Where to Shop for Specialty Gourmet Foods in Tahoe

Whether enjoying a snack by yourself or a meal with your significant other or family, involving gourmet food always makes any occasion better.

This week's blog post is dedicated to some of the impressive, locally owned specialty food shops that call Lake Tahoe home. From grass-fed meats to international flavors, from specialty oils and spices to cheeses that make your mouth water, the basin is blessed with boutique shops that bring attention to those ingredients that make a meal especially tasty.

Keep reading to learn the who, what and where of the specialty gourmet food scene in Lake Tahoe.

Picture: Cork & More delivers on incredible cheeses. 

Tahoe Oil & Spice

Truckee

When it comes to oils and spices, there is one place that knows this genre like no one else. Tahoe Oil & Spice specializes in olive oils, balsamic vinegars and spices that you can't find elsewhere. With more than 25 premium extra virgin olive oils as well as flavor-infused oils, the array of tastes is astounding. They also offer more than 30 varieties of balsamic vinegars as well as traditional balsamic vinegars that hail from the motherland of Modena, Italy. The shop also has a beautiful selection of honey, jams, spices, rubs and a fun selection of different kinds of pasta. To really understand the spectrum of tastes, the store opens its tasting room six days a week, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. They also offer impressive custom gift baskets as well as discounted shipping and a web store.

The sweetness abounds with Tahoe Oil & Spice's jams and honeys.

West Shore Market

Tahoe City

With the arrival of West Shore Market, the Sunnyside neighborhood seemed to jump ten octaves on classiness. A modern store that prides itself in offering an upscale and welcoming atmosphere, West Shore Market is the place to go to find everything you need for an amazing meal. They have a robust deli with in-house cured and smoked meats, cheeses made locally and delicious house-made items like soups, salads and sandwiches. They also serve yummy smoothies, gelato and pastries as well as freshly baked bread and draft beer. Situated a hop, skip and a jump from the shores of Lake Tahoe, West Shore Cafe makes for a great stop for creating the perfect picnic.

The Cork & More

South Lake Tahoe

Through four decades of dedicated stewardship, The Cork & More has shown itself as a needed part of the community. In fact, The Cork & More is such an institution that it is the go to for that special hard-to-find item for any South Tahoe local. With the reputation for being reminiscent of a Napa Valley market, The Cork & More is filled with delectable cheeses, wines and unique tastes in the form of jams, honeys, vinegars and hot sauces. The Cork & More is also talented at making the perfect gift basket and is known to carry adorable seasonal decor. But what makes The Cork & More top shelf is that you can bring them to any occasion by hiring their quality catering service.

The jams available at The Cork & More bring a whole new element of fun to having toast. 

New Moon

Truckee and Tahoe City

A source for healthy foods on the north shore of Lake Tahoe since 1997, New Moon is the go-to place for those who care about what they put in their body. The Truckee store is the larger version of the two offerings, complete with an impressive cheese section, a juice bar and delicious deli-style items. The Tahoe City store may be small, but it is big in delivering on the necessities. For both shops, the management puts major importance on sourcing the best products made or farmed from local businesses within a 100-mile radius. If you're 65 years of age or older, be sure to ask about their 10% discount.

Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet

Tahoe City

Rumored to be the favorite casual lunch place for lead singer of Metallica, James Hetfield, Tahoe House has the reputation for not only making some of the best sandwiches found in the basin, but also incredible in-house creations that are packaged to take home with ease. From pastries, cookies and sweets to sauces, marinades and dressings, Tahoe House is the place for incredible taste. In fact, they offer more than 32 different flavors of sauces that can't be found anywhere else. If you are looking for more than just a few specialty food items and would like the whole entire gourmet meal to take home, you're in luck. Tahoe House will arrange an entire meal for you to take home and serve to your loved ones. 

Grass Roots Natural Foods

South Lake Tahoe

Finding a reputable grocery with foods that are healthy, wholesome and tasty isn't always the easiest. Thanks to Grass Roots Natural Foods, that is not the case in SLT. They have made enjoying sustainable and healthy produce simple for those of South Lake Tahoe for more than four decades. Specializing in organic and non-GMO foods, they also offer a huge section dedicated to bulk foods as well as organic beer, wine and house-made baked goods.

Time for a tasting? Tahoe Oil & Spice has you covered. 

Overland Meat & Seafood Company

South Lake Tahoe

For top-notch meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics, farmed humanely and free range, go no further than Overland Meat & Seafood Company. Specializing in grass-fed beef, organic chicken and wild-caught seafood, Overland is a stupendous place to go for quality protein. They also prepare chorizo, jerky, pork, chili, crab patties, sushi rolls and specialty sausages on site. To help dress the food up a bit, they also sell delicious rubs, cheeses and side dishes as well as a variety of wines.