Keeping you informed of Reno-Tahoe’s local food-and-drink news.
Cheers to the end of the year and a final collection of 2023 updates from our local food-and-drink scene. This edition is filled with good news from our industry friends, from television appearances to awards bestowed upon some of our best breweries. Ready to learn more? Raise a glass to toast these local triumphs.
Openings
There always seem to be more new places to try in Reno and beyond. We’ll start with the long-awaited Tahoe Natural Café, which opened in August on Veterans Parkway in South Reno. The fast-casual breakfast and lunch spot specializes in health foods, whole ingredients, and options for those with dietary restrictions. It is the second location of the eatery from owner Tyler Cannon, who opened Sprouts Natural Foods Café in 1990 in South Lake Tahoe. He changed the name for the Reno outpost to avoid confusion with the Sprouts grocery store less than two miles away.
Nick the Greek celebrated the opening of the fast-casual Greek chain’s first Northern Nevada location on Aug. 29 with free lunch entrées for guests. There are more than 100 locations of Nick the Greek across the country, but the Reno outpost (in the old Baja Fresh location on Kietzke Lane) is locally owned by University of Nevada, Reno graduate Bridger Johnson.
Friends Dinner Club is a meal service company offering customer pickup or home delivery of restaurant-grade meal kits. Former kits have included pasta Bolognese, barbecued pork ribs, and carnitas tacos. Order kits at Friendsdinnerclub.com. Pickup is available at Archive Wine + Beer on West Street.
Frost Giant Creamery began taking orders on Aug. 7. The small-batch ice cream shop on Moana Lane in Reno sells a handful of flavors each week, available by the pint through online order and during select pickup times, while supplies last. The focus is on simple ingredients such as cream and sugar, with fewer fillers and additives. The flavors change every week and are announced on the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
The Basement in Downtown Reno got a new tenant. Papa What You Cooking serves New Orleans-style soul food and desserts. William Lyons is behind the new restaurant, having switched gears after retiring from a 25-year career as an investigator with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. The menu includes everything from sweet potato pie and pound cake to fried bologna sandwiches, toasted peanut butter and jelly, and shrimp and grits, all served at affordable prices.
Lo-Bar Social opened in April in the former Matador bar space, which was previously St. James Infirmary. The new bar on California Avenue in Midtown Reno includes a rooftop space, comes from the team behind Blind Dog Tavern, and features creative cocktails.
Kevin Futamachi is best known around town as a pastry chef, offering his skills to several area businesses over the years, including Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel and Spa. He’s also appeared routinely on Food Network, most recently on season three of Spring Baking Championship. He was eliminated in episode five and took fourth place overall. In the summer, he opened his own baking business, Sweet Escapes Bakes LLC, offering goods for both casual and formal events.
Abril Garcia, with her husband, Franco Morales, opened La Tapatia Ice Cream Shop off Winnie Lane in Carson City on Aug. 26. The shop sells ice pops similar to those Garcia remembers enjoying while growing up in Guadalajara, along with homemade ice cream and aguas frescas.
Changing Hands
The owners of Boyle MacDonald Wines in Murphys, Calif., recently purchased Nevada Sunset Winery from Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman. Kate MacDonald says she and her husband/business-partner Craig, who moved to Reno two years ago, will continue to make and sell the wines they have become known for, as well as new vinos from their repertoire, under the Nevada Sunset name. This year, they have started with UNR grapes, but they plan to be fully operational in 2024, creating everything on site.
With 25 years of experience in the wine industry, Kate says they are excited to operate both brands simultaneously. It will all happen in the tasting room on East Fourth Street in Reno, in a space shared with Great Basin Winery and next door to Lead Dog Brewing.
Zach Cannady and Kasey Crispin sold Prema Farm, which they opened in 2016, to another couple, Courtney O’Neill and David Longo. The certified organic farmstead is located 12 miles north of Reno. The previous owners are moving to Hawaii and wanted to find a dedicated family to take over the venture. Crispin also will find a replacement to take over her duties as director of Riverside Farmers Market, which is under the umbrella of Local Food Network.
In the News
Our neighbors have collected an impressive number of accolades recently.
Stellar Snacks is known for its flavorful pretzel twists served in snack-size bags and distributed from the company’s headquarters in Carson City. The brand recently received the North American Agricultural Marketer of the Year award from the Nevada Department of Agriculture and North American Agricultural Marketing Officials.
