Archive
Lili’s Restaurant & Bar
Lili’s Restaurant & Bar in Reno closed in July. The closure was confirmed in September mostly by social media sleuths. A specific reason for the closure is unclear. Lili’s Restaurant & Bar served both breakfast and lunch in Franktown Corners and was known for its Hawaiian menu, featuring crack chicken and spam masubi. The owners appear to have been at the helm of the business for seven or eight years prior to the closure.
Ryan’s Saloon & Broiler
Ryan’s Saloon & Broiler in Reno is changing hands again. Leigh and Ian Stafford (who have owned the restaurant since 2018) announced on Facebook that they would be ushering in new ownership effective Oct. 14. T. Duncan Mitchell, former owner of Von Bismarck restaurant and Chapel Tavern, purchased the bar. While the business adjusts, interruptions to regular operating hours may occur, according to the post, and those who have bought into the football pool will be refunded.
Cal Neva Crystal Bay
The old Cal Neva property in Crystal Bay at Lake Tahoe is under new ownership. Leadership at Proper Hotels has announced plans to reopen the space in 2027, one year after its 100th anniversary. In addition to 198 remodeled guest rooms, the resort will include several food and beverage concepts. One of the more exciting announcements relates to a members-only beach club called Proper Club and features a private indoor-outdoor clubhouse, a Hi-Fi listening room, and private wine cellars.
Great Basin Community Food Co-op
Sept. 14 marked 20 years in business for the Great Basin Community Food Co-op in Reno. The community-owned grocery store focuses on selling organic goods and promoting sustainable practices. It first opened its doors in 2005. The co-op’s leaders reopened the Foodshed Café on the second floor in 2024.
Montesa
The Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe in Truckee is opening a new slope-side dining concept on Oct. 23 dubbed Montesa. The modern cantina will serve elevated Mexican street food and spirits with specialties that include heirloom corn masa tortillas made in house daily and salted-rim cocktails. The restaurant’s moniker is inspired by the Spanish word for rugged mountain to punctuate its location in the Sierra Nevada and as an apres-ski destination.
Fuego and Bali
Owners of the Bali Express food truck based out of Reno celebrated their two-year anniversary by opening a brick-and-mortar location in Carson City called Fuego and Bali on July 8. The restaurant serves an extended menu of Balinese cuisine and plans to hold a grand opening event on Oct. 19.
Land Ocean
Land Ocean is opening another location, this time in Sparks, owner Karoline Platt confirmed. The new location (in the building that once hosted Mr. Crab and Campo) plans to open in February 2026 and will serve the same menu as other Land Ocean restaurants.
Sparks Christian Fellowship Food Pantry
Sparks Christian Fellowship Food Pantry recently received a $8,300 grant from Raley’s Food For Families. The money will be used to add a new commercial freezer to the pantry, which allows for more fresh food options for the more than 150 families the pantry serves each week. This grant is part of an ongoing effort by Raley’s Food for Families to help food pantries meet community needs and grow their ability to serve.
Bayou Bites
Bayou Bites is expanding. The Fallon-based New Orleans-style restaurant is opening a second location in Gardnerville on Kimmerling Road. The storefront isn’t open just yet, but is planning for early October.
Cafe Catrina
Cousins Camila Melgarejo and Diana Lobato announced the opening of their mobile coffee cart business honoring their Mexican roots, Cafe Catrina. They plan to officially open in the next few weeks. The mobile business is currently offering drink orders delivered to local businesses while they await the final build-out of their cart. Once it’s ready, the cousins plan to offer private catering for events as well as pop-ups at community events across Northern Nevada, focused mainly in Reno and Carson City.
The menu includes three main categories: signature lattes, fruit sodas with tres leche cold foam, and flavored waters. Combined, the duo brings eight years of coffee shop experience to their new venture. While they are beginning with a cart, the ultimate goal is to open a brick-and-mortar location.
