Keeping you informed of Northern Nevada and Tahoe/Truckee’s local food-and-drink news.
This summer, we’re saying hello to a few new additions in the Northern Nevada food scene, including some interesting transformations. It just goes to show the dynamic nature of our area — when one restaurant closes, another one swiftly opens in its place. Here’s the scoop.
New Businesses
It’s official! Campo in Downtown Reno was sold to Colin and MaryBeth Smith of Roundabout Catering in May and reopened as Smith and River in June. The duo has been securing several new businesses in Reno, including another former Mark Estee business, chez louie inside the Nevada Museum of Art, which is now named The Café by Roundabout. At Smith and River, Chef Christian Flores — who started his career with Roundabout’s owners at their now-closed Somersett-area restaurant and worked as executive chef at Roundabout Grill (now called Café Whitney) at Whitney Peak Hotel before its closure — will turn out a menu of fresh, approachable, modern cuisine synonymous with the Roundabout brand.
On May 21, The Basement in Reno added another permanent business. Located underneath the (recently closed) West Elm, Freshies, a casual lunch spot focusing on sandwiches and bowls, joined the underground space that also houses Seven Troughs Speakeasy and Vida Coffee.
A San Francisco cable-car-style bar dubbed Trolley Bar started operations this spring in Reno, available for private events and local gatherings. Owned by Tony Gentile (who previously ran Midtown Wine Bar before selling it in 2021), the decorative and functional mobile bar serves wine, beer, and craft cocktails.
Biggest Little Steakhouse, from the owners of Inclined Burgers and Brews in Incline Village and Reno, opened in the old Fat Cat Bar & Grill spot in Midtown Reno in May. The eatery features a menu of high-end food with a counter-serve platform that fits the Midtown vibe.
Ceol Irish Pub reopened in May in its new location on California Avenue in Reno, continuing its business model of celebrating Irish music and drinks since 2007. Owner Ron McConnell of the popular pub originally closed its doors in March 2020 due to pandemic restrictions and decided not to open again — until relocating up the street.
Speaking of Irish pubs, St. Patrick’s Day was the perfect time for the opening of Shanty Dolan’s, an Irish pub located in the old Momma Bears’ building on Keystone Avenue in Reno. It also operates as a sports bar, boasting a collection of televisions to meet your sports viewing needs.
Sparks Public House is officially undergoing a transformation into a Mr. Crab Boiling Seafood. This is a second location for the seafood-centric restaurant; the first is still open in Midtown Reno.
The Union in Carson City underwent a remodel and now is another Great Basin Brewing Co. location. It’s the result of the 2021 merger between the local brewery and Mark Estee-owned Reno Local Food Group.
Happenings
Looking for a local foodie event? Reno Experience District’s Market at the Park is committed to every-other-Sunday experiences. In addition to enjoying food from local vendors, guests also can shop for clothing, art, jewelry, vintage items, and more.
After making a few changes due to COVID-19, Artown leaders decided to bring its main performances back to Wingfield Park in Downtown Reno. Also, you can once again enjoy its popular concert series that takes place outside of Brasserie Saint James in Midtown. Want to grab a snack before, after, or during the show? Brasserie will be serving food and drinks, plus there’s a rooftop option for those who want to dine with live music.
Changing Hands
A few leadership switch-ups happened at local food-and-drink establishments, but for the most part the new owners are committed to keeping the businesses the same.
First, two Midtown Reno bars recently sold operations to their managers: Chris Costa sold Reno Public House to Kyle Aiton, and T. Duncan Mitchell sold Chapel Tavern to Sean Stitt.
Local chef Clint Jolly recently left his job as a salesperson for US Foods to return to his family’s 90-year-old butcher shop, Butcher Boy Meat Market (his great-grandfather opened it in Downtown Reno in 1932). He will work alongside Katie Morrow, who owns 10 percent of the business. Jolly mentored Morrow in the Carson City High School culinary program then run by Penny Reynolds. Morrow attended the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, returning to Reno to join this family business.
Farewells
Every issue we bid adieu to favorites old and new. We celebrate them here and wish their owners well.
Wet Hen Café served the community for the last time on April 29 after 12 years in business, citing issues with staffing and other hardships as the reason.
Also opened in 2010, the Napa Sonoma Plumgate location closed its doors in April; currently no details are available about what will take its place. The Napa Sonoma location on South Virginia Street remains open.
It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a beloved food producer. Fran Pritchard, the creator of Killer Salsa and Carson Valley entrepreneur died on March 13 at 78 years old. A service was held in Minden on April 30. She started her business on Super Bowl Sunday in 1993.
