Welcome to Nevada’s oldest hotel.
If you need a reason to renew your love of Nevada’s beauty, I suggest taking the winding route up Geiger Grade toward Virginia City. The colors of the hills, the roaming wild horses, and the views across the valley are awe-inspiring. Follow it a little farther, through Virginia City to Gold Hill, and you’ll reach the Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon and its Crown Point Restaurant. Here, scenic splendor confronts Nevada’s unique past.
Hotel with History
This isn’t your average stopping place but one with the distinction of being Nevada’s oldest hotel. Founded as the Riesen House in 1861, it was a single-story building made of stone and brick. If you let your imagination roam (or have a few too many drinks), you may imagine Mark Twain warming himself by the impressive fireplace. Horace M. Vesey acquired the property in late 1862 and added his name and a wooden structure to the south.
As the town of Gold Hill grew, so did the popularity of the hotel. It served as a center for Comstock social events, such as an elaborate cotillion in 1863. At Thanksgiving, Vesey furnished turkeys, ducks, and other luxury game. The hotel was so significant that nearby jewelers, doctors, and a watchmaker used it as a reference point in advertisements. In true Western style, there also were shootings, murders, and floods. The hotel even was pressed into service as a makeshift hospital after the April 7, 1869, fire at the Yellow Jacket Mine.
In 1866, an article in the Gold Hill Daily News reported, “The bar has been fitted and furnished with the choice supply of wines and liquors … the eating department is kept by Mr. John Russell, where meals can be had at all hours as cheap as the cheapest … the table will be furnished with all the luxury the market affords.” Room and board cost $10 a week, or $8 for board only.
Over the next century, the hotel changed hands several times and was even a private residence at least twice.
At Last, a Name
A funny thing happened on the way to writing this column: I came across a review that I wrote for the Reno Gazette-Journal in August 1992. Bill Fain and Carol DeKalb had acquired the hotel property in 1983 and breathed new life into it. They made substantial improvements, including an addition with eight hotel rooms and a bar. They also created a new restaurant and dubbed it Crown Point, after the nearby silver and gold mine.
Elevating food service was part of the plan. Fain and DeKalb brought French cuisine to the Comstock and created ambience with period furniture and linen tablecloths. They liked to describe the vibe as comfortably elegant. The restaurant featured gourmet French and Cajun cuisine, inspired by Culinary Institute-trained chef Geoffrey Cousineau. He created Thursday night international dinners, with menus ranging from North African to Hungarian to Canadian cuisines. A New Year’s Eve dinner included pheasant, poached Dover sole, shrimp bisque, and a choice of either beef Wellington or grilled salmon.
New Life
In 2011, after 25 years, Fain and DeKalb retired and sold the business to the Comstock Mining Co. Current owners Tony and Jill Clough took over in 2021 and brought new enthusiasm with them.
Old buildings need constant upkeep, and Crown Point was fortunate to be chosen as one of 50 nationwide eateries for the 2023 Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program. Crown Point is the only Nevada restaurant to receive this grant. Funded by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Cloughs received $50,000 to ensure the restaurant’s legacy endures. The Cloughs used the grant to repair the beautiful stone exterior, a historic wagon, and other improvements. The popular Thursday night Lecture Series continues, and there are ghost tours at the hotel. A Monday Miner’s Night offers attractive pricing to draw in locals as well as tourists.
On a recent Sunday visit, the place was buzzing. A historic reenactment group was happily eating lunch. Preparations were under way for an evening wine dinner, with a promotional theme of “Let’s party like its 1899!” The menu will feature items that were considered delicacies for the period.
After 163 years, as a rooming house, private residence, bar, and even periods of disuse, Gold Hill Hotel once again is the jewel in the crown of the Comstock.
Cajun Shrimp and Smoked Sausage
This recipe is from 1988, when chef Geoffrey Cousineau brought his Culinary Institute skills to the Comstock. This was his winning appetizer selection.
8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound kielbasa sausage
8 large mushrooms, quartered
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Chef Geoff’s Cajun Seasoning (recipe below)
In large sauté pan, add wine, sausage (cut into same size pieces as the mushrooms), mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Sauté, reducing liquid until dry. Add heavy cream and shrimp. Reduce liquid over medium heat for 10 minutes. Dish onto four plates and top with onions.
For Chef Geoff’s Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, white pepper
¼ teaspoon each: cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, chili powder, gumbo file, salt
Put spices in a mortar and grind with the pestle. Store in a jar.
