The Lake Chalet: A Tormenting Love-Hate Relationship

No one was more excited than I was when I got a call from a San Francisco friend to inform me that the owners of the fabulous Beach Chalet would be opening an Oakland restaurant along side the beautiful Lake Merritt. After more research I discovered that the Lake Chalet was sure to be the greatest addition to Oakland since the 1989 Oakland Athletics team (Ahhh…Glory Days). I was even more elated the day (Last Summer) I was taking a leisurely stroll around the lake to see that the Chalet was open for business. Immediately, I contacted every one of my usual dining companions to ask if they were free for dinner (it was a Friday morning and the menu advertised some sort of Crab Special—and you know I can’t pass up a special!). Once I rounded up a few participants, I skipped through the open doors of the bright and well decorated restaurant, hardly containing my glee and kvelling at the outdoor seating right on the lake, and asked to make a reservation for eight.

**Quick Side Note: There is no quality outdoor seating in Oakland. I really don’t know what the deal is. I search and search for great happy hours with outdoor patios, and they are hard to come by. I am so obsessed with finding a place, that I literally considered opening my own restaurant, and even found the perfect location for my masterpiece. I even had my real-estate agent sister inquire about the desired property. It didn’t work out, and now my dream restaurant is a AAA office…Blasphemy!

Anyway, I was not greeted with the same cheerfulness that I’m sure I exuded. No, just the opposite. I was halted by the frantic stress of an early twenties hostess who laughed awkwardly at my confident reservation request, bursting my bubble with her snide retort, “Eight? We can barely seat parties of two?” I wasn’t sure if she meant that they were booked, or that they actually didn’t have the ability to seat larger parties, but my eagerness to try this culinary palace brushed off her snarky attitude. I continued my inquiries, assuming I’d try again next week. Innocently I asked, “So what is the deal with the Crab Fridays and Taco Tuesdays?” The frantic hostess stared at me blankly, and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I knew I wasn’t crazy; I had read it somewhere…Oh yes, I remember, On-line and again on the printed menu posted right outside in a fancy glass case. So, I took the liberty to educate her, to which she guessed they hadn’t started these specials yet.

Annoyed with the false advertising, I left sans reservation. I didn’t experience Lake Chalet until my birthday, when Red and I splurged on mediocre, overpriced food (and weren’t aloud to sit outside because it was closed). Devastated at the waste of the most perfect restaurant location in Oakland, I gave up on Lake Chalet…but others did not. Here is the course of my experiences then after. 1) I was convinced to go to Taco Tuesday one day when it had begun, and the result was two greasy tacos, one which I was charged full price because either you only get one for $2.50 or because I ordered past the happy hour time. Either way, not impressed (I hear they worked out the kinks, but there are better places for tacos and margaritas). 2) I joined a friend for happy hour, and we ordered beers. Upon getting our bill, we were charged regular prices, only to find out that we were at the wrong bar for happy hour prices (our bad, I guess, for not being specific enough with the bar tender and blindly trusting the website). 3) The food is seriously overpriced and mediocre.

But then it all changed. While researching more Happy Hours on-line, Lake Chalet popped up again. I tried to avoid it, but I had recently met one of their bar tenders at a party, who said things have gotten better and that it was worth trying happy hour again. I was pleasantly surprised to see a 3-6-9 deal being advertised. The details: From 3-6 and 9-Close there is happy hour food and drink specials. Select food (but a great selection) and drinks are all either $3, $6, or $9, including a $9 burger which is actually not bad. One Wednesday this summer, when my buddy Kate was in town from NY for a wedding, I convinced her and Dre to give it a try with me (actually the three of us had dinner plans, but a simple phone call suggesting a 3:00 dinner and cocktails was all the coaxing needed, and the plans changed). I was delighted that we got a table right on the dock, and enjoyed $3 beers and again, decent food (but much more palatable when paying $3-6 rather than $15-20). Things were looking up at the Lake Chalet. The next experience was when I rallied a small group on a Saturday evening to try the 9-Close happy hour. The lights of the lake were spectacular, and the nighttime setting had almost a Seattle vibe. We enjoyed the great value and gorgeous outdoor ambiance, complete with well placed heat lamps. It also didn’t hurt when a waiter brought out a hummus platter “on the house” for no real reason (I’m a sucker for free food)! I asked what days the 3-6-9 specials happened, and another waitress excitedly announced that it was offered EVERY DAY! Everyday? Including Sunday? Comfortable and enjoyable, I had finally fell in love with the Lake Chalet. Yet, it was of course, too good to be true…
Fast forward a month later, when I suggested we hit up the 3-6-9 at around 10:00pm on a Tuesday night after seeing free comedy at the Layover (16th and Franklin, every Tuesday…Fabulous). I called the Lake Chalet, just to confirm the nightly happy hour special, as I am not quick to trust one friendly waitress, nor the web advertising, as I have been spurned before, only to find out that they close at 9:30.

