To try and decide each week where and what to eat in and 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 want to scare anyone off because this week’s dish is masterfully done and amazingly delicious. But, if for some reason polpo (a.k.a. octopus) isn’t your jam, I’m going to do my best to get you to try this week’s feature. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of this cephalopod, then this is a menu item you need to seek out and order.

At the heart of the dish is grilled octopus which sits atop a piece of toasted ciabatta nestled in a tomato and clam broth along with a cured black olive crumble and topped with fresh basil. In the wrong hands octopus can taste a bit rubbery but here its cooked to perfection. Slightly sweet but ultra tender and when you swipe it through the tomato and clam broth, it hits a high note that few dishes hit.

The broth is slightly smoky and a touch briny, but if you bottled it up and sold it, I’d take at least a case to go. Even after the octopus was gone, we were searching for what else we could dip in it until there was none left. The black olive crumble jumps in with savory and salty notes to help balance everything out, but the belle of the ball is the octopus.

This appetizer was shared at our table, and it was the surprise hit of the night. I bet if we had ordered two, the second plate would have been devoured in the same amount of time. Next time we might have to order three.

Osteria Sierra is located inside the Hyatt Regency Resort at 111Country Club Dr. in Incline Village. For more information visit them online at hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/tvllt-hyatt-regency-lake-tahoe-resort-spa-and-casinoor or by phone at 775-886-6663.