When visiting Nevada, dining at one of Nevada’s many restaurants can be as much a part of your vacation itinerary as kayaking on the Truckee River, touring a ghost town, catching the hottest show in Las Vegas or horseback riding in Winnemucca. Nevada offers an amazing variety of dining experiences, from cozy diners to lavish gourmet rooms, so be sure to include food as one of the main attractions of your vacation. Wherever you find yourself in the Silver State, there is sure to be a satisfying and memorable meal waiting.
While it is impossible to describe all of Nevada’s wonderful dining experiences, here are some that are worthy of a visit.
LAS VEGAS
The Best in Fine Dining
Las Vegas has earned its culinary right of passage, offering connoisseurs of superb cuisine the ultimate freedom of choice: the liberty to indulge in the best Italian, French, Japanese, Cajun/Creole, Mexican, Mediterranean, Chinese and Continental fare offered anywhere in the world.
Alex, the upscale French restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas, received a AAA Five Diamond rating in its first year of operation, joining two other Las Vegas restaurants in receiving the top honor for 2006. Bellagio resort-hotel is home to the other two recipients of the coveted award, Picasso and Le Cirque restaurants, both featuring delectable French fare.
Also at the Wynn Las Vegas is Wing Lei, an interesting “fusion” restaurant with French-influenced Shanghai cuisine. Visitors are in for a surprise when they order from the menu that features a unique mix of Cantonese, Shanghai and Szechwan cooking styles.
The MGM Grand Hotel is home to the popular Italian restaurant Fiamma Trattoria. New York restaurateur Stephen Hanson brought the same glamour and excitement to the MGM Grand as diners in Manhattan have come to expect.
Ah Sin at Paris Las Vegas, is an open-air, indoor/outdoor restaurant located directly on the Las Vegas Strip. Ah Sin boasts a tantalizing array of Japanese sushi, Chinese noodle specialties, Thai satay, Korean barbecue and a host of selections inspired by favorite cuisines of the Pacific Rim. Specialty dishes are prepared by expert chefs at action stations surrounding the dining room.
Bay Area chef Bradley Ogden, whose version of classic “farm fresh” American cuisine has earned him national acclaim and a gallery of top culinary awards, opened his first restaurant outside of California, Bradley Ogden, at Caesars Palace.
There are also many steakhouses to visit throughout Las Vegas. Simon’s Kitchen and Bar in the Hard Rock Hotel serves a 20-ounce rib-eye “cowboy steak,” sure to put even the biggest appetites to the test. The new Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace throws a bit of Mexican flare into the menu with dishes like the chili-honey glazed salmon, filet mignon and pan-roasted rabbit.
Besides the growing roster of gourmet restaurants in Las Vegas, numerous theme cafes offer a trendy twist to traditional dining. A few must-see restaurants are ESPN Zone, devoted entirely to sports entertainment; the Hard Rock Café with music memorabilia and an entire wall dedicated to Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll; and the NASCAR Café, which has nearly two dozen authentic NASCAR racing cars on display.
Buffets: What You Want, When You Want
Las Vegas buffets have what you want, when you want, whether it’s American favorites, exotic dishes, champagne brunches, international specialties, or a mixture of all.
The buffet made its Las Vegas culinary debut in the early 1940s at the original El Rancho Vegas Hotel, the first hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Today, buffets remain the most popular dining experience in the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” offering selections in every type of cuisine and price range imaginable. Almost every resort in Las Vegas offers its own special buffet.
The typical buffet features an average of 45 different food selections per meal such as salads, fruits, roast beef, turkey, baked ham, vegetables, and an endless array of desserts. Many Las Vegas buffets offer specialized menus from seafood and steaks to ethnic and exotic dishes. More than 80 percent of visitors to Las Vegas include a trip or two or three through the buffet line as part of their vacation.
RENO/LAKE TAHOE
Resort hotels, with a selection of restaurants under one roof, can offer an array of settings. Menus and prices range from elegant to on-the-go and will fit any appetite. You are sure to find a satisfying meal at any of the major hotel-casinos in “The Biggest Little City in the World.”
The Atlantis’ Oyster Bar on the Sky Terrace is a seafood lover’s paradise. The restaurant offers fresh oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster plus cioppino, jambalaya, and pan roasts and chowders made to order. You can’t miss the views of the Reno area from the Sky Terrace for the restaurant is located over South Virginia Street.
Circus Circus hotel-casino is home to six restaurants sure to please any taste. Art Gecko’s Southwest Grill, a favorite among locals, is known for fun southwest dining next to a lively exhibition kitchen. Art Gecko's features daily lunch and dinner menu offerings served with an artistic flair. Housed inside Art Gecko’s is Kokopelli’s Sushi, Reno’s first sushi bar inside a resort.
Set in a Parisian-style bistro overlooking the Eldorado’s dramatic Fountain of Fortune, Roxy’s Bar and Lounge offers steaks, chops and seafood and scrumptious soufflés, sorbets, cakes and breads created in an exhibition bakery, all with a French country flare. No night out is complete without a visit to Roxy’s bar for live music and one of its 102 martinis or a glass of one of 350 wines. Roxy’s has won the prestigious DiRoNA award and Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence.
Eldorado’s signature restaurant, La Strada, has been named one of the top 10 Italian restaurants in the nation by the American Academy of Restaurant Sciences. La Strada offers an elegant dining experience set in an Italian countryside villa atmosphere with cuisine prepared by chefs from Milan, Italy.
