Yelm has a culinary gem in Chef Ricardo's

By Jean Ciallella | For The Olympian • Published July 31, 2008

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A friend used to lease and manage the Nisqually Valley Golf Course in Yelm. During her tenure, several restaurants came and went, none very memorable. The building was demolished a few years ago to make way for the new Tahoma Valley Golf & Country Club.

Rating: Four Forks

• Location: In the Tahoma Valley Golf Country Club at 15425 Mossman Avenue in Yelm; 360-458-3332.

• Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

• Food: Chef Ricardo has created an extensive menu that includes vegan and vegetarian choices. The couple next to us ordered the meat and cheese platter from the appetizer menu. The plate was an arrangement of red pepper coppa, sautéed spinach, fresh pesto and mozzarella, goat and bleu cheeses. It was served with grilled flat bread drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Other appetizers include crab and artichoke dip, beer-battered onion rings with tartar sauce, hot skillet scampi, and ahi tuna tartare.

Homemade soups include corn chowder, peanut soup topped with crème fraiche and chives, and Angus chili topped with Colby Jack cheese. The gourmet burgers run the gamut, including a Rolls Royce burger made with Kobe beef, cracked peppercorns and Colby Jack and goat cheeses on a black-truffle-buttered bun.

Entrées include Angus steak salad made with organic romaine and topped mushrooms, onions and bleu cheese and an entrée Caesar salad that can be ordered with chicken, ahi tuna tar tar or jumbo fried prawns. Our server said her favorite entrée is Not Your Mom's Meatloaf, made with Kobe ground chuck, topped with barbecue sauce and served over black truffle and Colby Jack macaroni and cheese. If you want to sample the baby back ribs, you can order a quarter rack with any entrée for $4.99.

Steak Ricardo features a marinated and char-grilled baseball-cut top sirloin served with garlic fries, blistered tomatoes and goat cheese. The 5-ounce filet mignon is seasoned and pan seared and served with roasted red potatoes and a root vegetable medley, topped with red wine demi glace. Grilled chicken linguine, grilled organic duck with a Malbec wine reduction, hand-breaded prawns, and beef stroganoff are other (but not all) of the available menu items.

Desserts include chocolate soufflé, Diablo chocolate cake, lemon cheesecake and crème brulee, and are either made on the premises or come from Sebastian's Best Fine European Pastries in Yelm.

• Beverages: Signature cocktails and martinis, beer and an extensive list of wines by the glass and bottle are available. Chef Ricardo's also offers organic wines by the glass. Pepsi products are available or you can order fresh lemonade or Caffe D'arte coffee.

• Value: Value is good and portions are generous (we both had leftovers). Our tab, with drinks, an appetizer, entrées and desserts, came to $85.97 with tax and tip.

Appetizers range from $5.99 for a cheese quesadilla to $12.99 for the meat and cheese platter or ahi tuna tartare. Soups are $2.99 for a cup or $4.99 for a bowl. Gourmet burgers are served with regular or garlic fries and start at $9.99 for the basic burger, topping out at $14.99 for the Rolls Royce burger.

The entrée Caesar salad is $7.99; the Angus steak salad is $13.99. Other entrées start at $13.99 for the rocko tacos trio; the most expensive item is the 14-ounce prime rib at $29.99.

• Service: Service was very good. Ricardo, Erin the manager, and the wait staff attended to our every need.

• Atmosphere: A laid-back, Italian-inspired steak house. The very well-stocked bar is a popular gathering place for golfers after a game. There are seven flat-screen TVs mounted throughout the place. The restaurant and two banquet rooms can accommodate 98 guests. The outside patio can accommodate up to 100 guests for receptions or special events. Chef Ricardo's offers catering as well.

• Reservations: Yes

• Methods of payment: Cash, debit and credit cards

Rick Nelson, the owner of Ricardo's in Lacey, wanted to open a second restaurant in Yelm. That was the beginning of a fortuitous partnership, and in November 2007, Chef Ricardo's Bar & Grill opened in the club.

A friend and I drove out to Yelm on a Friday evening to have dinner. A friendly young woman seated us and took our drink orders. We ordered Snazzy Yazi lemon drops from the specialty drink menu, a blend of Yazi ginger vodka, Patron citronage and fresh muddled lemons served in a sugar-rimmed glass with a slice of lemon.

As we sipped our drinks, our server brought a basket of dense, crusty bread and a dish of dipping oil. The dipping oil -- a mix of good olive oil, a lot of chopped garlic and slivers of fresh basil -- was addictive. I didn't stop until the last drop was gone.

For our appetizer, we ordered a new item, mozzarella caprese. Sliced, ripe, flavorful tomatoes were topped with fresh mozzarella, organic basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We used our leftover bread to wipe the plate clean.

I decided to try Chef Ricardo's patent-pending baby back pork ribs as my entrée. My friend chose the carne asada platter.

My meltingly tender ribs, slathered with slow-simmered apricot, honey and Maker's Mark barbecue sauce, were delectable. The ribs were perfectly complemented by crisp sweet-potato fries and a delicious grilled cabbage slaw tossed with a creamy mayonaise dressing.

My friend was initially disappointed to find that the carne asada was ground beef and not steak strips. But the Angus beef was sautéed with sweet onions, fresh garlic and a touch of Dick's Danger Ale and served with pico de gallo and sour cream. She admitted, after scooping some of everything onto a warm grilled tortilla, that it was very good.

For dessert, we sampled two selections: the chocolate soufflé and the Diablo chocolate cake. The soufflé was served with a tart Olympic Mountain raspberry sorbet, a delectable contrast to the warm bittersweet chocolate.

The Diablo was a dense chocolate flourless cake covered in a dark chocolate ganache. The cake gets its name from the combination of cinnamon, ginger and cayenne, which gives it a subtle bite of heat. It was delicious.

Residents of Yelm have a true culinary gem in their midst! I probably won't get out to Chef Ricardo's as often as I would like, but I will make the trip again, just to try some of the other wonderful choices on his menu.

Jean Ciallella is a freelance writer. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by The Olympian.