Italian Eats Tucked Away…

Who knew that great italian food can be found tucked away in the wilderness? Tonight for dinner, we went to Lanza’s, a local southern italian restaurant in Kings Beach. From the classic red and white checked tablecloths, the piping hot & crusty italian bread, and huge portions, we were definitely in for a treat. It was a place that reminded me of stepping inside an italian grandmother’s kitchen.

http://www.tahoeguide.com/tahoe/SITE/indexlisting.cfm/dining/84/0/direct

Southern Italian cuisine are traditionally known for using more mozzarella, cacciacavalo and pecorino cheeses, olive oil, lasagna and dried pastas. Southern Italian cuisine also uses tomatoes much more in their dishes.

Here’s what we ordered:
Stuffed Lumaconi ~ Jumbo shells stuffed with beef, parmesan cheese, spinach, eggs and a special blend of spices which is then baked with mozzarella cheese.
Chicken Parmesan ~ Boneless, skinless chicken breast that was breaded and topped with mozzarella cheese, which was baked with a homemade marinara sauce and served with a side of pasta.
We definitely recommend this wonderful family restaurant if you’re ever in the Kings Beach neighborhood!

Claiming Our Lunch!

While in our recent trip to Lake Tahoe, we took our friends out for a belated birthday celebration at Claim Jumper Restaurant in Reno, Nevada. It was a favorite restaurant of our friends and a new place for us.

http://www.claimjumper.com/

Claim Jumpers Restaurant is a chain that is primarily in the west coast, with 2 locations in Illinois. After our trip, we definitely see us visiting the Illinois locations in the future. When we stepped inside, we were welcomed in a warm and comfortable restaurant, capturing the essence of Lake Tahoe. The interiors of the restaurant featured huge Douglas Fir logs, natural rock, corrugated and pressed tin, natural and finished woods and large fireplaces. Rich fabrics, authentic log chairs, moving fan systems and colorful tiffany lamps were also used to decorate the lobby, dining areas and saloons.

Here’s what we ordered in light of my friend, Kim’s birthday and to start off our winter vacation in beautiful Lake Tahoe:

Braised Short Ribs ~ Double thick beef short ribs that were slow braised & served with a burgundy herb sauce over horseradish mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Country Fried Steak ~ Lean cube steak that was perfectly seasoned, breaded and lightly fried to a crisp, served with mashed red potatoes and smothered with a country gravy. It also came with a buttermilk biscuit and honey butter.

Rotisserie Chicken ~ A half chicken slowly barbequed and basted in its own natural juices and herbs, served with Cheese Potatocakes. These Potatocakes include parmesan, cheddar and monterey jack cheese, cilantro, onion, fresh dill and mashed potato that has been lightly breaded and fried crisp… then topped with fresh chives and herbed ranch salsa.

Meatloaf Sandwich ~ A special meatloaf recipe made with fresh ground chuck, pork, onions, carrots and green peppers, that is served open faced on grilled garlic toast. It was then topped with mashed potatoes, herb gravy and sauteed mushrooms and onions.

For the birthday gal, we all shared a mud pie ~ Coffee mocha ice cream with hot fudge over an Oreo crust then topped with a caramel topping and whipped cream.
It was a delicious adventure to start our Lake Tahoe vacation!