We may not have Who-pudding, or the rare Who-roast-beast, but we have a wide variety of holiday eats, to serve up a fine holiday feast! From Christmas day gourmet dinners to drink specials during the Santa Pub Crawl, Reno has plenty to offer your palate this holiday season.

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino

Starting Christmas morning, the Peppermill will be serving a number of delightful dishes. Dig in at Biscotti’s with their special Christmas buffet, or try the holiday menu at Café Milano – featuring roast Prime Rib or Beef. For an elegant four-course feast, head to Bimini Steakhouse where you can look forward to an eggnog bombe and cranberry gelato for dessert. To see everything the Peppermill has to offer this holiday season, visit PeppermillReno.com.

Grand Sierra Resort & Casino

Satisfy your holiday cravings with delicious gourmet dinner and wine pairings at the “Holiday Feast,” hosted by awarding winning chef Charlie Palmer and Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Start your evening with “his and hers” cocktails followed by a tasteful assortment of Maine Lobster Ravioli, Chuckar Partridge Bread Pudding, Honey Glazed Wild Boar and other mouthwatering dishes. View the complete menu, or visit GrandSierraResort.com for more information.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

From morning to night, the Atlantis has a variety of tasty offerings to fill you up on Christmas day. Toast to a champagne brunch at Toucan Charlie’s Buffet & Gill, or enjoy lunch and dinner specials at Manhattan Deli. If you’re looking for a traditional feast, relish in a 4-course prix fixe dinner special at either the Atlantis Steakhouse or Bistro Napa, or go for the Holiday Gourmet Dinner Buffet in the spectacular Grand Ballroom. For more information on Christmas day dining special at the Atlantis, visit AtlantisCasino.com.

Silver Legacy Resort Casino

Cherish Christmas with friends and family and let the chefs at Silver Legacy do the cooking and dishes! Enjoy a variety of entrees at Silver Baron’s Christmas Day Buffet, filet mignon topped with seared duck foie gras at Sterling’s Seafood Steakhouse, or oven roasted turkey and rosemary lamb chops at Flavors!  Visit SilverLegacyReno.com for more information.

Eldorado Hotel Casino

Take advantage of great dining specials at the Eldorado this holiday season. On Christmas enjoy plentiful helpings of a variety of dishes at The Buffet, fine bistro dining at Roxy featuring roasted Christmas goose, a special pre fixe menue at Tivoli Gardens, or classic soup and salads at The Prime Rib Grill. To view all the holiday specials, visit  EldoradoReno.com.

Circus Circus

While wassailing through downtown Reno on December 10 in your Santa attire, stop by one of the five bars inside Circus Circus and receive great drink specials, including $2 draft beers at Gecko’s Bar. To view all the holiday specials, visit  CircusReno.com.

Written by,

Cody Haener

Don’t sweat over perfecting the candied yams, forgetting to put the turkey in the oven, or arguing with all the “family chefs” over who knows how to make the best stuffing. We know Thanksgiving pressures sometimes raise a little too much family fun. Join the others who decide to toss down the apron and leave the cooking to professionals with these extravagant 3 & 4 –course prix fixe meals. For full buffets, visit Thank Goodness for Thanksgiving Buffets.

ATLANTIS
Please call 775.824.4411 or visit AtlantisCasino.com/Dining for reservations and information

Atlantis Steakhouse
Dinner from 4pm
Thanksgiving Holiday 4-Course Prix Fixe
From $45 Prix Fixe
Reservations Welcome

Bistro Napa
Dinner from 4pm
Thanksgiving 4-Course Prix Fixe
From $45 Prix FixeReservations Welcome

Manhattan Deli
Lunch and Dinner from 11am
3-Course Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
$16.00 per person

Purple Parrot
11am-10pm
Thanksgiving Dinner served
$15.99 per person

SILVER LEGACY
Reservations Recommended

Sterling’s Steakhouse Thanksgiving Menu
Dinner from 4pm
Thanksgiving 4-Course Prix Fixe
$46 per person

