You don’t have to be a vegetarian, independently wealthy or even a golfer to enjoy a quiet respite with a beautiful view at The Grille at the Chateau; the Championship Golf Course’s bar and restaurant at Lake Tahoe. At what has to be Incline Village’s best kept secret, we enjoyed an impromptu wine-tasting, sweet potato fries and in the opinion of these two carnivores, an amazingly good vegetarian burger all for just under $20.
Although the burger was shared (but still satisfied us both) the fries were abundant and the glass of wine, plentiful. It was the perfect alfresco late afternoon snack or, in our case, early dinner. Either way, in the waning sun on a warm day without the slightest whisper of a breeze, the 18th hole in the foreground and the lake and surrounding snow-capped mountains in the background would have made boxed wine and stale bread taste magical.
Perfect weather and view aside, the food was superior for happy-hour fare, served by a lovely waitress named Suzie who, as it turned out, visits Benicia regularly to see her best friend who lives here. Even before establishing the Benicia connection, Suzie, originally from Laguna
Beach, let us taste some of the wines on the happy hour menu before committing.
Open for lunch from 11am-3pm, appetizers until 6pm and bar service until 7pm through October when they close for the winter, the restaurant, bar and adjacent deck sit on a bluff situated to take maximum advantage of the views. It’s a peaceful spot, and wasn’t crowded Sunday afternoon at 4:30. The menu includes salad, sandwiches, pizza and starters. Choices include standard items like nachos and sliders, but also several healthy choices beyond the usual pub-grub fare. These include thinly-sliced, rare ahi tuna served chilled with seaweed salad, pickled ginger, marinated cucumbers and wasabi, and lettuce wraps with grilled stir-fried chicken, snow peas, water chestnuts, sprouts, peppers and cilantro and tossed with sesame lime vinaigrette and chow mein noodles. Prices range from $2.25 for a cup of soup (made fresh daily) to
$11.95 for a grilled cob salad.
And for the golfers out there, on Sundays through August the restaurant features Steak Night Dinners with nine holes of golf for $79.95. Dinner without golf is $35. The dinner includes a different type of steak each Sunday with a potato dish, salad, vegetable, rolls, dessert and tea or coffee. For more information, visit www.golfincline.com.
