Tahoe City's eating scene is small but improving. Several long-standing places do solid breakfast and burger food for skiers and boaters; a handful of newer spots offer more ambitious cooking. Expect mountain-resort prices — everything is more expensive than it would be down in the valley.
For coffee and bakery, Syd's Bagelry on the lake shore is the morning gathering point. For dinner, Christy Hill (lakefront, fine dining) and Wolfdale's (long-running, Cal-Asian) have been the upscale picks for decades. Fire Sign Café in Sunnyside is the legendary breakfast spot — expect a queue on weekends.