EAT This Week: McP’s Taphouse’s Very Berry
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.
I’m a sucker for seasonal salads – especially summer salads. I don’t think there’s any better time of year that marries up the freshest of ingredients with the idea of how a salad should taste, better than it does in the summertime. There is no better representation than in this week’s feature from McP’s.
The base of greens in this salad is a spring mix. Which, how is spring the only season to get a full-blown mixture named after it? You never see a summer mix or winter mix, but I am digressing. Nevertheless, it gets tossed with seasonal berries (which for me it was blueberries), red onion, blue cheese crumbles, and candied walnuts.
After a dousing of their house-made berry vinaigrette, I took the plunge and also added grilled shrimp to the party. Why? Because much like bacon, everything is better with grilled shrimp. You also have the option to add grilled chicken or salmon if shrimp isn’t your jam.
Right off the bat, the first thing that jumped out at me with this salad is how much I didn’t know I needed the combination of blue cheese and blueberries in my life. You’d think things with blue in the name would be a no-brainer to pair up, but talk about a revelation. The sweetness and the pungent saltiness is a flavor combo for the ages and one that I’m totally going to steal.
The vinaigrette carries just the right amount of tanginess to balance out the sweetness and when that hits any of the other ingredients it’s like a halo appears over each bite. There are plenty of textures with the onion and walnuts and when that gets paired up with the plump and juicy shrimp, it’s like a dropkick from the top rope on your palette.
Yes, I am a fan. And yes, you will be, too. Just make sure you get in there before summer waves goodbye and the taste has passed you by.
McP’s Taphouse Grill is located at 4125 Lake Tahoe Blvd A in South Lake Tahoe. For menu and drink information visit them online at mcpstahoe.net or by phone at 530-542-4435.
