EAT This Week: Zephyr Cove Restaurant’s Chipotle Glazed Salmon
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 don’t know about you, but I love the time of year when restaurants that have seasonal menus changeover to the summer season. Whether it’s the freshness of the produce or those light and tangy flavors, summer cuisine seems to match the season more so than any other. This week’s feature is a good example.
To start, the house made chipotle glaze is created by adobo peppers getting reduced in a bath of water and spices until tightened up and the flavors deepen. That gets brushed on the fresh salmon before getting a hard sear. The glaze continues to get applied to the salmon throughout the searing process before ultimately getting finished off under the broiler to give the exterior a slight caramelization. The fish is placed upon a bed of cilantro lime rice and garlic sautéed spinach before ultimately getting finished off with a scratch made pineapple salsa, which marinates overnight.
Once the dish hits the table, you get a strong sense of smell from all the ingredients. And I know for some people, chipotle can feel a bit heavy-handed, but not here. While the chipotle flavor does provide a little heat, it is balanced out by the sweetness of the pineapple salsa. The rice also has a little creaminess feel that calms down any fears of the heat being too much for the palette.
The salmon itself is equal parts flaky and moist and grabbing a bite that includes the spinach, feels about as healthy as any dish could. Picture a doctor with an apple in one hand and broccoli in the other and that’s the kind of healthy I’m thinking of.
Now open for dinner, you have multiple options to grab this dish. Depending on when you visit, this menu item has been a special on Saturdays, but will be a part of the restaurant’s summer menu given its popularity. It’s easy to see why. Go see for yourself.
Zephyr Cove Restaurant is located at 760 Hwy 50 in Zephyr Cove. For more information visit them online at zephyrcove.com/dining/zephyr-cove-restaurant/ or reach them by phone at 775-589-4906.
