Keeping you informed of Northern Nevada and Tahoe-Truckee’s local food-and-drink news.
Summer is officially in full swing, and something about the sunny weather after such a long winter has made for a particularly social season, as evidenced by the masses gathering with friends on patios, glasses of vino in hand, and lining up at local restaurants and bars. Read on for all that’s new, plus big news on notable locals.
OPENINGS
We’re always excited to try what’s new, and the list is long this season.
Reno Coffee Co. on Wells Avenue in Reno expanded operations with a “listening bar” next door, dubbed the EP Listening Lounge. This business will feature music playing on vinyl records on a vintage hi-fi system, as well as a menu that focuses on craft cocktails and gourmet hot dogs. The lounge enjoyed a grand opening on Feb. 18 and operates 4:30 – 11 p.m. Wed. – Sat. DJs pop in on select nights for live entertainment.
C’s Mad Batter Cakery, a cottage bakery owned by Ciarra Erdody that got its start in 2017, opened its first storefront on May 20 at the Sparks Galleria Shopping Center.
A new dim sum restaurant has hit Moana Lane. Dim Sum Hut specializes in the popular Cantonese dish, plus boba tea and dessert.
Vistro has been operating literally underground for about a year. The virtual food hall located at Ordervistro.com serves dishes for 10-plus restaurants out of one kitchen located underneath Reno’s Greater Nevada Field. For its first 10 months in business, Vistro offered delivery and takeout only for orders placed online, but in May it opened inside a brick-and-mortar location on Evans Avenue, and it began offering dine-in service for the first time in June with its grand opening. Vistro’s family of restaurants, from Grilled Cheesy and Super Smashed Burgs to Wai Mai and Papa Chars, serves a little of everything.
Verdi Grillhouse & Casino opened in April near Boomtown, featuring more than 130 slot machines and video poker games. The grill house promises an elevated dining experience with 10,000 square feet of gaming, 17 bar-top machines, 75-inch televisions throughout, and patio dining with a view of Peavine Mountain and the Sierra. The new location also will accept Boomtown coupons.
The Fix underwent some serious changes this year. What started as a food truck seven years ago stopped mobile operations on Feb. 26, then reopened in Downtown Reno’s West Street Market in the old Nom Eats space on April 23, its seventh anniversary. The 100-percent-vegan restaurant specializes in falafels, but also sells tacos, sandwiches, wings, and more.
Another food truck, Daddy’s Tacos NV, opened in its own permanent location in January. Open seven days a week, the Mill Street restaurant serves breakfast starting at 7 a.m., plus an expanded menu of favorites until 3 p.m. The team also posts its public food truck schedule on Facebook.
House of Bread in Old Southwest Reno also has grown recently, adding a dining room and kitchen as well as a fresh menu. The company also now offers catering for private parties and events.
Hub Coffee Roasters celebrated the grand opening of its newest location in South Reno on May 16. It’s the newest space to open in the new Meadow Creek shopping center, across from Reno Ice.
Gordan Ramsey is expanding his Nevada presence with two new restaurants coming to Reno, both at The Row. The concepts — Ramsay’s Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips — will both open in the Silver Legacy later this year, representing Ramsay’s 16th and 17th restaurants with Caesars Entertainment.
Pignic Pub & Patio has been around for a while, but its high-end whiskey program is new. On the third Wednesday of every month, starting at 7 p.m., the team serves one-ounce pours of expensive whiskey for reasonable prices, making these pricey sippers accessible to many for the first time. Its inaugural event featured tastes of Old Rip Van Winkle whiskeys — bottles routinely sell for thousands on the black market — for $15 each. Every month a new whiskey is featured.
American Gourmet Club launched a Reno-area platform in the spring. The subscription-based restaurant service helps foodies find places to eat in the region and provides discounts and a chance to earn points for eating out. The membership costs $10 per month. Learn more at Americangourmetclub.com.
Finally, the University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolf Pack Meats reopened in April after a four-month hiatus. The abattoir/teaching and production facility is part of the university’s Experiment Station. The goal is to expand processing operations for local ranchers. Hoagland Meat from Homedale, Idaho, was brought in to help run the facility.
FAREWELLS
While some doors are opening, others are, unfortunately, closing. Among them is Chapo Sports Bar, which occupied the space above Michael & Son’s Jewelers and The Biggest Little Steakhouse in Midtown Reno. Chapo closed its doors after a little more than a year in business.
