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

Addressing the elephant in the room, I realize we are not going to win any healthy points for this week’s feature. But, sometimes you have to turn in those cheat cards and just go with where the wind blows you. This week it’s a little breezy down at Old Town Tap. 

If you’ve ever wondered what exactly a cheese curd is, you’ve come to the right place. Picture a small piece of cheese the size of a peanut in the shell that was run through a cloud machine (humor me and use your imagination). Instead of being compacted and aged, they are light, airy, and chewy bites of cheddar cheese Heaven. 

---

---

Locally sourced from Sand Hill Dairy in Fallon, the curds soak in a deep-fried hot tub and then are finished off with a drizzle of Chinata honey and served with a side of herbed buttermilk dipping sauce. 

There’s a great crispy exterior texture that juxtaposes the pillow-y inside. These pops of melted goodness have a great balance of sweet and salty. The honey does most of the sweet lifting, but it also zings in hints of citrus. When you swipe them through the herbed buttermilk sauce it adds another layer to the onion bringing in both earthy and tartness to the tasting party.  

---

---

If you are a cheese lover, be aware. These could very well develop bad habits so I urge you some restraint. Well, restraint in the idea that it’s ok to indulge. But, if this becomes a three to four day a week habit, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Old Town Tap is located at 10164 Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee. For menus and general information visit them online at oldtowntaptruckee.com or reach them via phone at 530-563-5233.