Keeping you informed of Northern Nevada’s local food-and-drink news.
When it comes to news from the local food-and-drink scene, the last year has seen plenty of both the expected and the unexpected. Pandemic restrictions and labor shortages made for a rocky 2021. But with a new year comes new promise, and from what we’re already seeing of 2022, there’s plenty to get excited about.
OPENINGS
We’re always eager to see what our neighbors are cooking up nearby. From surprise additions to long-awaited establishments, Northern Nevada is welcoming several new hot spots to discover.
In fall 2021, Sip of Saigon in Sparks opened its doors with an eclectic menu of Vietnamese cuisine, including pho, bahn mi, noodles, and spring rolls. The “sip” in the name comes from its robust selection of traditional Vietnamese drinks. At the Spanish Springs storefront, guests can indulge in coffee drinks made to order using a “phin” drip filter, featuring recipes of condensed milk, sweet and spicy horchata, and ube, plus hot chocolate, matcha drinks, and lychee green tea. Seasonal drink menus are announced on the eatery’s Facebook page.
Hey Hey’s Fried Chicken, a bright yellow food truck slinging fried chicken sandwiches throughout Reno, officially opened the first weekend in November. Popping up at 10 Torr Distilling and Brewing and Chapel Tavern weekly, devotees say Hey Hey’s is turning out delicious fried chicken (as well as fried avocado) sandwiches and they’re coming from chefs with fine dining backgrounds.
Los Chilaquiles Mexican Breakfast opened in December next door to Flowing Tide Pub at South McCarran Boulevard and Mira Loma Drive. The chilaquiles restaurant turns out authentic Mexican breakfast in southeast Reno while the décor makes everything about dining in a little more festive, including a gorgeous mural from local artist Nathaniel Benjamin.
If you’ve been drooling over curated picnics spotted on social media, which often are posted by celebrities and local influencers, you now have the opportunity to book your own such affair. Jenny and Jeff Sutich have launched their picnic business, Dine by Design with Pique-Nique (the French word for picnic), which focuses on full-service, upscale picnic experiences in Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Carson City worthy of your Instagram grid, offering tailored experiences at a variety of price points. Simply pick a location, date, time, and style, and they’ll do the rest.
Just one in a long line of new master-planned concepts in The Biggest Little City, the Reno Experience District, referred to as RED for short, opened on Nov. 6 on the corner of Plumb Lane and South Virginia Street. When complete, the district will include 1,300 luxury apartments and more than 70,000 square feet of retail space featuring artisan shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The opening party included many food trucks, games, and a DJ.
In November, O’A Sushi in the Mira Loma Shopping Center opened its doors. At the time of this writing, a liquor license still was pending, but the full food menu was available.
Also in November, The Kitchen Table opened in the Plumgate Shopping Center, offering country-style Italian fare for the whole family with an open-style kitchen that encourages guests to mingle with the chef. The husband-and-wife team of chef Alexander Alioto and his wife, Nunzio (a master sommelier), are collaborating with husband-and-wife duo Steve and Amanda Thomason, who are running the front of the house. It makes for a killer combination at dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, with plans to open for lunch as well.
Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, started in — you guessed it — Hawaii in 2012. And in late 2021, the franchise opened in the Safeway shopping center on Mae Anne Avenue in Reno. The shop boasts a tropical menu specializing in freshly pressed lemonade and offering other small bites and drinks, such as smoothies, coffee, and tea.
COMING SOON
Sometimes new places open their doors just after we’ve gone to print. Here are some up-and-comers on our radar that have planned January-February openings.
Toro De Oro Market, an expansive Latin market, was expected to open in December but wasn’t open by press time. Located in Sparks, this market brings a diverse array of grocery items, ethnic cuisines, and meats to the community. The market will feature fresh produce, a butcher shop, taqueria, bakery, and supermarket.
The long-awaited The Phoenix and The Village Vintner at the Outlets at Legends in Sparks was expected to open in December, too. The nonsmoking barbecue restaurant relocated from the Mira Loma Shopping Center (formerly Hellfire Saloon), bringing with it its popular cuisine, live music, and dancing. It will be the outlet mall’s only live entertainment venue.
Crumbl Cookies has been sweeping the nation with its delicious and decadent cookies served in a rotating menu of fabulous flavors, including dulce de leche, classic sugar, and pecan pie. Now Sparks will be home to its own Crumbl Cookies, with a new location in the Sparks Galleria Shopping Center expected to open in December 2021 as well.
Coffeebar’s founder Greg Buchheister is expanding his empire. Since the recent purchase of Food + Drink in Midtown Reno, he is adding another Coffeebar location, at the plaza at West McCarran and Fourth Street in Reno, which is targeted to open by Valentine’s Day. Coffeebar has two other locations in Reno (including a roastery), two in Truckee, and one in Olympic Village, as well as locations outside of the Reno-Tahoe region.
If it feels like something’s missing from Reno’s coffee scene, maybe that something is cats. In that case, the opening of Enchanted Cat Café is sure to delight you. In this space, you can sip coffee while cozying up with cute felines. The business, which has a planned January opening date, will pair adoptable cats with cuisine.
Cypress Club was slated to open New Year’s Eve in the former location of The Saint, bringing a solid music venue back to Midtown Reno. Eventually a restaurant also will open in this location as well, but at the time of this writing there is no word on when that addition will come.
Cluckers is joining arcade/bar Press Start in its new location in the first part of the new year. This restaurant from the masterminds behind Brothers Barbecue will specialize in handbreaded fried chicken sandwiches, whole wings, and freshly cut fries.
CLOSURES
We bid adieu to a few longstanding restaurants in late 2021. We said our final farewells to these eateries:
On Nov. 2, Sparks Public House (formerly Campo Sparks) closed its doors after five years in business.
Reno’s Daughters Cafe never reopened after shutting its doors during the first round of pandemic closures, and owner Barb Giacomini said she doesn’t plan to revive the business, closing it officially after 13 years of offering delightful food in a quaint, homey environment.
In November, The Postal Café in Washoe Valley served its final meals to the Northern Nevada community, closing after 16 years in business. During the last eight years Isabella “Bella” Benitez owned the eatery. Word on the street is the land and building The Postal Café occupied was sold, and, as a result, her lease was lost.
NEWSWORTHY
There’s more to the local food-and-drink scene than openings and closures. Here, we explore some of the behind-the-scenes news affecting food and drink in Northern Nevada.
Washoe County District Board of Health Member Tom Young was replaced by John Klacking, the founder of Double Bond Wine, at the Oct. 19 board meeting. Klacking holds a doctorate from University of Nevada, Reno in biochemistry and has a self-described passion for health.
Bertha Miranda’s Mexican Restaurant, which we previously reported went up for sale after the matriarch of the business decided to retire, sold to a group of employees who will continue to run the restaurant under the same name.
This is all just the beginning in Northern Nevada. We’ll be keeping our ears to the pavement to uncover what’s new and newsworthy in the food-and-drink scene.
Until next time, remember to eat, drink, and support local! Cheers!
Nora Heston Tarte is a longtime Reno resident. You can follow her local exploits and travel adventures on Instagram @Wanderlust_n_wine.
