Keeping you informed of Northern Nevada and Tahoe/Truckee’s local food-and-drink news.
Spring showers bring… what is that line again? Well, we’re hoping it’s more food-and-drink delights to whet our palates. Read on for some major news across the local food scene, encompassing Reno, Lake Tahoe, the Sierra, and the rest of Northern Nevada.
OPENINGS
We’re still waiting for some big openings to happen, but some new business for 2023 has started to trickle in.
Swift Sportsdome opened a restaurant inside of its South Reno sports-centric facility aimed at supporting youth sports and city league programming. The Hangout debuted on Nov. 25, under the direction of Blend Catering owners Josh and Whitney Deri.
Their elevated snack bar fare is casual, but with a gourmet twist. Think pizzas ranging from pepperoni to truffle-wild mushroom, sliders that include cheeseburger and lobster roll versions, bao buns, an assortment of tacos, fries served either plain or with sundry toppings, hamachi tartare, oysters, pretzels with beer cheese, wings, and more. Guests also can their thirst at the bar, which offers non-alcoholic beverages, beers, wines, and cocktails.
Haven on Earth Bakery & Deli in South Reno got a new tenant on Dec. 27. The certified gluten-free business now serves drinks roasted by Rising for the People Coffee Co. Reno-Tahoe local Sky Jones sources organic coffee beans from small family farms for her company.
Voodoo Brewing Co. opened its Reno location on Jan. 28 on Plumb Lane. The Pennsylvania-based brand that was established in 2005 opened its first taproom in 2012 and has been expanding ever since. Beers range from the Good Vibes West Coast IPA and Oh Mama traditional golden American lager to Voodoo Love Child fruited Belgian-style tripel ale, an American light lager called Empty Calories, and many seasonal offerings.
Chickie’s & Pete’s, a small chain of restaurants in several U.S. states, opened its first Nevada location inside of Grand Sierra Resort on Dec. 4. ESPN once named it the No. 1 sports bar in North America, with a menu heavy in seafood options and perhaps best known for its lobster fries.
Rebel Pioneer Bakery, an organic, female-led bakery in Reno owned by cottage baker Mollie Connell, celebrated the grand opening of its South Virginia Street brick-and-mortar shop on Jan. 10.
We are excited about the spring opening of The Fe at the old Santa Fe Basque restaurant in Reno. Rene Preciado, owner of Mexcal in Reno, is bringing a new concept to our area: Basque tapas (aka pintxos).
Jesse Corletto, who opened Record Street Brewing Co. on Fourth Street in Reno and The Alpine events space next door in 2020 and closed both at the end of 2022, is opening a new pizza business on Los Altos Parkway in Sparks called Nozzleman Pizza.
We’re keeping our eyes on a new project coming from California developer Elevation Entertainment to the corner of Kietzke Lane and South Virginia Street. The plan, announced in late November, is to build a nearly 20-acre, ground-up hotel and casino project, which will include a public park, restaurants, a food court, and beer gardens, tentatively named Firecreek Crossing Resort-Casino.
CLOSURES
Unfortunately, we’ve recently bid adieu to several area businesses.
Dec. 3 marked the final operations for Truckee’s The Mill Juice Shop. Adele Attix, who owned the business since 2018, didn’t mention why she closed, but the website directs people to her new curated vintage and designer consignment shop, called Adele’s Attic, in Truckee.
Sol Baked closed shop at The Outlets at Legends in Sparks. But there’s good news here: IMBĪB Custom Brews, the shop’s next-door neighbor, will take over the space with its new eatery, IMBĪB Eats & Drink, which will offer what owner Matt Johnson calls “elevated beer food.” The two businesses — the new restaurant and the brewery — will be linked through a door so patrons can easily visit both.
Karaoke lovers will be sad to hear that The Point Nightclub in Midtown, owned by Paul and Gina Jones, closed its doors for good on Dec. 17. High overhead costs and other obstacles were named as reasons for the closure.
However, the Joneses may continue the business outside of the brick-and-mortar building; they are considering opening a mobile karaoke operation.
Matador Lounge & Bar on California Avenue in Reno closed in January, but, we learned, Blind Dog Tavern is moving into this location from its Sierra Street spot.
Little Philadelphia Cheesesteaks recently went out with a bang. The popular restaurant specializing in, you guessed it, cheesesteaks served its last sandwiches on New Year’s Eve. So many people came in to enjoy one last bite that the restaurant reportedly ran out of ingredients. The Reno restaurant’s Northern Nevada roots date back to 1986.
Bar N’ Games in Reno didn’t even make it to its first birthday. The official farewell date for the board-games-and-drinks concept came on Jan. 12, after the staff worked hard to drain kegs and sell off glassware and more. The business originally opened its doors June 1.
Reno won’t hold its annual Earth Day celebration this year. The nonprofit organization behind the event, Mercury Momentum, announced its dissolution in January. The organization has been responsible for running the Earth Day program since 2012.
