It has come as some surprise to me, a child of the east coast and current denizen of the west, that despite relatively regular open ocean access, I cannot, in fact, deny a lake. I first learned this during a summer in Traverse City, Michigan, where I was introduced to the joys of a pontoon boat (a floating living room!), clambered up the shockingly tall sleeping bear sand dunes, and generally took in vistas of what could have been, if not for some peripheral context clues, scenes of the bright aqua Mediterranean. These are Great Lakes that we’re talking about, of course. Big enough for big boats (and some historic tragedies, ahem), small enough to feel, on your own private frontage, your own rickety dock, rather personal. Plus, unlike the sea, this water was fresh. My dog loved it. We’d go on runs through the woods and dip through the trees to let him cool off in the water midway, drinking as he went, feathered tail a rudder. Now he runs less, but he still dips and sips. Even in the winter, when the lake is ominous, a flat freezing grey, there is something cheering about its presence. Especially if you like to ice fish. Do beware shelf ice, though.
It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised (even by geography), and all too rare these days. A few weeks ago it happened with another lake, when we went to Lake Tahoe, one of the more beautiful places you can spend a week skiing in this part of the world, where we have no shortage of them. We’d been once before, in early fall, when everything was green and the lake was the color of that topaz I picked for Starling, a dream Disney blue. This time there had been weather, so much so that our first flight to Reno cancelled and when we arrived a day later we rented the kind of enormous pickup truck I’d only really seen on episodes of Landman. But it was still beautiful, even in wind. And, joy of joys, the recent snow meant the skiing was excellent. I loved skiing from Nevada to California and back, and the runs from which the lake unfurls below you like a deep blue gift, with the contrasting desert visible from some far off angles. Given spring skiing is just the best, and March in Tahoe looks like it’s going to be pretty perfect, and if you’re in LA, a very easy JSX or Southwest flight away, I wrote a guide to the area for Vogue, but I’ve got an abridged version for you here, too (i.e. where to stay and eat, of course.)
WHERE TO STAY:
To drive from the north side of the lake to the south takes at least an hour, weather and traffic permitting, which doesn’t include parking, and means you will want to plan your lodging accordingly—or perhaps plan for a longer ski break, with stops in the north and south sides of the lake to take full advantage. (Pro tip: Ski Butlers will deliver great quality rented gear to one resort and retrieve it from another, if arranged in advance.)
The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe is located on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe, mere minutes from the casino-riddled strip, but (blissfully!) an entire world away aesthetically. The hotel has 154 rooms, many with gas fireplaces, soaking tubs, and awe-inspiring uninterrupted views of the lake, thanks to its position directly on the lake shore. The hotel was designed in the manner of a heavily glassed modern lodge, with a soaring lakefront great room, extensive spa, large outdoor pool and hot tub, and restaurant, the Bistro at Edgewood. An expertly-staffed on-property adventure center handles all things sporting, from gear rentals to arranging lessons and other excursions, and there is a free shuttle to both town and ski lifts on the California or Nevada side of the nearby Heavenly resort. The hotel, which on a recent visit demonstrated the kind of friendly attention to detail that far exceeds their rating as a four star, also offers regular activities for families, from a daily board game hour to nightly ‘Smores sessions around the fire pit under the stars. The property also has a celebrated golf course and club, which are very popular during the warmer months.
An idyllic hour’s drive north, through the variety of communities lining the eastern side of Lake Tahoe, is Truckee, a historic logging town that’s also become the region’s most popular spot for shopping, dining, and general merrymaking. For those seeking ideal access to both goings-on there and a variety of different ski resorts on the North and Western side of Lake Tahoe, Gravity Haus (3 minutes from Truckee by car) is an excellent bet. The modern, dog-friendly(!) hotel is the right kind of simple, with friendly, helpful staff and everything you need in the room (and nothing you don’t); the hotel also operates as a wellness-and-workspace-focused members club (there are other locations in ski towns like Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Vail) with a well-outfitted gym and thoughtful recovery options, including hot tub, infrared sauna and leg recovery compression boots(!!), and a large conference room for meetings. There is also an excellent restaurant, Stella, on site, which serves breakfast every day and dinner on Wednesday to Sunday. (Ski Butlers also picks up and delivers there.)
For those looking for the most direct ski access and highest rated accommodations on the north side of the lake, the Ritz Carlton at Northstar is located mid-mountain for ski-in, ski-out accesss. It also has a 17,000 square foot spa, and a popular restaurant, Manzanita.
WHERE TO EAT:
South Lake Tahoe:
Bistro Restaurant at Edgewood Tahoe: Upscale dining in a comfortable setting, with some inventive menu standouts and a good wine list.
Himmel Haus: A taste of Bavaria (okay, a very Americanized version) at the base of a Heavenly lift? Not a bad idea at all—and an excellent choice for a hearty apres-ski meal.
Base Camp Pizza: Starving after shredding the slopes? This is a fan favorite for inventive rib-sticking pies (think: Thai Chicken Curry Pizza) right by the base of the Heavenly Gondola in Heavenly Village.
Bert’s Cafe: Family owned and operated by a local Tahoe family, this South Tahoe favorite garners raves for its breakfast fare and friendly service (Bert himself is often allegedly on hand), namely fluffy omelettes and corned beef hash.
The Divided Sky: Excellent, inventive sandwiches and salads, located halfway between south lake tahoe and sierra-at-tahoe resort.
