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Scusa's
 When dining at Scusa’s on Lake
Tahoe's South Shore, you are indeed occupying one of the
sixty-five best seats at the Lake. Visitors and locals alike
agree that Scusa’s on Ski Run in the heart of South Shore's
restaurant row is one of the areas finest dining experiences.
Dale Dodd's restaurant has earned its reputation by serving an
enticing selection of entrees as well as for the outstanding
food presentations and the service of its staff. Specializing in
Italian and fresh seafood dishes, Scusa's menu offers a wide
array of entrees including, veal, shrimp, calamari, steak,
chicken an evening fresh fish special, and several pasta entrees
to choose from.
 Casually furnished in a Tuscan style decor done in warm and cozy
earthtones, Scusa is a place to relax and enjoy a wonderful
dinner along with a lively environment after a busy day at the
Lake. The background music, which included everything from
Billie Holliday to Frank and Dean, perfectly complemented and
accentuated the experience,. Our server, Rory Henley, escorted
my dining partner and I to our table in a spacious semi-private
draped dining area. Rory has been a server at Scusa’s for over
10 years and his sister, Heidi Gans, whom we met later in the
evening, has been the chef at Scusa’s for the past 10 years.
We started the evening with two delectable appetizers. We
started with the special appetizer of the evening, a crispy
polenta served along side braised short ribs that were covered
with a mustard demi-glaze, an excellent choice to start the
evening. The other appetizer was a house specialty for which
Scusa is famous, the Clams and Shrimp Scusa. This dish features
an abundance of shrimp and steamer clams, all fresh and done in
a roasted tomato, lobster broth. It has become such a favorite
among locals and repeat visitors that even the local south shore
cab drivers recommend it to visitors as a must stop on their
south shore dining travels. Unfortunately you will not find it
on the menu, so make sure you ask for it. Also served with our
appetizers was a basket of Scusa bread. Scusa's version of a
garlic bread and bruschetta, topped with a tomato basil salsa
and melted mozzarella. My dining partner and I both agreed it
was the best we ever encountered. Next, Rory suggested a
delightful glass of Rodney Strong-Knotty Vine Zinfandel, a
medium rich wine that had a delicious fresh berry taste with a
hint of the spicy traits inherit in a good Zin. It complimented
our appetizers very nicely.
Next, we both had the spinach salad, a menu item, finished with
red onions, bacon, mushrooms, and a warm honey balsamic
dressing. The Soup du Jour was a chicken pot-pie covered with a
fluffy puff pastry, a rare and delightful find at a restaurant
specializing in Italian entrees. After hearing so much about
Scusa's cream of roasted garlic soup, we asked Rory for a taste.
The soup had the proper amount of roasted garlic and not to rich
so as to spoil your appetite for the main entrees. Rory served
us a glass of Campanile Pinot Grigio, a simple, subtle wine with
flavors of green apples and a hint of citrus. It was both crisp
and refreshing.
After we finished savoring the appetizers, Chef Heidi Gans
spent a few minutes with us discussing her culinary background
and some of the entrees we would be enjoying throughout the
evening. She made a special note to stress the longevity and
high standards of the entire staff when it came to the service
and the preparations of the cuisine.
 As we waited for our entrees, I had an opportunity to browse the
Scusa’s menu. Several items caught my attention. Two entrees
that warranted special mention were the fresh Salmon Scaloppini,
prepared in a white wine butter sauce with capers and the
Seafood Fettuccini with clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels,
calamari prepared in a spicy alfredo sauce. Also Eggplant
Parmesan Scusa, oven roasted eggplant, with alfredo, pesto, and
marinara sauce as well as the Veal Scusa, scaloppini of veal,
capers, mushrooms with a marsala wine sauce were menu items that
would insure a return visit for us to Scusa’s.
To compliment our entrees, Rory served a glass of one of my
favorites, a Ferrari Carano Chardonnay, a fruity and flavored
Chardonnay that works nicely with both chicken and fish. My
dining partner's entree was one of the two specials of the
evening, a Chilean Sean Bass served with a generous portion of
angel hair pasta. The Chilean Sea Bass was done with a
buerre-blanc sauce and roasted Roma tomatoes and fresh basil,
and was simply delicious. It was tender and flaky and served
with crisp fresh green beans. You would be very wise to time
your next visit to Scusa when this special entree is being
featured.
My entree was a menu item, Chicken Saltimbocca, skinless breast
of chicken layered with prosciutto and provolone in a sage
butter sauce. It was a feast for both the eyes and the palate.
We both agreed that it would be very difficult to return to
Scusa’s and not again order the same entrees. To finish our
Scusa dining
 experience, Rory brought us a serving of a
chocolate chunk bread pudding covered with a Jack Daniels
bourbon cream sauce, which was simply decadent.
During the course of the evening,
the service provided by Rory and his staff was impeccable. Rory
and his assistant kept our water glasses full and cleared the
table in a timely manner. Scusa’s is a delightful South Shore
dining experience, and it's reputation speaks for itself. It is
moderately priced, has an extensive menu, as well as a wine list
that offers a very nice selection of affordable wines by both
the bottle and glass, while offering impeccable service.
Scusa is located at 1142 Ski Run
Boulevard on Lake Tahoe's South Shore, on the way to Heavenly.
Reservations are suggested, (530)542-0100. Parking is on the
street or behind the restaurant. Dinner is served from 5 p.m.
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