San
Francisco Chronicle
FOLLOW
THE READER: Truckee River perch for new Tahoe cafe
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Compiled by
Heather Maddan
Looking for a
midmorning brunch/lunch on a trip to Lake Tahoe recently, I
found the Crest Cafe, which has been open only for only a
few months. Owner Lisa Livingston and Kyle Davis have put
together a perfect little cafe right on the edge of the
Truckee river. As my wife and I sat at our secluded corner
table out on the deck under the pine trees having a warm
sandwich and sipping iced tea and an ice-cold draft beer
(the cafe serves beer and wine only), we spotted fish in
the river.
This perch on the river has fantastic counter service with
a big smile: Order, pay, find a seat and bang, it's there.
For $7, you can order smoked turkey on a ciabatta Panini
warmed with fontina, tomato, caramelized onion and basil
aioli; chicken Cobb wrap; Polish or meatball grinders; or
mini pizzas -- to name a few. Soups and salads are $5 to
$7. The entire breakfast menu is $5.25 or less: bagels,
Belgian waffles, homemade granola with all the toppings,
egg sandwiches or burritos and scones. You can get
grab-and-go bagged lunches for your adventure.
This place is built for the outdoors person or family that
wants a great place to start or finish a day in the Tahoe
basin (7 a.m. to 4 p.m). There's good fishing from under
the bridge to about a half-mile downstream, and a lovely
walking/bike path is a stone's throw away. It's a perfect
spot for a picnic.
The indoor dining room has wrap-around booths and boasts
large windows that look right down the river. This is not
so much a restaurant as a catering company with a great
location, and is way above the local average for a
quick-stop place.
Contact: The Crest Cafe, 150 Alpine Meadows Road, Tahoe
City, CA 96145. (530) 581-3037
DAVID
ERDMANN