BrewChatter, a Sparks-based home-brew supply store, closed on March 31 after 10 years in business. The owners cited “unforeseen circumstances” in their farewell Facebook post.
Pizzeria Lupo closed its California Avenue location in March and handed the reins over to Jerod Domenichelli, who opened Satisfaction Pizza in the space, which is next to The Loving Cup. Mark Estee and his team are on the hunt for a new home for Pizzeria Lupo in Reno.
Whispering Vine Wine Co.’s Midtown location closed in April. Its other two Reno locations, on West Fourth Street and on South Meadows Parkway, which opened in 2015 and 2010, respectively, remain open. The Midtown location first opened in June 2018.
Cantina Los Tres Hombres’ Victorian Square location in Sparks recently closed its doors for good. Its other Sparks location, at The Outlets at Legends, however, still is open.
Justin Bart decided to retire as executive chef at Renown Health after 21 years. Starting in June, Renown’s food and nutrition department will be run by Sodexo, a food and facilities management company that serves 56 countries and 100 million consumers. The new director — who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, N.Y. — is Kelly Speyer.
We have some sad news to report. On April 3, volunteers from a local chapter of Food Not Bombs, a nonprofit that feeds homeless populations across the country, were handing out supplies near the Cares Campus when a car drove through the alley, killing one woman and injuring two others. Michelle Jardine, a homeless woman, died. Mother-and-daughter Diamond and Clarissa Roman, longtime volunteers for the organization, also were injured. It was determined that the wreck was no accident and the driver, 57-year-old David Turner, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder.
Notable Mentions
On a positive note, our neighbors sure are making us proud! We couldn’t be happier to raise a glass and toast these Northern Nevadans getting their names in the news.
Students from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism took home an award for Best Nevada Film from the 2023 Dam Short Film Festival in February. The accolade came for the students’ documentary, Piconland: The Quest for the Perfect Picon Punch. The movie first debuted in December 2021 and was created by Mark Maynard, Richard Bednarski, Autumn King, Sarah Schuon, and Makayla Hardy. This isn’t the first award for the film, which also was named Best Documentary at the Reynolds School’s Documentary Film Festival in 2021. The film follows students as they travel across Nevada in search of the traditional Basque cocktail Picon punch.
On March 6, Reno pastry chef Kevin Futamachi returned to the Food Network for Spring Baking Championship: Easter. The third season of the hit show saw eight contestants compete for a cash prize and the coveted golden egg. Unfortunately, the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel & Spa pastry chef was eliminated before the May finale.
The City of Reno hosted its annual Historic Preservation Award Ceremony at the Elm Estate on May 11. A new category was announced, and three Reno restaurants were recognized as 2023 Legacy Business Award Winners: Casale’s Halfway Club, Louis’ Basque Corner, and Miguel’s Restaurant. The Jesse Hotel received the 2023 Non-Residential Award, recognizing the renovation, restoration, preservation, or adaptive reuse of a historic structure.
Nevada Brining Co. in Sparks took home the 2023 Award for Excellence in Food Safety from the Washoe County Health District. The annual awards program was created to recognize the owners of Washoe County food facilities who go above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to long-term food safety.
It’s a season full of 10-year anniversaries. Great Full Gardens, in Reno and Sparks, celebrated a milestone in March, commemorating a decade in business. In March 2013, Great Full Gardens opened its first location in Midtown; it has since added three locations, plus The Kitchen at Great Full Gardens in South Reno.
Speaking of Great Full Gardens, its Sparks location is one of two restaurants (along with Ijji Noodle in Reno) that have begun using restaurant robots to serve guests.
Also turning 10 this year are Midtown Reno’s Death & Taxes, which celebrated its achievement with a party on April 18, and SouthCreek Pizza Co. in Reno, with its official anniversary coming in September. 1864 Tavern in Reno also turned 10 in May, with a special happy hour for guests. One grand prize winner took home free drinks for one year.
While making it to 10 years is certainly an impressive feat, Bistro 7 in South Reno celebrated 15 years of service to the Reno community in May.
Truckee Meadow Herbs on Wells Avenue reached an even more impressive milestone in May, celebrating 40 years in business. The longtime local business has been selling bulk teas, herbs, and natural supplements and products since 1982.
