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A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Longboards blends culinary delights with scenic al fresco dining.
WRITTEN BY SANDRA MACIAS
PHOTOS BY SHEA EVANS
Something special is cookin’ in Graeagle. Be it mahi mahi from Hawaiian waters or heritage tomatoes from Sierra Valley, savory surprises at Longboards Bar & Grill at Plumas Pines Golf Resort are worth the trip.
Less than two hours from Reno, al fresco dining awaits on Longboards’ expansive deck, which overlooks a landscape of manicured golf greens and pine-studded Sierra peaks. Spotting wildlife at dusk isn’t uncommon — once, a black bear even passed by.
The view also dominates the interior, where panoramic windows surround the dining area. Hardwood floors of Vermont beech add woodsy warmth, and vintage long skis (a.k.a. longboards) hanging on the wall speak of local history — and the origin of the restaurant’s name.
Longboards and the golf club share an octagon-shaped building, which means executive chef Sean Conry conducts an ongoing juggling act between casual and fine dining. In one hand is a gastropub menu, and in the other, a Big City-style dinner menu.
The bar’s fare features such bestsellers as Kobe beef sliders with peanut butter and bacon (interesting combination, to be sure) and oval-shaped hamburgers (called “Longburgers,” of course). Served on house-made buns, burgers are made to order, the certified Angus beef patty hand-shaped “gently,” as Conry puts it. Ahi prepared three ways (tempura roll, avocado terrine, and sashimi) is another hit. And slow-cooked baby back ribs, fall-off-the-bone tender and aromatic with house-made honey chipotle barbecue sauce, are off the charts good.
More Than Ribs
But Conry doesn’t want to be known just for ribs. So at dinner, he goes foodie-wild with a contemporary, Italian-influenced menu. Because the seasonal menu changes daily, citing specific dishes is of little help. But the following is an idea of what to expect. Here is a meal tasted during an early spring visit before Longboards opened for the season:
• A broccoli salad so yummy it would convert even those who loathe broccoli. Small florets, braised to perfect tenderness, snap to attention with pungent Dijon cream dressing. Sprinkled over all are toasted, slivered almonds and house-made ricotta cheese. Contrasting tastes and textures reign supreme.
• Pan-seared Dover sole, as light as a whisper, on a Parmesan risotto pedestal. A moat of red pepper coulis encircles the dish while microsprouts crown the top. A tasty, well-composed dish of visual and textural impact.
• House-made ravioli, stuffed with quail, made lively with flavorful accents of pancetta lardoons, shaved Brussels sprouts, truffled breadcrumbs, and a lemon-garlic reduction sauce. Buon appetito!
• Brandied apple compote crème brûlée, a cluster of ginger slivers on the burnt-sugar crust. A stroke of genius, that hidden layer of compote. No ho-hum crème brûlée here.
Farm-to-Fork Enthusiast
From breads, pasta, and pastries to dressings and sauces, Conry runs a from-scratch kitchen. Further, he is a strong advocate of farm-to-fork freshness. He knows the farmer with dirt-crusted hands who brings him potatoes fresh from the field, as well as what kind of irrigation system the lettuce farmer uses (it makes a difference, Conry says). He buys from local farmers practicing sustainable farming. These include Sierra Valley Farms in Beckwourth, Calif., and Dawn Institute in Indian Falls, north of Lake Almanor.
“In the middle of summer, 70 to 75 percent of the produce in our kitchen is locally grown,” says Conry, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York.
Fish is a specialty at Longboards. Hawaiian fish — arriving less than 24 hours after it’s ordered from Honolulu Fish Co. — gets nightly billing. Other briny sea life comes from a San Francisco vendor. And the poultry, lamb, and pork in dishes are antibiotic and hormone free and humanely raised.
Such wonderfully fresh food needs a wine mate. You’ll find one on Longboards’ wine list, which has earned five Wine Spectator awards. California wines dominate, but not to the exclusion of those from other fine wine-growing regions, such as those in Argentina, Spain, France, and Italy.
With such culinary delights offered at Longboards in the Sierra hamlet of Graeagle, Calif., what more reason do you need to visit?
Reno-based food writer Sandra Macias will drive the extra mile for a terrific meal. The bonus in heading to Longboards is this: It’s a beautiful drive to Graeagle, making your epicurean excursion all the more pleasant.
Orecchiette and Shrimp
(courtesy of Sean Conry, executive chef at Longboards Bar & Grill. Serves 6)
“This is a traditional Tuscan recipe I make in the summer when tomatoes and oregano are in abundance,” Conry says. “I added the shrimp to make it more appealing to our restaurant guests. It is generally served without shrimp. I have made it with pancetta, too.”
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
30 large 26/30-sized Mexican white shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
12 red cherry tomatoes, halved
12 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
10 ounces orecchiette pasta
Fresh Grana Padano cheese, grated (if you can’t find Grana Padano, Parmesan is a good substitute)
Cook pasta according to directions.
Heat olive oil in sauté pan. Once it’s hot, add garlic. As soon as garlic starts to brown, add shrimp. Add tomatoes, oregano, white wine, and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta, and stir well. Portion the pasta and shrimp into warm bowls. Top with fresh grated cheese.
Resources
Longboards Bar & Grill
402 Poplar Valley Road, Graeagle, Calif.
530-836-1111; http://www.Longboardsbarandgrill.com
Open seasonally, May – October
Open daily for lunch (bar menu) and dinner
Lunch noon to closing
Dinner 6 – 9 p.m. weekdays and Sun., 6 – 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.
Reservations suggested