PEPPERMILL
Reservations Recommended

Café Milano
11am – 8pm
3-Course Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
$18.95 per guest

Bimini Steakhouse
3pm – 9pm
Thanksgiving 4-Course Prix Fixe
$35.95 per guest, $49.95 with wine pairings

Romanza Ristorante Italiano
3pm – 9pm
Thanksgiving 4-Course Prix Fixe
$35.95 per guest, $49.95 with wine pairings

Oceano
4pm – 9pm
Thanksgiving 4-Course Prix Fixe
$29.95 per guest, $39.95 with wine pairings

JOHN ASCUAGA’S NUGGET

Steak House Grille
3-Course Dinner
3pm-9pm
$34.95 per person

Restaurante Orozko
Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet
1pm-7pm
$29.95 per person

Trader Dick’s
3-Course Dinner
3pm-9pm
$31.95 per person

Rosie’s Café
3-Course Meal
$11.95 per person

WESTERN VILLAGE

Café Bellini
Thanksgiving Dinner
11am – 11pm
$5.75 per guest

Pancho & Willies
3-Course Thanksgiving Dinner
4pm – 9pm
$12.95 per guest

Western Village Steak House
3-Course Thanksgiving Dinner
4pm – 9pm
$24.95 per guest, $34.95 with wine parings

ELDORADO
Contact Casino Reservations at 800-232-5825 or 348-9264

Two seasoned restaurateurs will bring to reality the singular culinary vision of one man when CommRow’s menagerie of eateries and bars, dubbed “TheRow”, opens on October 1. Inspiration for each was found in developer Fernando Leal’s childhood memories of Chicago, passions and world travels, bringing to life a culturally-inspired gastronomic array.

Tony Aiazzi and Xavier Mariezcurrena of Philadelphia’s Workshop Kitchen, a food and beverage development company, assisted with the development of the menus and concepts for “TheRow”. Aiazzi, originally from Reno, returned for this project after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, then working with internationally-renowned Parisian Chefs Alain Senderens and Hélène Darroze, plus Chef Charlie Palmer. Mariezcurrena is an experienced beverage director and sommelier whose expertise was honed while working with such celebrated chefs as Bobby Flay and Bryan Voltaggio.

From tuna tartar to a traditional taco, “TheRow” will have something for everyone, with each eatery offering at least one vegetarian option:

• Qué – Inspired by the specialized flavors and preparation methods of Queretaro, Mexico, Que’s three-bite tacos al carbon and handmade gorditas are stuffed full of fire-roasted salsas, cheeses and roasted meats.
• Da Stand – Featuring classic Italian beef sandwiches made with beef roasted in fresh herbs and spices, locally-baked breads and scratch-made jus. Also offering Italian sausages, fresh giardiniera, sweet peppers and Leal’s childhood favorite, “Dunk Bread”.
• Lemoni – A Mediterranean-inspired grill with heavy Greek influence, offering flaming saganaki, falafel, souvlaki and much more.
• TarTarBar – Sashimi-grade fish, classic tartars, and cevichés, complemented by sparkling wines, sakes and champagne cocktails.
• Twisted – A do-it-yourself dessert bar, featuring soft serves, toppings and candy by the pound.
• Checkout – The only place in town offering La Colombe, an independently-owned coffee company whose free-trade grown and harvested beans will have less than 48-hours between roaster and coffee cup.
• Up – Healthy snacks for powering up in the climbing facility, including fruit smoothies, housemade granolas, fresh veggies and dips.
• Órale – An ode to the agave plant, this tequileria boasts more than one hundred tequilas with a focus on small and artisanal producers. No sour mix will be found in this bar, only seasonal margaritas made from fresh fruits plus a selection of imported Mexican beers.
• Lucky Lane – Celebrating the classic pre-prohibition cocktail bar, this tribute to Reno’s gaming heyday features a wide bourbon and whisky selection, cordials, and classically-made cocktails such as sidecars, gimlets and original daiquiris.
• V15 – This centrally-located bar within CommRow’s BaseCamp climbing facility will offer a full-service bar, wines by the glass and draft beers for guests as they take in vistas from the outdoor patio, or view the action on the indoor boulders.
• Centric – This intimate, cabaret-style, live entertainment venue will feature local performers plus a full bar.

