Who’s Hungry?
A roundup of new spots showing up on the Reno-Tahoe dining scene.
Summer is about relaxing, so let someone else do the cooking and sample some of the region’s new restaurants, breweries and bars. From clever concepts to extreme attention to detail, these establishments are a sign that the area’s dining scene is on the upswing with some passionate visionaries stepping in to meet the demand for quality fare. Here’s a look at some eateries to entertain your palate.
FOURK KITCHEN – RENO & FOLSOM
After a long day of making decisions, sometimes it’s nice to sit down to a meal that you don’t have to think about. Lincoln, Calif.-born Fourk Kitchen, with new locations in Reno and Folsom, brilliantly crafts prix-fixe menus meant for any old night. Chef owner Paul Jansen applies his business background and military career efficiency to one seating per night, where approximately 30 diners are served four courses that rotate monthly for $54 per person. Summer dishes include parmesan black pepper panna cotta, chicken katsu curry, steak and roasted potatoes with chimichurri and s’mores brownies. The team regularly gets together at Jansen’s home to present and vote on new dishes over Bloody Marys. Portions are kept in check, so guests don’t regret the uncomfortable mistake of overindulging at a multicourse meal. “We don’t want people rolling out of our places without being able to eat another bite. The theory is for them to want another bite and to return again and again,” he said.
THE DOG AND BEAR NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN – TAHOMA
Chef Quinten Frye has cooked in some of the nation’s most impressive kitchens from Tyson Cole’s original Uchi in Austin to his own SALT in Honolulu, for which he became a James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist. He and his wife Kristin Scharrer now run their new Dog and Bear Neighborhood Tavern in Tahoma. They excel in pizza, but visitors can expect a whole new vibe and culinary experience from the pizzeria that previously inhabited the space, including a completely remodeled modern mountain look with reclaimed barn wood and old-timey photos. “Pizzas make up 80 percent of orders, so our Baker’s Pride oven is our most prized possession,” he said, recommending the Coppa with fontina, mozzarella and lemon oil-tossed arugula. “Coppa is one of my favorite cuts of charcuterie, and it’s underutilized.” Lamb and pork meatballs are another hit. It’s important to Frye that the restaurant isn’t pigeonholed as Italian, so he serves them Spanish-style in a charred sofrito spiced with cumin and caraway seeds. A wine and dine series show off more of his adventurous side.
TAHOE NATIONAL BREWING COMPANY – TAHOE CITY
David Renkert’s path has come full circle in a way. After growing up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm and attending culinary school, he wound up with a desk job at a software company until a visit to an Oakland brewery rekindled his appreciation for working with his hands. “It reminded me of a dairy operation,” said Renkert, who went from never having dreamed of making beer to home brewing to founding Tahoe National Brewing Company in Tahoe City. Beer enthusiasts find a kindred spirit in his quest for variety such as a Belgian-style dubbel or a 3.5-percent alcohol Berliner Weisse, which he suggests topping with limoncello or Chambord on a hot day. Their IPAs bring something bright and new to the table with Japanese style yuzu. They’re all great to sip on the deck overlooking the lake while munching on a soft pretzel or deep-dish pizza. Gem lettuce Caesar salads and farro bowls represent lighter fare. Renkert plans to launch brunch for football season, among many passion projects. “I’d like to recreate my mom’s homemade tomato juice for the best bloodies ever,” he said.
MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ – TAHOE CITY
Also new to Tahoe City is Mediterranean Café. Situated in the spot formerly known as Za’s (behind Pete ‘n Peter’s), this welcome addition to the North Tahoe food scene opened in January. Imagined by Jon Ganea, originally from Romania, and his wife, Kelly Keleher, the couple saw a niche for more quick and healthy dining options. The menu offers signature dishes such as shawarma and gyros, but there are also vegan and vegetarian items like falafel and polenta. Save room for specialty Romanian cookies. “Affordable, fresh, different—it is a Mediterranean café, but it has a lot of influences of my home,” Ganea said.
