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 you’re a fan of cooking shows, inevitably you’re going to come across an episode where someone gets eliminated because they tried to make risotto in the amount of time given to them, which typically is never enough. That’s because risotto cannot be rushed — it’s done when it’s done. So I’m always impressed when it’s on a menu, like the case in this week’s feature. 

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes. You can add just about anything and I’m all in on eating it. However, the version at the Loft comes at you hard in the paint with another one of my favorites (seafood), so I’m all in from the start. Their take contains both shrimp and lump crab but the kicker is that the rice comes to consistency in a lobster broth. 

Even though risotto is a rice dish, it eats more like tiny bits of pasta. That chewy and creamy texture gets an added crispness from asparagus, a slight earthiness from fresh thyme, and a pop of bright smokiness from grilled Meyer lemon that is meant to squeeze over the dish before diving in.  

The flavors across the board are intelligently clean. Each one leads you directly into the other and builds upon the flavor before it with all of them getting a snug backdrop against the warm security blanket of the rice. That velvety texture is a perfect compliment to the sleek sexiness of the seafood. The slight brininess combined with the kiss of citrus cuts into the creamy sauce just enough to create a balance that a high wire act would be jealous of. 

You could throw in chunks of boiled belt leather into risotto and I’d still probably give it a go, so I may not be the best person to judge a dish like this. But, if you’re simply a fan of flavor, then this is a dish I’m sure you’ll enjoy. 

The Loft is located at 1001 Heavenly Village Way in South Lake Tahoe. In addition to the restaurant, The Loft is also home to nightly magician shows. For more information visit them online at thelofttahoe.com or reach them via phone at 530-523-8024.