Frank DeSoutte, create menus that offer a global theme. With Asian, Korean Bulgogi and curries, they have a selection of bowls, including vegan bowls, Kale Caesar Salad bowls and their wildly popular ramen bowls that you can add a protein to like salmon or shrimp. What does it take to survive these times? How do restaurants shift? People are tired
With outdoor dining, a great to-go menu and a fish and seafood market, Morgan’s is doing well, but Whitney is concerned with winter around the corner how the cold will affect the town and other restaurants who have relied on outdoor dining. “Everyone is doing well right now. There has been more business in town, but once it snows what’s going to happen?” he asks. Ed Coleman of Christy Hill in Tahoe City and co-owner of Pianeta in Truckee
vigilant and maintain all safety protocols to keep their staff and patrons safe. Both Whitney and Coleman mentioned the terrible shortage of labor in Tahoe. It’s one of the more critical issues for restaurant owners. With the lack of affordable housing, many of their staff are driving in from Reno. The South Lake Restaurant Association meets every two weeks and brainstorms how restaurants can sustain and best serve the South Lake area this winter.
“ The last seven months have been very busy. Last Saturday was our busiest Saturday in the last seven weeks. October and November are generally slow.” –Shawn Whitney LEFT: Morgan’s bestselling lobster roll; RIGHT: Morgans Chowder in a Bread Bowl. | Courtesy Morgan’s Lobster Shack
here while second homeowners relocated to their mountain homes. And most restaurants have been seemingly busy, albeit not without their challenges. Restaurants around Tahoe took to outdoor dining space and made concessions with limited indoor seated. Many of the establishments around the lake are maintaining some semblance of business as unusual. In contrast, others have closed their doors and some brave souls have opened a new business during these uncertain times. Janet Bellas of Bella Affair Catering has been catering for 35 years in the North Tahoe area when the pandemic struck. She reinvented her catering business this July and opened Parsley Fresh Eats in Crystal Bay, Nev., a takeout-only meal service. Customers order online and pick up their meals. Parsley offers soups, salads and unique and healthy bowls that can be eaten either for lunch or dinner. The menu items are organic and nutritious.
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of cooking at home. They are looking to be cooked for and served. Shawn Whitney, owner of Morgan’s Lobster Shack in Truckee, worked hard all summer and is still working hard now as fall is in full tilt. “The last seven months have been very busy. Last Saturday was our busiest Saturday in the last seven weeks. October and November are generally slow,” says Whitney, who adds, he doesn’t see it slowing down any time soon. He attributes some of the booming business to the beautiful fall weather, but it’s definitely the pandemic that is driving it. “COVID is the biggest push. We have more homeowners that have moved here with families that are working from home,” he says. Lobster rolls, fish and chips and grilled salmon or halibut on a salad are some of the restaurant’s best sellers. Whitney has seen an increase in sales not only in their takeout menu but their fresh fish market, as well. “We have a good product and quality fresh fish,” he says.
Parsley’s takeout, to-go bowls: LEFT: Chicken Kimchi Soup (left) and Vegetable Posolé; RIGHT: Basil Chicken Stirfry & Cauliflower Rice | Courtesy of Parsley Fresh Eats
echoes a similar sentiment. Summer has been good to both restaurants in light of the pandemic. After closing in March, Christy Hill reopened and offered a scaled-down takeout menu with meal kits offering dinners such as Osso Bucco and lasagna. “Once we got the green light to reopen to 50 percent, we trained our staff with protocols to be as safe as possible. We moved outdoors and used the Sand Bar for more dining,” says Coleman. They hired some strong young people to help run food. “We’ve had a really busy summer. Pianeta had a busy summer as well and sold out nightly,” says Coleman. In November, Christy Hill will be adding a sunset menu offering from 4 to 6 p.m. With the impending winter, Coleman says they’ll consider outdoor seating with heaters at Christy Hill and possibly at Pianeta. Both restaurants will offer a limited takeout menu. The most important thing for Coleman is that they remain
“Restaurants were slammed this summer even overwhelmed at times by the amount of business they saw. Winter puts a wrench in the whole situation. The restaurants are working as one community and sharing their creative ideas,” explains Annie Handrick, communications and marketing director for the South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce. Some restaurants have installed air filtration systems in their establishments, she said, while others explore tents and heaters for outdoor dining this winter. Handrick says that creative ideas and collaboration are impressive as restaurants in South Lake explore ways to operate in the face of a pandemic this winter. There’s so much uncertainty and change in the air; many restaurants are working hard to re-invent themselves and serve the Tahoe community. From exploring takeout menus to adding canned cocktails to their menus, restaurants are trying to create a new normal in very strange times. For those of us who love the Tahoe Sierra in winter, maybe eating outdoors in the snow might be a new way to dine. Priya Hutner is a writer, personal chef and workshop facilitator. She is the owner of the Seasoned Sage, which prepares organic artisan meals for dinner parties and events. She also offers in-home cooking classes, parties and local pop up dinners. As a breath meditation teacher and long-time yogi, she facilitates workshops and classes that focus on gaining a deeper awareness of self. Send story ideas to priya@tahoethisweek.com. | (772) 913-0008, pria78@gmail.com, seasonedsage.com