The Exotic Milkshake Bar in Reno’s Meadowood Mall closed for good in late 2022, after serving the local community for just shy of one year.
NOTABLE MENTIONS
From cookbook releases to retirements, there’s more to report in the local food scene.
The Twentieth Century Club, a Reno women’s social and charitable group dating back to 1894, released a new cookbook, its first in more than a decade. The clever project combines new member recipes with those from past cookbooks released by the club. The goal was to provide a collection of recipes while also exploring how kitchens have changed since the first edition debuted in 1907. You can purchase the eponymously titled cookbook through the organization’s website (Twentiethcenturyclub.org), at The Flag Store in Sparks, or at Nothing To It! Culinary Center in Reno. It’s not, however, the only local cookbook to hit shelves recently. Andelin Family Farm in Sparks announced its own became available in December 2022.
Northern Nevada Business Weekly announced its 2022 Best in Business Awards in December. Among the winners was Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon, named for producing the Best Nevada Grown/Raised Product. In addition, Frey was awarded the 2022 Nevada Agriculture, Food and Beverage Small Business of the Year award on Jan. 26.
High Mark Distillery in Reno also was on the receiving end of high praise in 2022, winning an award from the Nevada Restaurant Association Outstanding Drink Specialist of the Year.
That’s not the only good news coming out of the Reno-based distillery, either. Owner Felicia Keith-Jones announced that her business will move and not too far from its current location. She is building a state-of-the-art facility from the ground up that will grow its barrel house and employee base by three times its current size.
Minden’s Coffee on Main, also known as Nevada Joe, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Dec. 2. Owners Lynda and Mike Mellows first opened the coffee spot in 2002.
Food Bank of Northern Nevada also is celebrating a big milestone — 40 years of feeding local families and working toward a hunger-free tomorrow.
The owners of Smiling With Hope Pizza in South Reno announced in 2022 that they were looking to sell the restaurant and retire. Before the year ended, the deal was made, and mother and son Robin and Andrew Silvaroli became the new owners of the pizza joint.
Zozo’s Fine Italian/American Dining also changed hands. In January, Justin Libowitz and Monika Sage became the new owners. The announcement also noted that no other staff changes were made. The sale signaled the retirement of its longtime owners. Sid and Judy Ashton ran the restaurant since 1986.
Z Bistro, a beloved 15-year-old restaurant in Carson City, also has a new owner. Chef Gilles Galhaut and his wife, Tina, sold the restaurant to Brandon Lafave. Lafave’s experience includes working at The Pink House, and he was sous chef at Daniel’s in Genoa. He says he will continue to honor the spirit of the bistro, which serves fresh French-inspired, globally influenced cuisine.
Jen Ott announced her resignation from the Nevada Department of Agriculture on Dec. 22, via the organization’s newsletter, after serving for five years. No reason was listed. Then on Jan. 25, Julian (J.J.) Goicoechea, a longtime Eureka, Nev., rancher and veterinarian, was appointed to the position.
Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks will once again see an ownership change in April. A Colorado-based company called Century Casinos announced plans to purchase the business from its current owner, Marnell Gaming, in February 2022.
Locally founded and owned Port of Subs, which is 51 years old, was sold to Dave Liniger, founder of RE-Max Realty Worldwide and his investment group, Area 15.
In January, Colin and MaryBeth Smith, owners of Roundabout in Sparks, purchased more than 50-year-old Franco Baking Co. in Sparks, in partnership with their son-in-law, Grant McBride.
TRUCKEE/TAHOE NEWS
Over the river and through the woods, more updates are brimming. We’ll start with Shuck Truck Catering, which celebrated one year in business in October 2022. The milestone wasn’t enough to rest on — its owner, Zack Duksta, announced the opening of a new physical location, Buoy and Trap seafood market, on Dec. 16. The catering arm of the business will still operate out of the truck, as usual, but now guests can enjoy seafood in a new way by stopping by the Pioneer Trail location in Truckee for fresh fish, to-go lunches, and selections from a raw bar.
It’ll be some time before the Waldorf Astoria Lake Tahoe opens, but plans are well underway for the new addition. The hotel will land on the 15-acre site that once housed the Tahoe Biltmore Hotel and Casino in Crystal Bay. So far, parent company Hilton has confirmed that the hotel will house 76 hotel rooms and 61 residences. Plus, you can count on high-end food and drink options to be included.
Fizzy Beez is a line of vodka-based, ready-to-drink cocktails that are now available in 11 Raley’s stores throughout Northern Nevada. The brand comes from part-time Lake Tahoe resident and golf legend Annika Sörenstam.
That’s the news for now, but you can be sure more is on the horizon. Needless to say, we’ll be keeping our ears to the pavement and our stomachs full while we await more big, local announcements.
Nora Heston Tarte is a longtime Reno resident. You can follow her local exploits and travel adventures on Instagram at Wanderlust_n_wine.