As the first microbrewery in a hotel-casino, The Brew Brothers at the Eldorado boasts eight custom microbrews and a expansive lunch and dinner menu, including gourmet wood-fired pizzas, salads, burgers, ribs, sandwiches, homemade soups and live nightly entertainment. The beer is brewed on the premises and guests can choose from Lady Luck Lager, Eldorado Extra Pale Honey Ale, Redhead Amber Ale, Wild Card Wheat Ale, Big Dog Ale, Gold Dollar Pale Ale, Double Down Stout and a rotating seasonal brew.
Few restaurants have received the international recognition that has become a tradition for the Steak House at Harrah’s Reno hotel-casino. Honored with the DiRoNA Award from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America and the AAA Four Diamond award among its wall of awards, the Steak House is one of only 563 restaurants in North America to receive such distinction.
Originally opened in 1956, the Steakhouse Grill at John Ascuaga’s Nugget hotel casino in Sparks has served more than 3 million steaks. The restaurant boasts a distinctive ambiance and the décor includes vintage furniture. The favorite entrées are filet mignon cooked on a mahogany-fired grill.
The Siena’s contemporary Italian restaurant and bar, Lexie’s, has indoor and outdoor seating to allow for a perfect view of the Truckee River. Menu items include seasonal seafood and sizable portions of organic beef. Lexie’s also offers an expansive wine list, cognac bar and walk-in humidor. The lounge area features classic cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the afternoon and evening with happy hour seven days a week. Below Lexie’s is Enoteca, the Siena’s wine bar and lounge, which serves 75 wines by the glass with a special appetizer menu that includes more than 100 European cheeses.
Guests may tour the vast wine cellar, purchase wines in the retail shop or dine at the Tuscan Table (chef’s table) on a seven-course meal paired with highly allocated wines complete with tasting/pairing discussions led by the executive chef.
Lake Tahoe
Whether it is Incline Village or South Shore, visitors to majestic Lake Tahoe will find outstanding restaurants at either end of the lake.
Situated on the shore of Lake Tahoe at Incline Village, the award-winning Lone Eagle Grill at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe resort is a must-eat restaurant. Decorated in the Old Tahoe style with warm woods, open beams, two massive rock fireplaces and panoramic lake views, the Lone Eagle Grill features a contemporary and traditional lodge-style menu. Sure to tempt your palate are appetizers like crab cakes, smoked salmon and focaccia and entrées that include spit-roasted duck and braised lamb shank.
BASQUE DINING
The Basque people have their roots grounded in the region between Spain and France, but Nevada is their homeland in the American West. Immigrants of the late 19th century left behind family and friends in the provinces of the Pyrenees Mountains or the Cantabrian coast of northwestern Spain and southwestern France and became sheepherders in Nevada.
Hotels sprang up in rural Nevada ranching communities to cater to the sheepherders, who spent long periods of time with their flocks in the mountains and valleys. Hearty meals served family style are still the signature of Basque fare, which includes beef and lamb steaks, homemade soups, salads, beans, spaghetti, bread, Picon punch and red wine, served chilled.
The Basque tradition of excellent food, hospitality and unique atmosphere can be found in any of Nevada’s Basque restaurants. The following is a list of some well-known establishments in Gardnerville, Winnemucca, Elko and Reno.
For decades, Gardnerville’s Overland Hotel has been proudly serving hearty Basque meals on Main Street South. Across the street is another local favorite, the JT Basque Bar & Dining Room, which displays an amazing hat collection in the bar.
In Winnemucca, a western-style town named for a famous Paiute Indian chief, stop by Ormachea’s Dinner House. Entrées include meatballs, pork loin, chicken, leg of lamb, steaks and seafood; with pig’s feet, beef tongue and paella topping the list of specials. Not only will you walk away with a satisfying meal, but maybe with a painting as well. The many pieces of artwork by Basque artists that decorate the walls of the restaurant are offered for sale.
In the heart of downtown, you’ll discover the Winnemucca Hotel, one of the oldest Basque hotels in Nevada. Built in 1863, this historic eatery offers T-bone steak, chorizo, beef stew, paella and spaghetti.
In Reno, Louie’s Basque Corner, recommended by the Frugal Gourmet, is located just blocks from the downtown casinos and has been a popular local eatery since 1967. Waitresses wearing authentic Basque clothing serve specialty dishes including tripe, beef brochette, fried chicken and sweetbread in addition to the traditional favorites. The welcoming atmosphere is reminiscent of northern Spain and southern France, complete with Basque sayings on the walls and pottery from Ciboure.
Elko’s Basque establishments, which line Silver Street, include Biltoki, the Star Hotel and the Nevada Dinner House. Biltoki, meaning “the gathering place” in Basque, offers a variety of delicacies such as bacalao (a salty fish), beef tongue, squid, and pig’s feet. Those with less adventurous tastes can try one of five types of steak, lobster or lamb.
The Star Hotel, a long-time local favorite, has been serving Basque food since its doors opened in 1910. Dinner entrées change daily and include steak, lamb, pork, chicken and fish. The Nevada Dinner House, with its recognizable sign depicting a Basque man drinking from a bota bag, offers the traditional ethnic fare and its dining room features a number of fine Basque paintings.
Elko is also home of the National Basque Festival each Fourth of July holiday weekend, which spotlights Basque food and culture. Each summer in Reno, the aromas of chorizo sandwiches and other delicacies drift from the Reno Basque Festival as participants cook up delicious authentic food and fun. Festival highlights include a dance, barbecue, sporting exhibition, wood chopping races and more.
As you plan your next visit to Nevada, be sure to take advantage of the many tastes and dining experiences awaiting you in the Silver State.