edible travel
HISTORIC JOURNEY
Uncovering local fare on a weekend getaway.
WRITTEN BY AMANDA BURDEN
PHOTOS BY JACI GOODMAN AND COURTESY OF NEVADA COUNTY REGIONAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
The promise of gold-mining riches lured people to Nevada County in the late 1800s. Today the pull is food, wine, farms, and history.
Nevada County encompasses quaint towns such as Grass Valley and Nevada City, which are just a few miles from each other in the rolling, pine-studded foothills and an easy, 1.5-hour drive from Reno-Tahoe. In its heyday, Nevada City was the largest and most prosperous mining town in California, and later Grass Valley took that distinction.
Both towns, bedecked with buildings from the 1880s, are great for strolling. You can browse through gift shops and local art galleries, including Mowen Solinsky Gallery, Lilly Vigil Gallery, and Fusion Gallery in Nevada City.
Museums also are a popular destination in Nevada County, including North Star Mining Museum in Grass Valley and Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City. Empire Mine State Historic Park just outside of Grass Valley is one of the area’s most popular and fascinating attractions, with $100 million worth of gold (in 1914 prices) taken out of 367 miles of tunnels there. In the museum you can explore specimens of gold ore from all over the area and world. Tour the well-manicured grounds and brick-and-stone cottage with a knowledgeable state park guide. The mine has ties to San Francisco’s founding, Napa Valley’s wine business, and a historic family that helped shape cultural and educational institutions such as the San Francisco Symphony and Stanford University.
Another favorite stop is the South Yuba River State Park in Bridgeport, which includes the longest single-span covered bridge in the country and an 1862 barn, complete with vintage wagons, carts, and a hay press. To continue your exploration of local history, you can take a walking tour in Grass Valley, wandering past old homes, theaters, churches, a hospital, a cemetery, and hotels. Nevada City’s walking tour includes the Chinese Quarter, hotels, homes, churches, theaters, and city hall. Active travelers will find plenty to do, including snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding in colder months and rafting, hiking, biking, rock climbing, golfing, and camping in warmer months.
Food Focus
No matter what time of year, visitors flock to Nevada County for the great food and drink. In Grass Valley, the Back Porch Market offers a nice selection of cured meats, cheeses, fresh pasta, wine, salads, and gourmet sandwiches. Ike’s Quarter Café in Nevada City serves organic and locally grown foods made from scratch as well as a great deal of vegetarian options (including four types of veggie burger). The food has a Creole twist, featuring choices such as crayfish étouffée and po’ boys.
In the mood for an omelet? Tofanelli’s in Grass Valley offers 101 types of omelet (owner Susan Purdy says the No. 79 is the most popular). Another good breakfast spot is South Pine Café in Nevada City, with offerings such as lobster benedict, olallieberry French toast, and chicken apple sausage. For delicious and fresh sandwiches and salads, try the quaint Blue Cow Deli in Penn Valley. Its proprietors Sara and Jeromy Laurin also own and operate Caleb’s Creamery & Coffee in Penn Valley. For barbecue, Smiley Guys Smokehouse in Grass Valley slow-cooks its food to perfection, using locally sourced natural meats, small-batch baked goods, and organic produce to create generously portioned meals.
Looking for pizza? Lefty’s Grill in Nevada City garnered first prize in the western division of the World Pizza Challenge at the Pizza Expo held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in March 2012. The prize-winning pizza was Lefty’s Sonoma Valley Pizza, a grilled flat bread with pesto, mozzarella cheese, oven-roasted fennel, red peppers, prosciutto, pine nuts, and basil. Lefty’s was the only restaurant from California to secure a place in the finals. Another foodie stop is Flour Garden Bakery in Grass Valley, which has been in the business for more than 30 years. The bakery offers artisan breads, organic bagels, and organic pizza. For fresh food to go, the BriarPatch Co-op in Grass Valley offers natural, local, and organic products.
If you’re into food history, a must-stop is Cousin Jack Pasty Co. or Marshall’s Pasties in Grass Valley for a Cornish pasty. The unusual delicacy is a meat-filled pastry that was eaten by Cornish miners working in the area in the 1860s. The edible tradition remains in these two restaurants.
For a taste of a few different restaurants’ cuisine, you can sign up for the Gold Discovery Food & Wine Tour. On this private walking excursion, you eat and drink your way through Nevada City restaurants, wineries, stores, and historic buildings.