Reno Revival
The owners of Reno Revival, the new casino-resort in development at the former Harrah’s Casino site in Downtown Reno, announced several food-and-beverage offerings coming to the complex as early as 2026. A September press release unveiled plans for 180,000 square feet of space being developed on the ground floor of Reno Revival by Fine Entertainment, a Las Vegas-based hospitality group.
Eight different businesses were announced: Mint will be a retro cocktail bar not unlike the Las Vegas business of the same name; sports fans will enjoy The George Sportsmen’s Lounge, an elevated sports bar with a stadium entertainment feel; craft beer will take center stage at PKWY Tavern; Smelly Cat will host karaoke as well as other musical entertainment throughout the week; and a new steakhouse-style restaurant named The BLVD Grille will offer live music along wide steaks and a full cocktail bar. There are three additional, unnamed projects listed in the release — a speakeasy, a country bar with line dancing, and an underground nightclub. Many of the named restaurants and bars have existing locations in Las Vegas and Henderson.
While that may sound like a lot already, it’s only the beginning of what’s in store for the Reno Revival and adjacent Reno Arch plaza. The multi-phase roll-out also has may include a Mexican restaurant and burger bar as well as additional concepts with new announcements coming soon.
Madison Capital Group, a real estate firm out of North Carolina, owns the larger project with Fine Entertainment taking the reins on the food and beverage offerings.
Pasta Fresca
Pasta Fresca is expanding. Owner Paolo Nicoletta announced plans to create a second location of the Italian restaurant inside of the old Rice Box/Noodle Box Kitchen space next door to The Discovery Museum. An opening date has not yet been confirmed. The first location of Pasta Fresca is located in the Shops at Bartley Ranch.
Golden Boy Mariscos and Sushi Sports Bar
The owners of Silver Peak sold their taproom in Downtown Reno and the business reopened as Golden Boy Mariscos and Sushi Sports Bar on Aug. 31. It is the second location of the restaurant, which also operates on Victorian Avenue in Sparks. The menu focuses on Mexican fare, including Mexican sushi in a sports bar atmosphere.
Main Station Farm Science Center
The Main Station Farm Science Center — part of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources at University of Nevada, Reno — is opening a new classroom and research facility at 5895 Clean Water Way in Reno. The new building houses Wolf Pack Meats and an upgraded feedlot. The grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 4.
Glorious Garlic Farm
Glorious Garlic Farm is for sale. On Aug. 24, the business’ owner, Arnold Carbone, announced on Facebook that he had listed the farm (and home) and included a link to the Zillow listing on Lakeshore Drive in Washoe Valley. The asking price is $890,000. Photo by Arnold Carbone.
MF International
A new iteration of Mellow Fellow is headed to Sparks. After closing its ballpark location on Aug. 30, citing high rent costs and lower patronage in the off-season, Owner Ryan Eller decided to open MF International at 2855 N. McCarran, Ste. 106, in Sparks. The new restaurant will focus on burritos, bowls, and salads showcasing some of the best flavors from Mellow Fellow’s menu over the last four years. There will be 17 burritos, to start, representing 14 countries as well as canned and bottled beers. Everything will be made from scratch in house and instead of a sit-down concept, the eatery will focus on counter service, carry out, delivery, and catering. Menu items will cost $14-17 each. The target opening date is September 9.
Casale’s Halfway Club
Casale’s Halfway Club is getting a facelift. The historic Reno restaurant was announced as a recipient of a $50,000 grant courtesy of The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express in its fifth year of its Backing Historic Small Restaurants program. The money is meant to help small businesses with long histories update their eateries while also expanding business. Casale’s first opened in 1937.
Brothers Barbecue
Readers have spoken and Brothers Barbecue in Reno has earned a spot on the Only In Your State 50 best barbecue spots in the U.S. list. That means Brothers beat out every other barbecue joint in the state of Nevada to earn the title. Joe Orduna is at the helm of the Texas-style restaurant that specializes in ribs, brisket, and more.