THE COTTONWOOD – TRUCKEE
Before they opened Truckee Tavern and Como, Ryan Dierks and Chris St. Martin bartended at the Cottonwood. It was a local hangout back then in the aughts, where patrons’ preferred drinks were poured before they got halfway to the bar. As the Cottonwood’s new owners, they hope to reestablish that “Cheers” warmth and update the food and beverage side without losing the historic ski lodge setting’s classic appeal. “Nothing gathers our community faster than an outdoor patio,” said Dierks, of adding a beer garden with bocce courts, cornhole and picnic tables. “Locals love that they can just show up with their kids and dogs, no reservations required.” Overlooking Downtown Truckee, the inside dining room is geared more to date nights and special occasions, while the bar area offers a casual setting for enjoying their signature craft cocktails. Truckee Tavern executive chef Josh Dinsmore consulted on the menu’s new items like homemade pastas and tweaked mainstays, such as family-style Caesar salad and chops. Their former boss’s famous Frenchie margarita also remains but with ingredient upgrades like Mandarine Napoléon cognac and a cardamom and orange salted rim.
RMU – TRUCKEE
With concept stores in Breckenridge, Colorado, and Whistler, Canada, Truckee is the newest home to RMU, a full retail and tune shop complemented by a bar, restaurant, and outdoor patio with live music. An idea that organically stemmed from a group of guys making skis for the cost of a 30-pack of beer has evolved into a lifestyle brand where food, drinks and music are married with outdoor gear and services. Located in the historic Kruger-White House on Donner Pass Road, they bring a feel-good vibe to the community. “As a positive impact company, we are thrilled to be joining the Truckee community where we can help employ the local workforce, offer employee housing, and work with nonprofit organizations to increase awareness and support the causes we and the town believe in,” said RMU CEO Mike Waesche.
LA CONDESA EATERY – RENO
The newest addition to Reno’s budding foodie scene is La Condesa Eatery. Situated in the previous Plaza Maya location on Wells Avenue, it presents an inventive fusion of Spanish, Korean and Italian influences. Spanish-inspired décor and an open kitchen set the stage for a menu that spans the globe. From small plates like Korean pork belly hot buns and mushroom paella to larger dishes, such as pastas, burgers and tacos, everything offers a unique twist and a focus on seasonal ingredients and trending flavors. Equally unique cocktails include the kalimotxo, a Basque-inspired mixture of Coca-Cola and red wine.
MORE DINING NEWS
Private residential community Clear Creek Tahoe expanded its dining outlets with a design-heavy, 20,000-square-foot clubhouse. The bar’s large metal pinecone hails from its historic Schneider Ranch, while the restaurant’s private dining room is enveloped by a custom wine rack of 1,800 bottles. The round-the-world menu touches on Greek, Italian, Hawaiian and Mexican cuisines, while steakhouse favorites and vegetarian fare like wild mushroom tartare bolster the menu.
Truckee-based FiftyFifty Brewing Company tapped Maui Brewing Company’s former lead brewer Dana Fleming for its Reno expansion. Fleming is pumped about its set of foeders (really big barrels) to age a year-round, imperial stout and lighter beers made with local fruit. The new location is set to open in Reno Public Market Food Hall sometime this year.
After debuting the Cocktail Corner in South Lake Tahoe last year, AleWorX founder Luca Genasci is back at it again. He carved out a niche for the Bistro at the Corner for elegant dining amid brushed steel, marble and leather. Comfort food meets class through executive chef Jimi Nakamatsu’s creative burger loaded with seared foie gras and gorgonzola cheese and drizzled with cabernet demi-glace.
In case you missed it, San Francisco’s Great Gold relocated to Truckee’s Pioneer Commerce Center during COVID-19. Chef restaurateur Brandon Kirksey, flour + water’s former chef de cuisine, sources flour milled at Early Bird Farm for exquisite handmade pastas such as the beet and goat cheese ravioli. Pair them with wine from the restaurant’s mainly Italian selection. Their unique selection of pizzas helps fill the demand for take-out in Truckee.
On the heels of Pizzeria Lupo coming to town last year, the Biggest Little City welcomed newcomer R Town Pizza to Reno’s Detroit-style pizza (DPS) scene. According to Michigan.org, this style of pie descends from Sicilian pizza. The secret to its signature chewy, firmer-edged crust involves the combination of a thick, cast-iron skillet-like pan, a special dry-baked dough treatment and Wisconsin-style brick cheese. In addition to the adventurous pizza selection, the menu includes grinders, wings, poppers, garlic cheese bread and salads. Wash it all down with a limited beer and wine selection.
Under new ownership, Reno’s Midtown Wine Bar received an elegant facelift and a name change. Now called Midtown Spirits, Wine & Bites, the swank “ultra-lounge” serves small plates and craft cocktails and beers, as well as hosts monthly live music. Kudos to new owners Anthony Layton-Matthews and Amanda Flangas.
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