To try and decide each week where and what to eat in and around Truckee-Tahoe 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. 

Is it just me, or is it any time you hear a place is using locally sourced ingredients, it just seems to taste better? Regardless, when you have a place like Fat Cat that’s been doing that kind of thing for years, we may take them a little bit for granted — but not this week. 

The Newport burger is bit of a spin on a normal burger, which makes it a great dish to highlight. Its sweet and savory seesaw of flavors is as if the best parts of a salad and a burger had a baby. 

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My favorite cook on a burger is medium. Yes, give me a little pink to enjoy that juiciness along with pockets of crispy exterior and I’m in my happy place. This beef patty is exactly what the doctor ordered. It gets a crowning of melted smoked Gouda and placed atop a bed of arugula. It’s finished with caramelized apples and a balsamic glaze. 

The taste is freshness personified. There’s lightness to the burger that makes the guilt of having a burger simply go away. The smokiness from the cheese really levels out the sweet from the balsamic. And while the apples are cooked down, they still provide a little crunch for texture along with the peppery bite from the arugula. 

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If you’re one to skip the burger because you think you might have to unchain your stomach from the table and roll out the door because you’re so full, this is the burger that will keep that type of feeling at bay. It skips all the heaviness and leaves you still thinking you might have room for more. Don’t take that challenge. Trust me. Just leave well enough alone. 

Fat Cat Bar and Grill is located at 599 N Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City. For menu and further information visit them online at fatcatrestaurants.com or give them a call at 530-583-3355.