El Toro Bravo
El Toro Bravo is on a mission to keep its doors open. The Truckee eatery, located in the heart of Old Town, has been serving the community Grandma Rey’s favorites for 37 years since it first opened in 1988. The current owners, Trinidad (Trini) and his uncle Mike, who are third- and fourth-generation descendants of Grandma Rey, are scrambling to buy the building and business in order to stay open.
Little Truckee Ice Creamery
Little Truckee Ice Creamery opened a fourth location, and it’s first in Reno, on Aug. 7. The popular ice cream spot owned by Kenny Blum has three existing addresses in Truckee and Lake Tahoe and recently added a Robb Drive storefront in Northwest Reno. In addition to ice cream made on location, Little Truckee employees also make the business’ ice cream inclusions, such as caramel, brownies, and chocolate chips. Customers also like Little Truckee’s dairy-free ice cream with organic coconut milk as its base, as well as fruit sorbets. The shop is open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily.
Ana’s Taco Grill
On Aug. 14, Ana’s Taco Grill in Reno opened a long-awaited second location. The first restaurant, on Wonder Street, opened in 2020 and the new spot is in South Reno on Geiger Grade Road where Nik-N-Willies Pizza and Deli used to be. Ana’s Taco Grill is open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily.
Pizano’s Pizza
Ali Fry took over Pizano’s Pizza (at 95 N. Sierra St. in Reno) from its original owner, Sergio Santos, on July 1. Fry says she is pleased with the business’ reputation and doesn’t plan to make any major changes, especially to the by-the-slice program. However, guests can expect some minor changes to the menu down the line to increase offerings. Pizano’s is Fry’s third restaurant. In addition to an eatery in Chicago, she owned and operated MakiAli in Truckee from 2014 to 2020 when she sold it to her head chef, Shane Grimaldi. Pizano’s opened in 2013.
Foothill Market
The owners of Foothill Market are planning to open the shop as early as September, taking over the space that was the Genoa Country Store. Owners Casey and Hailey Sebahar say the goal is to create a market for people who don’t want to drive 20 minutes to a grocery store, carrying basic items such as dairy, eggs, bread, wine, and produce. The market will not operate as a full grocery store but will have just the essentials, plus a few extras, including a menu of sandwiches and salads, hot dogs, and soft-serve ice cream. There also will be a bar. While the concept may sound similar to its predecessor, the owners say the market will be completely different. The entire inside of the store was redesigned and the equipment, counters, electrical, and plumbing have all been updated or replaced. Casey and Hailey moved to Genoa from Southern California 10 years ago. Casey has worked at both The Pink House and Daniel’s in Genoa since relocating.
Dough.Cheese.Sauce
Marvin Kinney From R Town Pizza in Reno plans to open a new restaurant for NY-style pizza by the slice, which will welcome diners late into the evening. He will move into the new spot and will be partnering with the owner of Press Start Bar & Arcade, John Simpson. Located on Center Street in Reno. Get ready for Dough.Cheese.Sauce to arrive in Midtown early Fall.
Great Gold
Brandon Kirksey is bringing a second location of Great Gold, his Truckee-based American-Italian restaurant, to Village at Rancharrah in Reno this winter in the spot Grafted Whiskey & Wine Bar once operated in. The restaurant will be the third business represented by Great Gold Hospitality Group, which includes the first Great Gold location and Tangerine French Bistro, both in Truckee. The menu will focus on seasonal, farm-to-table produce, meats, and seafood including wood-fired pizzas, Italian wines, and more. The restaurant plans to offer a blend of upscale fine dining and a cozy, intimate vibe punctuated by modern industrial botanical design, according to Kirksey. Kirksey brings two decades of experience to the kitchen. The James Beard Award nominee has long worked in popular West Coast restaurants and will serve as the head chef, partner, and creative visionary of the new Great Gold project. When the doors officially open, dinner service will occur nightly from 5-9 p.m. with plans to eventually roll out brunch. In addition to 80 inside seats, Great Gold will have an additional 40 on the patio. Kirksey’s partners include his wife, Juliana Toro; the founder of Flour + Water Hospitality group, David Steele; and Timmy Malloy (both chef and partner).
