Review: Toulouse at the Station House Inn, South Lake Tahoe, CA
In my search for the best restaurants in South Lake Tahoe, I had received several recommendations about dining at Toulouse. My husband and I both love cajun food, so we were excited to review the restaurant. Since we were staying at the Station House Inn, we conveniently moseyed over from our cozy room. We were welcomed by Alex who turned out to be our server.
Toulouse South Lake Tahoe
Naturally, I started with a glass of wine, an E16 Petite Syrah, while my husband ordered a beer. The Marlette Sunrise Blood Orange Blonde was the same beer we both enjoyed as our welcome drink. It is perfect for occasional beer drinkers, light with a beautiful orange flavor. My E16 Petite Syrah was also fantastic. E16 is a local wine company from the nearby foothills of Northwest Reno, NV. It offered striking notes of blueberry. As it activated my palate, I tasted dark berry with a hint of vanilla. E16 also hosts wine tastings at the Station House Inn, so keep your eye out for that. Check the websites below.
Appetizers at Toulouse
The Toulouse menu had an assorted mix of signature Cajun dishes along with Americana classics. While I wanted to stay mostly in the Cajun realm, Alex made some great suggestions. We began with a couple of appetizers that also just happened to be on happy hour. I absolutely LOVE happy hour. ETG TIP: We encourage all of our readers to seek out restaurants with happy hour when visiting a new city. It is a perfect way to try out a new restaurant before spending a bundle. You can taste the quality of food and return on another day. Or, just stay and order entrees. See our Happy Hour Page link below.
Back to our meal. We began with the Crispy Brussel Sprout Bites (see above). These were phenomenal. They were beautifully blackened with bits of bacon and charred onion. The dish came with this scrumptious cranberry aioli. It was a great choice, so flavorful.
For our second appetizer, we enjoyed Oven Roasted Chicken Wings aka Spicy Cajun Wings. The dish was topped with blue cheese crumbles and bits of green onion. The chicken was marinated in a rich zesty sauce with quite a bit of heat. Two options came with the wings, a ranch or a blue cheese dressing. I loved the blue cheese which had more cheese crumbles in it as well. It was a perfect pairing.
Best Cajun Entrees at Toulouse
For our entrees, we chose the Blackened Salmon, as well as the Blackened Catfish Po’Boy. The salmon was flawlessly cooked and mouth watering. The spices lit up my tastebuds but in a slightly understated way. The dish delivered a delicate mouthfeel and a nuanced, perfectly balanced taste. The entree came with asparagus, mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, baby arugula, and balsamic beurre blanc, complementing the salmon with every bite.
A New Orleans classic Po’Boy
The traditional Louisiana Po’Boy sandwich was superb. I have eaten many a Po’Boy in New Orleans, and this one was pretty spectacular. This was the real deal. It had a tinge of spice along with a zesty remoulade that was so tasty. It was covered in fresh lettuce and tomato and served on a warm crusty baguette. Mama was happy!
Pistachio Cheesecake at Toulouse
As is often the case, we really did not think we could eat anything more. However, Alex assured us that the Pistachio Cheesecake was pretty amazing. Wow – she was right. It was simply out-of-this-world. The cheesecake was so light, creamy and flavorsome. It was delicious with a decadent graham cracker crust to boot. Then on top of this mesmerizing dessert was an even lighter luscious pistachio mousse. It just kept getting better with each bite.
Do yourself a favor. If you love cajun cuisine or just great food, dine at Toulouse in South Lake Tahoe. Toulouse is located next to the Station House Inn at 901 Park Ave in South Lake Tahoe, California; https://www.toulouse.wtf