Now, on to local beer and spirits news. Great Basin Brewing Co., in Reno, Sparks, and Carson City, took home awards from the recent New York International Beer Competition. Among its winning brews were the Firelit Haze Hazy IPA (silver), Leave No Trace Alpine Lager (bronze), and Sun Smack’d Blood Orange Blonde Ale (bronze).
Schussboom Brewing Co. in Reno and IMBĪB Custom Brews in Reno and Sparks collected gold medals from the 2023 World Beer Cup in May, an event that pits hundreds of breweries from around the world against each other in friendly competition. IMBĪB also was a big winner at the Best of Craft Beer Awards, one of the largest such competitions in the country. Its Pan is Alive bock took gold in its category, and Peachicot Nevada Weisse earned a silver in the German Sour Beers category. Revision Brewing Co. in Sparks earned a gold at the Bend, Ore., competition for its Depths of Desire brew in the Wood & Barrel Aged Stout category.
Colby and Ashley Frey took home more awards for their Frey Ranch brand of whiskeys, this time from the ASCOT Awards. The Fallon-based whiskey farm and distillery was recognized with three Double Platinum Medals for its Frey Ranch Wheat Whiskey, Frey Ranch Single Barrel Bourbon, and Frey Ranch Single Barrel Rye, as well as a platinum award for its innovative Frey Ranch 100% Malted Corn Bourbon. Judges with the international competition choose winners using an American Spirits Council of Tasters and a 100-point scale for scoring.
A Carson City student from Eagle Valley Middle School won the Golden Pinecone Sustainability Youth Leadership Award in April from the Nevada Green Business Network for his efforts to clean up the Carson River during the 2022-2023 school year. The student, Lucas Valdez, 14, coordinated trash pick-ups both around campus and in nearby waterways, green spaces, and parks to reduce overall litter in the river and improve water quality.
Reno nonprofit Soulful Seeds also received a Golden Pinecone Award, recognizing the organization’s dedication to sustainability. The award — presented by the greenUP! organization for the last 35 years — acknowledged Soulful Seeds’ transformation of three acres of unused turf on the OUR Place campus in Sparks into a community edible garden dedicated to organic practices and regenerative gardening techniques.
There’s plenty of agriculture news as well. Ted Borda, co-owner with his sisters of Borda Ranch Lamb, was recognized at the Atlantis Hotel Casino Resort Spa with an Outstanding Agriculturist award for his work with University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources.
In April, the Nevada Department of Agriculture hosted an Agriculture Day at the state legislature. NDA director J.J. Goicoechea said those present discussed food access, the Home Feeds Nevada program, and the upcoming Nevada Meat and Poultry inspection program.
Winter snow and flooding this year were a nightmare for some farmers and ranchers. The NDA is working with the USDA Farm Service Agency to aid farmers who have lost crops, livestock, and structures due to Nevada weather.
In other local ag news, Fallon-based Desert Oasis Teff & Grain has begun exporting its seed-to-shelf products to Mexico. After participating in the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association’s inbound trade mission in November, the company formed relationships with buyers throughout Mexico who now are selling its goods.
TAHOE-TRUCKEE
The 2023 Sample the Sierra event was canceled this year due to the “extremely wet conditions from our record-breaking snow season.” The farm-to-fork festival is an annual late-summer food event in South Lake Tahoe that brings together chefs, restaurants, growers, and producers.
The 2023 Tahoe City Food and Wine Classic, however, continued and celebrated its 17th year with an experience that featured wines and small bites in North Lake Tahoe on June 10.
Truckee Thursdays, the popular seasonal summer street festival in Downtown Truckee, returned on June 22. The final event of the 2023 season will be held on Aug. 10.
Gavin J. Lubben was announced as the new chef de cuisine at Six Peaks Grille at Everline Resort & Spa located in North Lake Tahoe’s Olympic Valley. Previously, Lubben served as sous chef at Miraval Berkshire.
Leaders at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe are in talks to make it a new location for Golden Nugget Hotels and Casinos and give it a remodel. Fertitta Entertainment LLC, which also owns the Chart House chain, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Rainforest Café, and more, expects the deal to close in late 2023 or early 2024.
That’s all for now! Have a fantastic summer, and remember to eat, drink, and buy local!