On May 29, we said farewell to Huntsman Brewing on Wonder Street in Reno. Owners cited issues with the industry not sufficiently bouncing back after the pandemic and an increase in the costs of goods and services as their reasons for closing. While the two-story bar (in the location that once was home to the original Silver Peak Brewery) closed for good, the Huntsman brand still operates at two other locations, Huntsman Tavern in Sparks and Village Well at The Village at Rancharrah in Reno.
Lolo’s Authentic Filipino Cuisine closed its South Virginia location in Reno in May, but it didn’t go far; the owner announced on Facebook that she reopened her business in Virginia City.
On the Horizon
Perenn is expanding rapidly! Owners of the beloved bakery, with two locations in Reno and another headed to South Lake Tahoe, are planning to open another spot in Mayberry Landing in West Reno.
Notable Mentions
We’re always impressed by the entrepreneurs of the food-and-drink world who bring attention to our area. Throughout Northern Nevada, business owners and individuals are making the news, showing off our spectacular culinary scene.
Hillshire Farm provided $2,000 to a local Sparks student on a quest to end hunger, through its SNACKED! Allowance Grants program, which was established to help bring youths’ ideas to life while also giving back to local communities. Hasini Suryadevara came up with an idea to sell handmade goods to raise money to prevent childhood hunger, and this grant will assist her in producing the items; money raised from her sales will go to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
Reno is the nation’s newest Bee City USA. The organization is focused on saving bees by partnering with local communities and campuses. It joins City of Carson City and Truckee Meadows Community College, making Northern Nevada a mecca for bee-saving efforts. In all, there are 156 bee cities and 137 bee campuses nationwide. Learn more at Beecityusa.org.
Hungry in Reno partnered with local businesses to bring the third annual Reno Food & Drink Week to the city, which was held June 1 – 8. Based on the Reno event’s success, Sparks Food & Drink Week launched this year, June 8 – 16. During each week, residents were encouraged to support local businesses by dining at participating restaurants. Net proceeds were offered as donations, split equally among four selected charities: Nevada Youth Empowerment Project, Safe Embrace, Sparks Heritage Museum, and STEP2.
The beer scene in Reno is receiving a lot of attention as of late for its award-winning brews. The newest craft brewery to make a splash is IMBĪB Custom Brews, which took home a gold medal from the 2022 World Beer Cup. It’s not the first time Triad, a Belgian-style Lambic ale, has received recognition. Before earning top prize in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category at the World Cup, the same brew won two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2018 and 2020 and a gold medal at the Best of Craft Beer Awards in 2019.
And congrats, too, go to Ferino Distillery in Reno for winning Double Gold for its Caffe Notte single-origin coffee liqueur (a partnership with local Coffeebar Roastery) in the SIP Awards, the largest consumer-focused tasting competition in the world. More than 1,400 spirits were submitted for the awards.
DOPO Pizza & Pasta, formerly Food + Drink, has long been promising an addition of hearty pastas to its menu. In May, the team unveiled its newest items, adding more Italian flare to the pizza-heavy menu, and touting itself as a “red sauce joint.”
Truckee Tahoe News
Truckee and the Lake Tahoe area are serving up their own culinary news.
Tahoe Donner welcomes a new executive chef to the property. Chef Matt Hale comes from the Pacific Northwest, having previously held the position of executive chef at Skamania Lodge in Washington. Prior to that, he held various positions with the Resort at Squaw Creek from 2007 to 2015. Patrons gathered at happy hour on June 9 to welcome chef Hale to the property at the Pavilion at The Lodge Restaurant & Pub.
And, speaking of Resort at Squaw Creek, its signature restaurant, Six Peaks Grille, also is bringing in new talent, with Michelle Stolba as restaurant manager. Stolba will take over several responsibilities at Six Peaks, including front of house operations, booking and hosting restaurant events, overseeing hiring efforts, managing the reservation process, and ensuring superior customer service for guests. Before taking this position, Stolba served as area manager at Travel Traders LLC.
Truckee’s renowned street festival is back. Truckee Thursdays is hosting its outdoor market on Thursdays through Aug. 11. From 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the historic downtown district, artisan vendors sell goods while patrons enjoy live music, a beer garden, children’s activities, and food.
PJ’s, the farm-fresh eatery on the 19th hole of Gray’s Crossing, reopened for the 2022 season on May 20.
That’s a wrap for summer 2022! We know there’s plenty more good stuff coming in the later part of the year, and we’re here for all of it!
Nora Heston Tarte is a longtime Reno resident. Follow her local exploits and travel adventures on Instagram @Wanderlust_n_wine.
