Allen Lancaster talks about the new dishes at DW's Dinner House with rapt eyes, delicate gestures, and a sense of the exquisite.
"We wrap cedar paper around the salmon," he says. "It's grilled but doesn't burn. It's more like the fish is steamed but still with a layer of grilled smokiness. And we put a little bit of honey before the wrap, so there's another layer of flavor added to the salmon."
Lancaster, 43, is the new director of food and beverage for Florida-based Celebrity Resorts, which purchased Walley's Hot Springs Resort & Spa in November.
On July 1, Lancaster was in the DW's dining room explaining the recent overhaul of the dinner menu.
"We have a lot of winners, and we're ready to add more," he said.
Lancaster and DW's chef Rocco Da Re spent five weeks revising the menu, developing new dishes and also deciding which of the old dishes would remain.
"People love DW's prime rib," Lancaster said. "We sell a ton of it, so we decided to keep it. We also kept the pastas that were on the most recent menu."
The purpose of the change, Lancaster said, is to reposition the restaurant and widen its customer base.
"A large amount of our customers are resort guests, and we want to reposition ourselves in the community, so we can start getting more guests from Minden and Gardnerville, from Carson City, from those who want to come down from the Lake," he said. "We want a taste of fine dining that's approachable and affordable. We want people to have attractive fine-dining items like the pastas, but also to be able to come in and have a nice grilled steak."
Besides the cedar-roasted salmon, new items include filet of beef with pasilla chile sauce and avocado relish; tuna tartare with avocado mousse, pine nuts and lemon olive oil; and something from the Gulf of Mexico, close to Lancaster's home - horseradish crusted grouper with chive oil and crispy leeks.
"We have some very interesting items," Lancaster said. "I've picked my favorites from around the country, things that work very well. Of course, some of them came from Rocco, so I can't take all the credit."
Da Re, who's been with the restaurant for a year and a half, said his favorite dish on the new menu is the filet of beef with pasilla chile sauce and avocado relish.
"It has a great combination of flavors," he said. "It's almost Southwestern, with the avocado and dry chili, but the flavors are balanced."
Lancaster said Da Re and other restaurant employees were a huge help in the revision.
"I came in here, and there were already some very talented people," he said.
Lancaster himself is no stranger to the challenges of fine dining. Since the age of 16, when he started washing dishes, he's been immersed in the food and beverage industry. He regularly mingled with former First Lady Hillary Clinton while food services manager for the Hay-Adams Hotel, located across the street from the White House. Working at an upscale club in Houston, he also met former President George Bush, the elder.
"I started in free-standing restaurants, then got into the hotels and high-end golf clubs," he said. "It's been an interesting career."
Lancaster's wealth of experience has helped him with his new job at Celebrity Resorts.
"The company use to lease out their food and beverage operations, but after acquiring this property (Walley's) and the one in Hawaii, they wanted to hire someone who knew what food and beverage was all about," he said. "They wanted to make their restaurants into real businesses, instead of just amenities."
Lancaster said he spent some time studying DW's competitors in Carson City and Genoa.
"I think we offer something different," he said. "I did develop a relationship with La Ferme, and I think in the future we can send our customers their way, and they can send their customers our way."
Lancaster said he's seen a steady increase in business since he's been at the resort.
"The busy season is coming up," he said. "I think people are spending more money than they were six months ago."
Lancaster plans to visit the restaurant every quarter and check on its progress, but he's already confident the new menu will succeed.
"We're also going to try some advertising and entertainment, so we can get people in here to really experience the menu," he said. "The restaurant has a great view, a great layout, and a cozy feel to it."
DW's Dinner House is located at 2001 Foothill Road. Restaurant hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 782-8155.
