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.

Salad lovers rejoice because if you have not yet been to Mountain Brew, you need to get acquainted. Their salad station (not to be confused with a salad bar) allows for you to pick from a huge list of ingredients to build the most perfect salad. You could literally walk in every day of the year and have a different salad every time. And when I say literally, I mean literally.

My choose-your-own-adventure started by picking which style of greens to build my base around. With four options to choose from, I like the peppery sturdiness of arugula. From there it was on to the dressings, which are mostly all crafted from scratch. One of which is their siracha balsamic vinaigrette which was too interesting to pass up. You get all the tanginess that you’d expect from a balsamic vinaigrette but with a slight kick of heat on the back end. In all, you have nine options to choose from.

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Once that tough decision is out of the way, it’s on to picking a protein (or not). You have seven options as well as varying amounts, depending on how hungry you are. But, hearing their tri-tip comes partially smoked locally from Men Wielding Fire, it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.

After that, it’s on to the hardest part of all – picking six toppings. With 36 options to break down, you can easily go down a rabbit hole trying to decide. My suggestion is to just not think about it and go with what you’re craving. For me, it was carrots, jicama, roasted red peppers, Fuji apples, blue cheese, and their house-made rosemary croutons.

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If you don’t absolutely love your choice, you have no one to blame but yourself. The ingredients are so fresh and so tasty, that there are no wrong turns to make. The portions are huge, and each selection is represented in abundance. I went in after having lunch not long before and I had to refrain myself from keeping on going back and shoveling in another forkful. I was only moderately successful, but I didn’t really care – each bite was worth it.

Mountain Brew is located at 12373 Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee. For menu, ordering and general information visit them online at mountainbrewcoffee.com or reach them by phone at 530-580-7954.