To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.

Now that football season has kicked off, my antennas are up for scoping out great game day options. Whether that’s wings or sliders or in the case of this week’s feature: dips. Dips are like my kryptonite – I tend to sit around them and eat way too much. This dish was no exception.

The base of this dish consists of a mixture of mascarpone, cream cheese, Parmesan, and cooked cauliflower. Once that cheesy champion gets nice and bubbly it gets topped with a house made Calabrian chili oil mixture and freshly diced green onions then served with crusty bread slices for dipping.

Now, you could just jam a knife into the dip and spread some over your bread, but in my opinion, the best bites come when you don’t pick and choose – just mix it all together and let it rip. That way you get the complete flavor experience and don’t have to worry about how much Calabrian spice is too much or too little.

The cheesiness in the dish is crazy, with each type of cheese bringing their own personality. And what is undeniable is just how creamy everything is. The cauliflower adds a hint of sweet nuttiness and somewhere in the back of my mind, it’s telling me that because it’s cauliflower, it’s also healthy. For me, though, the item that really pops is the Calabrian oil. I love heat and with its bright and slightly smoky notes, it keeps this dish from getting weighed down.

Yeah, I could easily throw down a bowl of this while watching a game and look down at half time and wonder who ate all my dip … when I was the only one watching the game.

The Idle Hour is located at 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd Suite 6 in South Lake Tahoe. For complete menu offerings and general information, visit them online at theidlehourlaketahoe.com or reach them via phone at 530-600-3304.