Mother-and-daughter partners Elisabeth and Gina Galvin are behind the brand, making Stellar the only woman-owned pretzel manufacturer in the western United States.
Over the summer, DOPO Pizza & Pasta began operating seven days a week, up from four days. The decision was made in conjunction with the hiring of executive chef Adam Bronson.
UNR is getting a leg up in sustainability after it was awarded a $650,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture and its National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The money is a cash prize, representing one of seven Meat and Poultry Processing Agriculture Workforce Training awards. The money will be used within the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources to enhance harvesting and processing training programs in the meat and poultry industry.
Chef Jacob Burton stepped down from his duties at the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel and Spa. His executive sous chef, Sean Munshaw, is taking over as executive chef. And the new food and beverage director is Mylan Schmidt, who previously was operating partner at PublicUs neighborhood restaurant and coffee bar, executive chef at 595 Craft and Kitchen, and director of operations and culinary director at Off The Strip Bistro & Bar at The LINQ, all in Las Vegas.
Lead Dog Brewing took home gold for its Fade to Orange brew in the American Berry/Fruit Beer category at the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship in Oxford, Ohio. Also honored, Shoe Tree Brewing Co. received gold for its Coco Burrito in the Specialty/Anything Goes category, and Great Basin Brewing Co. was awarded bronze for its famous Icky IPA in the English India Pale Ale category.
L.A. Bakery Café & Eatery, the popular Carson City breakfast and lunch restaurant, is expanding in a whole new way. With their eyes on locations throughout the Western states, owners Ali Arbabha and Leila Tavakoli are inviting others to share in their culinary vision by becoming franchisees. Interested in owning your own slice of L.A. Bakery? For details, visit Labakeryfranchising.com.
Great Basin Community Food Co-op is getting a makeover. Construction is underway on an outdoor patio at the Foodshed Café, which is upstairs.
Larry’s Great Western Meats in Las Vegas has joined the Home Feeds Nevada program, in which a collection of local food producers provide their products to local food banks; donations are made throughout the state, including both Northern Nevada and Las Vegas. As part of the efforts, Wolf Pack Meats routinely provides 20,000 pounds per month to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Larry’s Great Western Meats recently matched that donation and gave 20,000 pounds of ground beef to Three Square food bank in Las Vegas.
If you’re headed on a cruise, you may be able to get a taste of home while visiting Panama or Colombia. Felicia Keith-Jones, owner of High Mark Distillery in Reno, announced on Aug. 25 that her products will be available on select stores’ shelves in popular cruise ship towns in that Central and South American region.
Brittany Mally will serve as the Division of Food and Nutrition’s deputy administrator for the NDA, the organization announced in August. She will be serving with Patricia Hoppe, who took over as division administrator in May. It’s not the first time Mally has worked for the NDA. She first began her career in 2015 in school nutrition and returned in 2021 as the NDA’s school nutrition supervisor.
Reno’s own Jonathan Chapin appeared on episode five of Food Network’s new show, Battle of the Decades, hosted by Jonathan Bennett. The series kicked off on Aug. 16, pitting chefs from different generations against each other in a pop-culture-influenced cooking competition. Chapin created a macadamia-coffee-crusted salmon with pineapple rice, charred sake-braised Napa cabbage, fried mango, and Thai chili butter sauce. Since his episode represented the year 1984, he had to incorporate Wheaties, Fruit Roll-Ups, and Nescafe Taster’s Choice instant coffee into the dish. And he had to use an Easy-Bake Oven to cook it. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the first round when the person he was paired up with didn’t practice any dishes and forgot her knife bag. Chapin said he was told he would be asked back to future shows.
This summer, Bonanza Casino celebrated its 50th anniversary. In addition to owning this resort, the Sheltra family is well known for its philanthropic pursuits, including support of local events, education including scholarships, and Wolf Pack athletics.
South 40 is adding more games for adults. The South Reno arcade-meets-restaurant will feature gaming machines in the business’ back-room area, called The Backyard.
Farewells and Closures
It was with heavy hearts that we recently said goodbye to these powerhouses.
