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.

If any dish has made you feel like a kid in a candy store, this is it. The number one sweet selling item at Cup of Cherries has all the feels of dessert, but is the perfect option to kick off your day with a smile.

The magic starts with scratch made batter each morning, which includes a healthy dose of mashed bananas. But don’t let that get you thinking these are simply banana pancakes – they’re way more than that. After a nice griddle on the flat top, they are stacked high where the real fun of this dish begins.

A nice compliment of freshly sliced bananas are added, then macadamia nuts that have been glazed in maple and brown sugar, then lightly toasted coconut, then the boss house made sauce: a mixture of coconut milk, sugar and vanilla.

Holy smokes, does that sauce fill in nicely for the traditional maple syrup – if it were lying around in my house, my kids would most likely put it on everything. Cheerios, toast, fresh fruit, probably their phones so they could save a lick for later – let’s just say it’s delicious and move on.

Because of the maple glaze on the nuts, you still get that pancake feel but they also add a great texture along with the strawberry garnish if you want a little pop of juiciness and a slightly different sweetness.

They’re served with a side of bacon, so if you want to add a little savory and smoky to help balance out that sweetness, it’s riding shotgun there when you need it.

All this wouldn’t work without the pancake foundation. They are light and fluffy and amazingly hold off the richness from getting too overloaded.

So you get all these flavors while also getting a feeling of the islands in the morning? Absolutely. Which is not too bad when you’re smack dab in the middle of the mountains. Ok, I’m ready for summer now.

A Cup of Cherries is located at 3434 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe. For menu and ordering information visit them online at acupofcherries.com or by phone at 530-600-2350.