Meet the Farmers
Nevada County is known for its local food movement, including a thriving agricultural scene. For instance, though not occurring in the winter, the Nevada County Certified Growers Market is a popular place. It runs from late April through October. Also the Nevada City Farmers’ Market is held from June until the end of October. At these markets you’ll find seasonal produce, cheese, wine, baked goods, and natural meats. You also can visit local farms, including Bierwagen’s Donner Trail Fruit ranch for apples, peaches, pie, and pumpkins in the season (the farm stand is open until Dec. 25 in the winter and reopens in late spring). If you happen to visit in early summertime, you can pick certified-organic cherries at SunSmile Farms in Rough and Ready every weekend in June. You also can visit (by appointment) Mountain Bounty Farm in Nevada City, which grows naturally and operates the largest and oldest community-supported agriculture program in the area (it also delivers to the Reno-Tahoe area year-round). For details on other farms to check out, visit http://www.Nevadacountygrown.org.
If you’re an animal lover, plan a visit to Animal Place in Grass Valley, one of the country’s oldest and largest sanctuaries for neglected farm animals. Nestled on 600 acres, Animal Place provides refuge to hundreds of them. In addition to offering a permanent sanctuary to some, Animal Place’s Rescue Ranch is a 60-acre adoption center, which places farm animals into permanent homes.
Speaking of farmers and sustainable food practices, a great time to get down to Nevada County this winter is Jan. 19 and 20 to attend Nevada County’s Sustainable Food and Farm Conference in Grass Valley. At this event, you’ll be inspired and educated through lectures, workshops, and vendors. Keynote speakers will include Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power and Urban Farm; Joel Salatin, farmer and sustainable farming activist; and Temra Costa, author of Farmer Jane. For details, visit http://www.Foodandfarmconference.com.
Foothills Wines
If you’re a wine enthusiast, check out some of the 15 wineries in the Sierra Vintners organization. Sierra Foothills Wineries fared well in 2012’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Avanguardia Wines, Lucchesi Vineyards, Montoliva Vineyard, Naggiar Vineyards, and Pilot Peak Winery all won medals. Pilot Peak in Penn Valley offers free tastings and appetizers from noon to 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday year-round (however, it’s best to call ahead to ensure they are open). The tasting room at Nevada City Winery, which is one of the only area wineries that makes its wine on the premises, is another fun stop.
Be sure to mark your calendar for two upcoming Nevada County wine events. The Sierra Vintners Association runs Foothills Celebration, a fun wine and food affair in downtown Grass Valley on the first Saturday in March. Taste of Grass Valley, which takes place on the last Saturday in September, is an entertaining way to sample local cuisine, wine, and beer.
Finally, visitors will find an interesting approach to enjoying wine at B.Y.O.B. Wine Seller in Nevada City, a wine tasting room with an environmental twist. Tony Norskog — winemaker, founder of Nevada County Wine Guild, and creator of the well-known Our Daily Red series of wines — wanted to offer a place where customers could purchase moderately priced wine in a bottle that could be refilled at a discount. Patrons buy six empty bottles and a carrying bag for $5. They taste, make their choices, and buy bulk wine (often from local and organic vintners), and cork their own bottles. Once people are done with their bottles, they rinse them in hot water and take them back to the store for a refill.
Whether visiting for wine, food, agriculture, or history, the Grass Valley and Nevada City area offers a relaxing respite that’s just a quick jaunt from Reno-Tahoe.
Amanda Burden is publisher and editor of edible Reno-Tahoe magazine.
Resources
Nevada County Regional Chambers of Commerce
Nevada County Grown (for farm guide)
http://www.Nevadacountygrown.org
Sierra Vintners (for wine guide)
Outside Inn, Nevada City
Grass Valley Courtyard Suites
http://www.Gvcourtyardsuites.com
http://www.Local-food-tours.com (then click Food Tours, then Gold Discovery Walking Food Tour of Nevada City)
Winter events
• Nevada County’s Sustainable Food and Farm Conference, Grass Valley
Jan. 19 – 20
http://www.Foodandfarmconference.com
• Victorian Christmas, Nevada City
Dec. 5, 12, 16, 19, 23
http://www.Nevadacitychamber.com
• Cornish Christmas, Grass Valley
Dec. 7, 14, 21
http://www.Historicgrassvalley.com
• Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Nevada City
Jan. 10 – 13
• Mardi Gras, Nevada City
Feb. 9 – 10
http://www.Nevadacitychamber.com
• Foothills Celebration, Grass Valley
March 3
http://www.Downtowngrassvalley.com
http://www.Historicgrassvalley.com or http://www.Sierravintners.com