North Lake Tahoe:
Smoke Door: The newest and most critically lauded entree to the Lake Tahoe dining scene, executive chef Tyler Burges’ Smoke Door is a tucked away treasure located on the California and Nevada state line, near the site of the former CalNeva resort. A self described “saryo,” or Japanese tea house, Smoke Door’s exceptional Japanese cuisine is all centered around the idea of wood fire smoke. Opt for the 10 course omakase menu, and plan to ski it off tomorrow.
Great Gold: Californian cuisine meets Neapolitan-style pizza perfection a few minutes from downtown Truckee in this spot that’s popular with locals and visitors alike.
Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats: A bistro, a bar, a local nightlife legend—Paul McCartney once played here!—Moody’s, right on the corner of Truckee’s main drag, has much better food (and service) than anyone who frequents ski towns and their accordant tourist attractions might expect. Hot tip: live music starts at 7:30 on the weekends, and the bar fills up a little after 5, so plan your reservations accordingly.
Tangerine Bistro: A bright, elegant, classic french boîte from the chef behind Great Gold that wouldn’t feel out of place in New York. A nice break from the pizzas and burgers of it all, should you so require. (I sometimes require.)
Pianeta: A Truckee mainstay since 1998, Pianeta’s cozy Italian cuisine has made it a local favorite and easy recommendation for years. (It is also cleverly located next to one of the town’s most beloved dive bars, The PastTime Club, for easy apres-dinner planning.)
The Squeeze In: A beloved spot for Food Network-lauded brunch fare (keep your eyes peeled for omelets named for the network’s stars) with sticker covered, Sharpee-scrawled walls and big groups buckling down for rounds of mimosas.
Jax at the Tracks: The platonic ideal of a classic American diner (really, the owner relocated a 1948 Kullman diner to Truckee in the early 1990s) serving excellent breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right along the train tracks that helped make the American west.
WHAT TO WEAR: here’s a fun little ski edit I made, but I mostly think you should wear this cardigan, this hat, and these boots. I would. Falke makes the best socks, Hestra makes the best gloves. (These are very cute for those of you freezing in New York.) There is no better time than a ski trip to wear an Aran knit or Fair Isle or tie dyed fleece. And don’t forget a helmet. AND SUNSCREEN! Someone always does and the goggle tan is cute while you’re there, not when you’re home.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
We had been hearing about this new restaurant, Tomat, which is in an odd place for L.A. (Westchester, near LAX), but you know what, we will travel for good food. When we had concert tickets at the Forum last week (Nathaniel Rateliff, a delight, Bob Weir joined him for a surprise duet), we booked a table for dinner. I am so happy to report it is really very good, a kind of spiritual sibling to one of our beloved New York neighborhood haunts, Houseman, with elevated rustic fare and simple interior design. The baked goods are insane. It’s the kind of place that if it was in your neighborhood you’d go at least once a week, if not more, just for croissants. It’s open all day, so a perfect spot to hit before or after a flight instead of rushing around trying to find something decent at the airport. Highly recommend.
-A Way of Life Like Any Other by Darcy O’Brien. I have read this before, I may have recommended it before, but I loved re-reading it last week. Think Great Granny Webster but set in Los Angeles at the end of Old Hollywood’s gilded era (for two members of its firmament and their hapless kid, at least). A treat.
-Flow (on Max): I don’t like watching animals in peril, even animated ones, and I really like don’t like reminders of the ongoing climate apocalypse, so I have no idea how I liked this movie so much, but I did. Its depictions of a post-human planet, and the creatures left to navigate it and try to survive (doing so only by banding together) is really beautiful, really moving, and ultimately probably one of the more important messages in a film this year. Highly recommend for the whole family, though maybe not for very young/ sensitive children? (A young me would have had a lot of existential terror about this, probably. More than I already had, anyways.)
-I am still watching The Pitt, and I still think it is the best thing on TV, including White Lotus, which of course I am also enjoying.
-I devoured Abby Aguirre’s brilliant breakdown on 2019’s Chaos: Charles Manson, the C.I.A., and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill in her always excellent substack, Points West. “It’s a doorstop of a book,” she writes, “the product of twenty years of research, begun in 1999 when Premiere magazine asked him to write a piece for the thirtieth anniversary of the crimes. The assignment seemed straightforward enough. But within weeks, O’Neill started finding holes. Epic story short: He never filed, Premiere no longer exists, and O’Neill is still trying to get to the end of the Manson-murder labyrinth.” Dial me in. There is also an upcoming Erroll Morris Netflix documentary based on the book, coming March 7.
-Felix Art Fair for me was about the flowers. Specifically painted ones, like below, by the brilliant Hopie Hill at Charles Moffet, whose works I want to live inside (and would consider bartering a kidney for, should she require one), the winsome bouquet by my friend Julia Felsenthal at JDJ, Kate Lewis’ Matisse-inflected interior scenes at Sobering Galerie, R.F. Alvarez’s enrapturing, moody Old Master-style still life at Martha... First I wanted a fruit tree, now I want flowers…something in the air…! (Spring, duh.)
-PSA: I need a coffee table. Suggestions? Something not hideous? I am at the point of looking for furniture where I’ve started seriously considering making things myself. I looked up a welding class recently. I may do it. Seems like a good time for some hard skills, no?
Thanks, as ever, for being here. More soon.
xx ATC