Truckee’s Tangerine Bistro does a modern take on the classics, par excellence

Chef-owner Brandon Kirksey hails from nearby Grass Valley, photo by Charlie Villiard, courtesy Tangerine Bistro

You may not know chef Brandon Kirksey by name, but you might be familiar with some of the notable restaurants where the Grass Valley native has worked his magic: Ethan Stowell’s Tavolata and Girin Steakhouse in Seattle, the latter a James Beard best new restaurant nominee. San Francisco’s Flour + Water and Slanted Door are also on his resume, along with the Korean-themed Foxsister and Great Gold in the Mission District, both of which he opened with an ownership stake.

Kirksey, who moved from the Sierra foothills to San Francisco at age 18 and graduated from the California Culinary Academy there, brought his talents back to the mountains in 2020 with the launch of a second Great Gold location in Truckee’s Pioneer Commerce Center. When business partner and restaurateur David Steele moved to Tahoe full time during the pandemic, they shuttered the San Francisco space and focused on their popular off-the-tourist-track eatery here, serving hearty house-made pastas, artisan pizzas and wines made from Italian varietals.

Success with gold soon led to orange. The pair opened Tangerine Bistro in November 2023, a bright and buzzy, 60-seat French spot at the west end of downtown Truckee. The trip from Italy to France was an easy one. “I love French food,” says Kirksey. “French cooking techniques are the base for everything I cook. Most of our dishes you’ll find on any bistro menu in Paris or New York. We take the classics and prepare them with modern techniques.”

Located next to Burger Me in the space that previously housed Fuddhism, then Philosophy, the restaurant’s recently whitewashed brick exterior boasts a pop of blue trim and a roll-up garage door that opens to sidewalk tables in warmer weather. Inside, the copper-covered bar, marble-topped tables with cast iron feet, bentwood chairs and long banquettes add to an updated bistro look and feel.

Tunes play an important role in setting the tone for the restaurant, which was named for Led Zeppelin’s 1970 folk rock song “Tangerine.” Kirksey and his wife Juliana, also a partner in the venture, do most of the playlist curation, with some of the staff members offering up suggestions as well.

Sophisticated without being stuffy, Tangerine Bistro goes big on quality and care of preparation with fresh and sustainably sourced ingredients. 

“We work exclusively with Burns Blossom Farm in Chico-they grow the best produce you will find in Northern California,” Kirksey says of the certified organic family-run business. 

Long banquettes, marble-topped tables and bentwood chairs complete the French bistro ambiance, photo courtesy Tangerine Bistro

Like many a French bistro, chilled seafood here is a fine way to start a meal. A variety of oysters—selections change daily—are delivered fresh from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, Puget Sound near Seattle and Northern California, and may include a sweet and fruity Skookum from Washington or a mild and creamy Point Reyes Miyagi.

A must-order: The crusty demi baguette, which arrives with a little dish of whipped butter sprinkled with fleur de sel. “We make and bake them every morning and our guests can’t get enough,” says Kirksey, who had to make altitude adjustments to overcome baking at elevation.

In the charcuterie and fromage department, look for foie de poulet (chicken liver mousse served with blackberry jam), pate de campagne (a pork terrine studded with cherries and pistachio) and oeufs mimosas (deviled eggs with lovely layers of white and yellow and a sprinkling of green chives, crowned with a salty pop of black caviar). A mini brie en croute wraps triple cream cheese with a zesty tangerine marmalade in puff pastry, served warm. Some save this or the plat de fromage assembled with cheeses such as Delice de Bourgogne, Midnight Moon and Toma, for a dessert course. 

Naturally, French onion soup is on the menu. The mini tureen of beef broth and sherry topped with a melted gruyere and crouton crust can be made vegetarian, a nice touch for those who usually have to pass on this hearty bistro standard. Creamy ravioles du dauphine filled with Comte cheese, tossed with beurre noisette (brown butter) and sprinkled with shaved black truffle, are velvety smooth. Another customer favorite: tender steamed mussels from Puget Sound arranged in a light wine broth with a touch of creme fraiche and mustard. “The ice-cold water of the Pacific Northwest produces the best shellfish,” says Kirksey. The dish comes with a slice of grilled bread for dipping and if any baguette is left, now is the time. 

Other classics include escargots with garlic-parsley butter, beef tartare with a quail yolk and roasted bone marrow with bacon jam. The Salad Lyonnaise is tossed with frisee, house-smoked bacon, roquefort, breadcrumbs and poached egg.

On to the entrees, the most popular item might be the rainbow trout crispy-seared in butter and herbs, served on a bed of mache and topped with a vibrant sauce vert. Kirksey orders the fish from Riverence, a family-owned operation that raises fish responsibly in Rocky Mountain spring water in Idaho’s Magic Valley.

Steak frites au poivre is a classic French bistro dish, photo courtesy Tangerine Bistro

Cassoulet, the classic casserole dish from Southwest France, is made here with duck confit, house-smoked bacon, Toulouse sausage and white beans. For something meatier, steak frites au poivre can be ordered as a 10-ounce wagyu striploin or 28-ounce dry-aged prime tomahawk ribeye for two. Feeling more like a burger? The ground chuck-short rib-brisket mix comes with heirloom tomato, cheddar, caramelized onion, pickle and special sauce on a brioche bun and can be made meatless with an Impossible Burger. 

The pommes frites, prepped in a 48-hour process, are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfectly worth the calories. Side dishes are ordered separately: The haricot verts sauteed in brown butter and topped with sliced almonds are rich, crunchy and fresh all at once.

Kirksey also compiled the all-French, food-friendly wine list, an impressive sampling that also includes helpful flavor profiles; some 20 pours by the glass, from an Alsace cremant and Beaujolais “orange” wine to a Rhone cinsault ensure easy matching with his menu. Those feeling splashy might look for bottles such as a 2015 Chateau Margaux from Bordeaux. Beer, including a local Good Wolf Brewing hazy IPA on tap, is also available.

Save some room for a sweet finish. The vanilla bean creme brûlée boasts a crust that cracks under the back of a spoon, with smooth as silk custard below, perhaps paired with a 2012 Banyuls cultivated on the terraced slopes of the Catalan Pyrenees. It doesn’t get more classic than that.

Tangerine Bistro is open Tuesday through Saturday; reservations are recommended. 10412 Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee, CA; (530) 536-5031