So, the last laugh was on me…nightly happy hour for about 30 minutes on weeknights!

To sum it up: 1) Inconsistent service 2) Overpriced mediocre food 3) Great from 3-6, or on Saturday nights from 9-close 4) Always call first, don’t trust the website, and be clear to your server that you want the happy hour…just in case you are in the wrong wing of the restaurant.

Good Luck!

The Last Frontier!

I have just returned home from a two week trip to beautiful Alaska, with a brief stop in Seattle on our way home. Aside from seeing the usual tourist sites, Red and I did a great job eating our way through our travels. I love exploring great meals in other cities. So, if you are ever heading to the beautiful state of Alaska, I hope this is a helpful guide to excellent food at good values.

As we were exploring downtown Anchorage our first day in town, we were attempting to take a picture outside city hall, when a friendly woman from Chicago, offered to snap the photo for us. We took this opportunity to pull out some helpful hints from her and her family on what to see and do, and where to eat. The woman suggested Snow City Cafe, and at her suggestion her sulking, skinny jean wearing teenage son perked up for the first time to announce that Snow City was “Awesome!” How could we say no to that? So we didn’t… We began our edible Alaskan journey at Snow City Café (www.snowcitycafe.com) where I ordered an Alaskan specialty, Salmon Cake Eggs Benedict, while Red ordered Halibut Tacos. The fish in Alaska is out of this world. It’s fresh and delicate and extremely delicious. It was a great introduction to Alaskan fare. After touring the streets of downtown Anchorage, visiting the Anchorage Zoo, enjoying the Anchorage museum and the Native Cultural Center, Red and I (with the help of a local tour guide—Red’s cousin) hit up the night life. We began at Humpy’s Alehouse (www.humpys.com/), a cool brewpub style bar with great food and live music. We ordered the Halibut Nachos to share for the table, and they arrived heaping with lumps of fresh halibut and homemade tortilla chips. Without a doubt, some of the best nachos I have ever had! In addition we enjoyed the locally brewed beer selection. We finished off the night at a bar called The Pioneer, where we rubbed elbows with local NHL players. Anchorage is a terrific city!

Our Alaskan adventure continued on, as we piled the family into a van, and headed south. Along the way, we visited the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center where we saw Caribou, Bears, Moose, and many other animals found in the Alaskan wild. This is a great drive-thru zoo, worth checking out while driving along the Seward Hwy, and a perfect place to try a Reindeer Sausage at their snack bar. We stopped in Moose Pass to visit more cousins and for lunch, and again had more fish (fresh baked Salmon recently caught and packaged by our gracious hosts), as we traveled to the city of Seward. What a gem of a town! From delicious gourmet pizzas and a Caesar salad stacked high with piles of bay shrimp at Christo’s Palace (http://www.christospalace.com/index.htm), to a thick succulent halibut burger (not deep fried) at Nellie’s Roadhouse Diner (http://www.alaskanelliesroadhouse.com/). Not to mention, Seward is home of the Sea Life Center, one of the coolest aquarium exhibits I have ever experienced, and a surprisingly fun night life. No, seriously…we started the night at The Yukon, and on this Tuesday night, Hobo Jim (an Alaskan superstar) was performing. What a great show he put on! If closing at 2pm wasn’t late enough, the party continued at Pit Bar just a few miles away (we shared a cab with a few others heading that way), and rolled home around 4:30 am. Who knew?

Yet the fun continued, as we made our way to Homer, Alaska, a town that boasts being a “Small Drinking Town with a Fishing Problem.” What it truly is, is pure Alaskan beauty! It is hard to not be overwhelmed by the scenic surroundings: Mountains, Glaciers, Wildflowers, Ocean…It also didn’t hurt that we were fortunate to stay with not only the world’s most welcoming, generous family, but a family of Fisherman who had just returned home from their recent fishing endeavors. Upon our arrival, a fresh pot of Venison Stew was simmering in the Slow Cooker, and 10 pounds of freshly caught fish (Black Cod, Halibut, Salmon) was defrosting on the counter. I am still dreaming of the impromptu sushi spread and three fish platter. I have never had true fresh fish til’ this night…

On a side note, there are a few other things worth noting in Homer, Alaska. First, I highly recommend heading to the Ring of Fire Meadery (for info on mead, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead) and enjoy their free tasting bar. The owner is extremely informative, and makes your mead tasting experience delightful. Plus, it is a great gift or souvenir to bring back home! In addition, don’t miss the Homer Spit, and be sure to grab a beer at the Salty Dawg Saloon while you are down there. Also on the spit was the Glacier Drive Inn, which served up an inexpensive, tasty burger.