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. 

While duck isn’t a protein that I’ve featured very much in this column (actually, this might be the first), it doesn’t mean I don’t like it — I love it. I just haven’t come across too many dishes for this feature. But, if you’re a fan, then this week’s dish is a treat. 

Let’s start with the duck. It has to be cooked right. And by right I mean medium rare; which is how the folks at the Bistro recommended it. Don’t worry. It’s not like chicken. A little pink won’t kill you. The taste also isn’t like chicken — it eats more like a steak. 

Duck is a tricky cook, though. Here, the fat cap is rendered down to give you a crisp skin, and pan roasted to maintain the medium rare temp, which is textbook. It’s delicately sliced and placed over a bed of red bliss potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion, arugula, lemon, and olive oil, which sits on a puree of spring pea and mint. It’s then topped with the crème de la crème: a blueberry gastrique. 

This dish is stuffed with flavors that are reminiscent of the holidays — which is a good segue because each bite is like a present. There’s everything you want: sweetness from the gastrique, earthiness from the puree and Brussels, brightness from the lemon, tang from arugula, creaminess from the potatoes, texture from the skin and red onion, and the duck is extremely juicy … It’s a gift that keeps on giving. 

If you catch this column soon enough, the grand opening ribbon cutting celebration is this Friday, June 17, with festivities starting at 4 p.m. There’s a 10% discount with reservations and a free (yes, free) welcome cocktail if you just want to come check it out. I’d be happy to sit in on dinner with anyone who’ll have me — I’ll get the duck, you get the bill. 

The newly opened Bistro at the Corner is located at 2040 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe. For menus and general information visit them online at bistroatthecorner.com or give them a call at 530-600-2751.