Virginia Jean Johnson died from mesothelioma and congestive heart failure on Aug. 2 at the age of 88. A resident of Silver Springs, she was well-known in the community for her dedication to nonprofits, her artistic endeavors, and her passion for organic farming. Her gardening efforts were on display at Custom Gardens Organic Farm, the oldest organic farm in Nevada. Virginia had a passion for gardening and worked with the NDA to spearhead the state’s certified organic program. Through direct sales at the farm, local farmers’ markets, and mail order, she and her husband, Raymond E. Johnson, supplied local and national customers with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, as well as Hawaiian baby ginger, turmeric, and garlic.
Oliver X, former marketing director of Artown, producer of X Fest, founder of now-defunct Reno-Tahoe Tonight magazine, and a huge supporter of the local arts community, died on Aug. 13 after suffering a massive stroke. A celebration of his life took place on Sept. 10 at the Reno City Plaza by the Believe sculpture.
Dr. Stanley Omaye, 78, was both a longtime faculty member at UNR and researcher focused on subjects related to food and nutrition. He authored or co-authored more than 300 published works for scientific journals, books, book chapters, and technical reports. His research reflected his interests in food, nutrition, and agriculture. Recent projects included evaluating antioxidants in types of food, soil enhancement for better vegetable growth, safe and effective food handling and education for caregivers, and urban hydroponic fruit and vegetable production. He died on Aug. 25 from complications related to Covid. After Omaye’s death, UNR provost and executive vice president Jeff Thompson recognized him as an emeritus faculty member.
We also said farewell to a couple businesses recently. On Aug. 25, Haley Moseley and Jessie Henderson announced the closure of their grilled cheese shop, GourMelt, in Sparks, citing a desire to dedicate their time to their other business, Two Chicks, with two locations in Reno. GourMelt began as a food truck in 2011 before opening in a permanent location in 2016. Not all is lost for those who fell in love with the cheesy menu; the duo will continue to serve some of those beloved grilled goodies at both Two Chicks locations.
Many saw the bankruptcy notices flanking the windows at Wonder Aleworks on South Virginia Street. After about two years in business, the Midtown brewery closed, but a new owner already is turning the space around, and his is a familiar name to Tahoe residents.
Ray Villaman is best known as president and CEO of Tahoe Restaurant Group, which operates Rubicon Pizza at Northstar California and Base Camp Pizza in South Lake Tahoe. Villaman has opened more than 200 restaurants throughout his career. The new concept will be a brewpub offering simple pub fare, under the name Reno Brewing, for which Villaman recently secured the rights.
Over the Hill
Just a hop, skip, and jump away, Tahoe and Truckee are brimming with their own food-and-drink news.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in South Lake Tahoe sold for $277 million to the owners of the Houston Rockets. Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe Hotel will open in its place. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the sale on Aug. 24. Tilman Joseph Fertitta, who owns Fertitta Entertainment, Golden Nugget’s parent company, says the team is planning a complete remodel that could take two years to finish and should result in several new restaurants on Stateline’s main stretch.
Lucas Curcio has taken over as the new director of food and beverage at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa, and Casino in Incline Village. Curcio previously worked at Christophe Harbour in St. Kitts and was the executive chef for Park Hyatt Jakarta in Indonesia. Originally from Argentina, Curcio brings international experience to the property.
As news of Jimmy Buffet’s death spread around the world in September, details of a brand expansion into South Lake Tahoe also was hitting papers. Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe is taking over the space that once was Embassy Suites and the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. The multimillion-dollar remodel and reimagining of South Lake Tahoe’s only all-suite resort has been circulating since July, and, if all goes according to plan, the brand’s first ski-destination resort will debut this winter.
Craft & Logic Taproom in Truckee opened in July. This bottle shop and taproom focuses on craft beer and local art. Plus, the space is family friendly, with fun snacks available, such as kimchi deviled eggs, beer cheese fondue, and other pub favorites. In all, there are 30 rotating taps featuring beers from all around the country.
Longtime Incline Village establishments The Local bar, open 10 years, and Fredrick’s Fusion Bistro, open 15 years, were uprooted. Rumor has it the landlord kicked both businesses out of Incline Plaza, at 907 Tahoe Blvd. The Local’s proprietors, two of the partners who own The Kitchen Table in Reno (see our Chef’s Table story in this issue), said they will not reopen. Word is that the owner of Frederick’s is looking for a new location.
That’s all for now, but as usual, we know there will be more. We’re awaiting winter openings and other celebrations throughout Northern Nevada and the Sierra. Until next time!
