Sorghum Beer
Will work for gluten-free beer Researchers’ attention turns to sorghum for brewing. Bread, cereal, spaghetti, snack bars. What do these food items have in common? Grain, which typically constitutes a nightmare for gluten-sensitive eaters. Thankfully, modern food scientists have discovered many gluten-free substitutes that commonly have a base of sorghum, a naturally gluten-free variety of […]
Plant Power
More people than ever are packing their diets with plants — and you can, too. It’s the lunch rush at Sprouts Natural Foods Café in South Lake Tahoe, and the kitchen is churning out freshly squeezed juices, tempeh burgers, and veggie-filled rice bowls. This year marks the beloved eatery’s 30th year in business — a […]
Making a Splash
Good food, fish, and family give this riverside restaurant a loyal following. In Alaska, the ocean is an unforgiving place, especially when storms rage with winds clocking 100 miles per hour. That did not deter Jonathan Smee, owner of Smee’s Alaskan Fish Bar in Downtown Reno, from moving to Alaska right out of college in […]
Perfectly Plated
Ceramic dinnerware that complements every meal. They say you eat with your eyes. So if a recipe is best when it’s homemade and perfectly presented, then isn’t the serving dish itself best handmade, too? In the Reno-Tahoe area, there’s an ample supply of potters with this philosophy, creating beautiful dinnerware and teaching classes to those […]
Meet Your Farmers
Local artisans craft beautiful, handmade objects from natural materials. Lovely, cozy still-lifes surround us this time of year: bowls filled with root vegetables and sturdy knives that will turn them into soups; baskets of bread serving as centerpieces on our holiday tables; and comfy blankets awaiting cuddles before roaring fireplaces. While the Reno-Tahoe area’s food […]
Courageous Confections
Cookies for Kindness helps locals in need. Thomas Hill will do anything to brighten the day for those in The Biggest Little City who are elderly, experiencing homelessness, or have disabilities. Hill, owner and baker of Cookies for Kindness, started his business with the intention of giving sweet treats to the needy — though he […]
Food in the Time of Corona
Reno-Tahoe culinary community employs many tools to survive the crisis. Shutdown. Shelter in place. Social distancing. Surely, we all would be happy never to hear those phrases again. And for owners and employees of local restaurants, that goes a hundred-fold. Let’s face it: Nothing could be more counterintuitive for an industry that thrives on the […]
Dulce Delights
Discover authentic Mexican sweet treats at your local panaderia. Most bakeries follow a common daily routine: Bakers arrive in the early hours of the morning to craft delicious dough of all different sorts. While the goodies bake, a fragrant aroma wafts out the doors into the dim early morning light, and just as warm treats […]
Hot Tamale
A timeless tradition’s local roots. Bertha Miranda, 78, opened her namesake Mexican restaurant and cantina in Reno 36 years ago, featuring culinary delights steeped in the traditions of her family’s Mexican heritage. One of her favorite childhood dishes that patrons can find on the menu every day is tamales, made exactly the way Miranda remembers […]
Home Vines
Northern Nevada residents embrace the climate by creating backyard vineyards. Close your eyes and think of two words: Northern Nevada. Do lush green vines loaded with wine grapes surrounding a gurgling fountain come to mind? Probably not. But they should. Since the early 2000s, an explosion of small to large vineyard plantings has taken place […]