Located adjacent to Downtown Reno’s landmark arch, CommRow will open on October 1^st as the area’s first nonsmoking, nongaming urban adventure destination. In addition to “TheRow”, it will feature a world-class climbing facility, core fitness programming, event space, and two live performance venues. The pet-friendly HANG Hotel, and an “Adventure Deck” providing BMX and skate parks, outdoor bouldering and more are also planned for 2012.

As I read through the reviews on Yelp, there’s definitely a recurring theme for those who have dared to step inside one of the newer international restaurants in Reno. The reviewers write that they were “unsure of what to expect” and “resistant” to the idea of eating at Naan & Kabab etc. Much to everyone’s surprise, it seems, their taste buds were pleased.

Since it’s opening on Valentine’s Day 2009, Naan & Kabab etc. has captured the hearts of its customers – 85% of which are repeat visitors.

Owner Chef Maurice describes his menu as a “journey of flavors” through authentic Mediterranean cuisine, the kind he grew up eating with his family in Tehran. The Mediterranean steak, for example, includes a wide array of flavors like saffron, cinnamon and coffee.

Chef Maurice was born to a Jewish family that had fled Bolshevik Russia and later Azerbaijan. When he was 17, he left for California, taking a job in a roadside steakhouse for 95 cents an hour. The story goes that one day, the hard-drinking head chef was too intoxicated to cook, so Maurice stepped up and prepared a steak and eggs breakfast for one of the most critical customers. Chef Maurice says the customer said it was the best breakfast he’d ever had, leaving a 25 cent tip. ”A 20 percent tip, huge for those days!’ Maurice recalled. ”That’s when I knew cooking was my passion.”

While Chef Maurice’s career took him throughout California, he was no stranger to Reno. He had a vacation home in Reno that he visited several times a year. He had always dreamed of opening his own restaurant, so when he “retired” in 2009 from restaurant operations in Northern California, he opened Naan & Kabab etc. in Reno.

Chef Maurice (always donning his chef hat) is a friendly man who takes much pride in his food, his culture and his establishment. Each night he makes the rounds and greets every one of his customers. He’s filled with colorful stories from his childhood, describing elaborate potluck dinners with the families with whom he shared his apartment building in Tehran.

Chef Maurice boasts healthy, fresh meals with all natural ingredients. Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the menu is the ability to get a delicious, three-course meal for only $8.95! (This offer is available every day from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) The dining room of Naan & Kabab etc. is cozy and friendly, and the staff hasn’t changed since it opened over one year ago.

Check it out for yourself at 2740 S. Virginia St. Reno, Nevada 89502 or take a virtual tour on their Web site. 

Friday and Saturday nights you can enjoy a belly dancing show, and be sure to try their signature dessert, the “Awesome Dude Baklava”; a saffron ice cream with pistachios, vanilla, rose water and pieces of cream topped with baklava chunks.

Gary and Misty Young’s Squeeze In eatery is the talk of the town in Reno, NV and Truckee, CA. This popular breakfast spot has people crossing state lines for a taste of one of Misty’s world-class omelets. Misty’s four-egg omelets are eggstra special and have quirky names like: Racy Tracy, Hot Sweaty Busboy, Katastrophy, Benson Burner and Hot Weed. All of their dishes are packed with farm fresh ingredients and made to order.

Weekdays you can get in without a horrendous wait, but on the weekends, come early, or late, or wait. Loyal customers who frequent the joint are just as die-hard as the chef who owns it!

