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 was raised on venison. I love it. But it’s usually an item that only scantily graces menus so any time I see it (or elk for that matter), I immediately need it in my belly. It’s also a fairly lean meat so it can get overcooked very easy. Luckily for this week’s feature, everything came out perfectly.

The process starts in the back of the kitchen by an in-house butchering of the whole venison rack. Once the cuts are ready, they get a very basic dusting of salt and pepper before hitting the grill. When the temp is right, they are pulled off and placed on a bed of scratch-made ricotta gnocchi along with a sweet potato puree. It’s joined on the plate with a glazed cipollini onion before the au poivre sauce is drizzled over the top.

Everything on the plate is delicious on its own, but combining flavors is really where the fun is at. The venison is expertly cooked with a crusty exterior and delicately tender interior. The au poivre sauce is a mixture of whiskey, demi, green peppercorns, and a little bit of cream, and that concoction makes everything on the plate hit the highest of high notes.

The cipollini onion (which is one of my favorite onions) is just the right amount of sweet. It gets roasted and glazed and finished off in a bit of the demi and while I could eat this on its own like nobody’s business, it’s best when it also gets a swipe through the sauce and eaten with a bite of the meat.

The gnocchi are magical pillows of goodness and super creamy. They are lightly tossed in a butter sauce but when you roll them in the sweet potato puree is when it all comes together. The slight sweet and nuttiness from the puree really allows the creaminess shine.

I already said I love venison, so I think I’ll just leave you with that. Oh, and you should probably try it, too.

Maggie’s Restaurant and Bar is located within the Desolation Hotel at 933 Poplar St. in South Lake Tahoe. For more information visit desolationhotel.com or reach the restaurant via phone at 530-725-0118.