Trokay
A ten course chef’s tasting menu in Truckee, CA.
After New Year’s, we packed for the snow, selected a few bottles of wine to bring along with us, and left for Lake Tahoe just as everyone was returning to the Bay. Tiffany had heard me repeat that Trokay was the only very fine dining restaurant I’d ever visited in Tahoe, and she’d gotten us reservations as a very generous Christmas present.
A few minutes before 7pm on a Monday, we were in the car and headed into Truckee from the Ritz, stuck behind the driver of a Tesla X who had decided that 15 mph was the new speed limit. During the 20 minute trip into town, I swore often and loudly. Because it was Monday, we found street parking just a few doors down from Trokay.
Inside, we were greeted and coats were taken as we took note of the scene. A few members of staff bustled around the empty bar. The ample seating still available was our greatest challenge of the night, and we struggled to decide where to sit. They weren’t seating at the bar. We sat against the wall in the center of the room, facing each other. And moments later I decided I wanted to sit next to Tiffany, but she encouraged me to wait until we could speak to the host before turning the table sideways to give more room. The host was happy to oblige and pushed another table together before meticulously adjusting the legs. He told us that the floor was over a hundred years old, and the surface varied so much that they were well practiced at adjusting tables for stability.
Champagne (actually, a French brut) was poured along with an announcement that it would be paired with the first two courses. Although we were sharing a wine pairing, they kindly poured us full champagne flutes so that we could cheers. Tiffany and I were briefly amused that we were actually using flutes. We’ve mostly moved away from using narrow flutes for champagne in favor of coupes and even wider glasses (I’ll have to interview Bill Marci from the San Francisco Champagne Society about glassware).
Our first course was Trokay’s branded reserve Ossetra caviar, served with toasted brioche and a traditional set of garnishes like creme fraiche, chives, candied lemon, and onion. The serving was generous and delicious. Next came a collection of fresh baked snacks, the best of which was a gruyere stuffed pastry and a side of peppered jam. We were quickly becoming concerned about the 10 courses ahead of us. The amuse bouche was a lovely spoonful with fish roe that I liked, but Tiffany noted wasn’t quite balanced.
A South African Chenin Blanc was poured (2019 The Den), a lean wine served quite cold. Our first (official) course was named “Snow and Ice,” a chilled dish with crab and made with whey and white fir. It disappeared in a few bites. We became hungry.
A young Sauternes was poured. I noted the unusual placement of the wine so early in the meal and expected something sweet. “Fire and Smoke,” our second course, was a perfect foie gras dish. As they removed the lids covering it, white smoke billowed out and dispersed in front of us. Smoked juniper, they told us. The foie gras sat in a gelatin with kumquat. It was perfect, and sweetness of the dessert wine helped balance the richness of each bite.
The next dish, “A Walk in the Woods,” was served in an exciting dish that reminded me of a 3-D topological map. The greens and “edible earth” were nestled in the valley of the plate.
For course four, “A Taste of the Sea,” there were two components. The snapper sat in a rich broth and a lonesome scallop was adorned with furikake. A deliciously dry junmai daiginjo was poured. I adore sake.
Course five, “Quail,” was a blockbuster dish with scallion pancakes and raw and preserved condiments. We wrapped the quail in the pancakes, slathered them with condiments (I love soy sauce), and devoured them. The pairing was an underwhelming Chianti. And surprisingly, the Chianti remained for the next course, “Maine Lobster” with trout roe. This dish was so good. The lobster was poached perfectly, and the creamy green sauce with trout roe was irresistible. I broke bread and dipped it to get every remaining drop of sauce from the dish.
The next course was “Bryan and Katie Flannery’s 28-day dry aged NY strip.” I’ve eaten quite a lot of Flannery beef because the Fatted Calf has often carried them, and I really enjoy the gamey taste. The steak was expertly cooked and served next to a dollop of an infused soy sauce. The wine pairing was a 2018 Terroir Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, and I didn’t like it. I shared with the staff that it was the weakest pairing of the evening.
The eighth course (yes, 8th!) was “Murray’s cave aged ‘80:10:10’” with speck and d’anjou pear. It was rolled together and served beautifully with the speck propped up against the pastry. I think they poured a port, but it was unremarkable.
For dessert, the “Calabaza” empanada was a rich surprise, with dark chocolate pouring out of it as I cut in. Finally, “Sweet Woodruff” was an olive oil savory ice cream which Tiffany and I both enjoyed. We took the mignardises for the road.
As we left, we were chatting about how Trokay rivals San Francisco restaurants with Michelin stars. The presentation was immaculate. Service was prompt and friendly. The tempo and pacing was great. The flavors were flawlessly engineered and balanced (mostly). We were glad we’d gotten to try all the chef’s creations, but next time, we were going to opt for the smaller tasting menu. Book your visit here.