Evolving scene in sleepy Tahoe City
In the string of classic ’70s-era char pits, bars decorated with wooden skis and lakefront motor lodges that have long characterized Tahoe’s north shore, Tahoe City might be considered the area’s “Stairway to Heaven.”
Not in a bad way. Having spent the greater part of my formative years roaming the mini-golf courses and dockside drinking shacks of north and west shores, I’ve always found something comforting and cozy about the town’s rewind vibe.
But with a new crop of skiers and snowboarders packing the slopes to cash in on this year’s record snowfall, Tahoe City is looking to reboot its image. Young entrepreneurs are putting a fresh face on old-timey places and several new developments are making their way into the mix.
For Tahoe vets, the good news is that the newcomers have their feet firmly planted in the oldfashioned community spirit that that has made Tahoe City a family favorite for generations.
Why now: With more than 600 inches of snow this year, northshore resorts are extending their seasons well into spring, so you can still catch plenty of runs and apres ski time.
Back story: Tahoe City is kneedeep in Sierra ski history. In the 1920s, wealthy San Franciscans began taking the “Snowball Express” to Truckee, making their way to the grand Tahoe Tavern on west shore. In 1931-32, the Lake Tahoe Ski Club hosted the Winter Olympic tryouts on Olympic Hill (now Granlibakken), and of course in 1960, the Winter Olympics were held in Squaw Valley, just down the road.
Kids still find their ski legs at Granlibakken, where you can get rentals, lessons and lift tickets (only one lift) for easily a third of the price of the big resorts. The resort and conference center offers a full-service lodge with 190 rental suites and townhomes, dining facilities, and a yearround heated pool and spa.
Farther down west shore, there’s still time to carve some turns at Homewood Mountain Resort before they break ground on a ski village that will include condos, town houses, retail shops, an ice-skating pond, and a five-star hotel and lodge.
Checking in: With sister properties on South Shore and in Boulder, year-old Basecamp Hotel feels like modern ski-bum lodging with a hipster twist. Revamped from the ’60s Lake of the Sky Motor Inn, the lobby-lounge doubles as bar and breakfast room, with leather sofas, craft beers on tap, and s’mores kits for the fire pits on the outdoor deck.
Guest rooms are woodsy minimalist (and so are the prices — starting in the low $100s), with wool blankets for cold nights and bike racks, as well as on-site snowboard storage.
Spend your day: Start with breakfast at the West Shore Market & Deli, a combination gourmet grocer, general store, wine cellar, bakery, coffee bar and happy hour gathering spot for flatbread pizza and craft beer that would feel at home in the Mission District. Opened in 2015 inside the old Sunnyside Market, it offers a from-scratch breakfast menu that includes baked doughnuts, homemade pop tarts, and fried-chicken-and-egg sandwiches with homemade gravy.
If you want to skip the lift lines, head to Tahoe XC and the new Winter Sports Park on the Tahoe City Golf Course for miles of fresh Nordic tracks and snowshoeing trails. While the Sports Park ice rink and sledding hill are closed for the season, you can still snowshoe or hike the groomed trails, or head to Granlibakken and test your skills on the Treetop Adventure Park (think American Ninja Warrior Lite, in trees).
Later, stroll to the Cobblestone Center and pull a pint of handcrafted Ranch Dog red ale or Hop Dragon double IPA at the Tahoe Mountain Brewery. Afterward, catch a movie at 3-year-old Tahoe Arthaus and Cinema, where you can watch the latest indie offering from a leather rocker with a frosty beer and a bowl of spice-your-own-popcorn.
Dining: Grab some global comfort food and a craft cocktail at Cafe Zenon, a new hotspot refurbished from the ’50s-era clubhouse at the Tahoe City Golf Course. Owner Suzanne Nguyen, a self-proclaimed ski bum from Montana, took over the dilapidated bar and grill and revived it with a fresh, eclectic menu that recalls her French Vietnamese heritage — from challah French toast to banh mi and Vietnamese French dip with pho broth. The bar features a full range of inventive craft cocktails, plus Stumptown coffee and hot cocoa.
Don’t miss: If all this new stuff has you feeling nostalgic, belly up for a burger and a Bloody Mary at Bridgetender tavern on the Truckee River. Though the original restaurant was rebuilt in 2013, the knotty pine paneling and Foreigner soundtrack still feel a lot like the first time.