When Misty decided to throw a Love-In party at her Squeeze In, in Reno, NV, she’s in for a wild ride when Chef Flay crashes and is fired up to go head to head in a classic, all-American Omelet Throwdown! 107 quadrillion omelette possibilities didn’t seem to scare away Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”.  Misty took Flay’s challenge whipping up the Squeeze In’s 300,000th #37 Racy Tracy, the most popular omelette on the Squeeze In menu, packed with avocados and mushrooms sautéed in a white wine sauce and folded in with crisp bacon and Monterey Jack cheese. Flay’s creation is top secret until the program airs, but the Squeeze In has created a tribute omelette dubbed the “Spanish Flay” that debuts on the menu March 4.

Watch the results of this throwdown on the Food Network; March 03 @ 9:30 PM – March 04 @ 12:30 AM – March 14 @ 11:00 PM

Acclaimed baker and teacher Peter Reinhart; author of 8 cook books, winner of 4 James Beard awards on bread and world renowned baking instructor and author from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC, will be visiting Reno for his first time, to teach a class based on his new, best selling book.

The new book, Artisan Breads Every Day, features classic artisian breads, but in an easy to make method using what Reinhart calls his “delayed (refrigerated) fermentation technique,” which process which allows you to make the dough on one day and then use it over an extended period of days at your own convenience.

During this special class he will make 9 different products from four distinct doughs: Lean dough (French bread); multi-purpose sweet dough (3 different types of sticky buns, cinnamon buns, crumb cake, and fruit filled thumb print rolls); braided challah and chocolate-cinnamon babka.

Come hungry as there will be lots of tasting going on.

Where: Nothing To It! Cooking School – 225 Crummer Lane Reno, NV 89502
When: Saturday, March 6 at 10 am
Contact: (775) 826-2628
http://www.nothingtoit.com

The spirit of abbondanza prevails at Briscola, Charlie Palmer’s newest restaurant at Grand Sierra Resort. Under the direction of Executive Chef Dave Holman, small plate offerings, including Parmigiano rice cakes, and hand-cut fresh pastas accompany main course dishes that take a light approach to classical Italian cooking, from grilled lamb chops with eggplant caponata and creamy polenta to crispy barramundi with fennel and tomato stuffing.

Briscola, a traditional Italian card game, inspired the club-like comfortable decor.  A creamy, off-white paint palette softens rustic exposed brick walls, and scattered lighting diffused through linen shades creates a warm, welcoming ambiance. In characteristic Roman-style, the dining room with vaulted ceiling is almost like eating in a wine cave, where an over-sized wooden table used as meat station takes center stage. The fire-truck red replica of a vintage manual Berkel meat slicer guarantees that salume and prosciutto are hand-cut and arranged to order.

Palmer, known for his support of small label wine makers, carries out the la dolce vita theme with a selection of Italian wines as well as California bottlings of grapes with Italian descent.

Bricola’s menu includes Italian favorites at affordable family prices. Pastas start at $7 and entrees at only $15. Kids will love the spaghetti and three-cheese lasagna, while you enjoy a glass of classic Chianti with your Crispy Chicken or Veal Parmesan.

House Specialties:

• Antipasti including a house salad (mixed baby greens and Balsamico), arugula (asparagus, tomato and Parmigianino), caprese burrata, heirloom tomato, basil and 18-year Balsamico and Caesar (romaine, marinated tomatoes and white anchovies).
• Hand-cut fresh Pasta dishes include pappardelle (braised rabbit and apricots), chitarra (shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams glazed in a spicy lobster broth) and fettuccini.
• Main Course options take a light approach to classical Italian cooking, like grilled lamb chops (eggplant caponata and creamy polenta), crispy barramundi (fennel and tomato stuffing) and a Florentine-style sirloin.

Hours:
Dinner
Sunday to Thursday: 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Friday to Saturday: 5:30pm to 10:30pm

Lounge
Monday to Sunday: 5:00pm to 12:00am

Phone: 775.789.2456
Reservations: OpenTable.com (recommended)

Video: Pasta Making in Briscola’s Kitchen
Briscola sous chef Rocky Woods demonstrates fresh pasta making techniques

Legendary master noodle chef Yongdong Wu will display his culinary flair and gourmet expertise at the Carvings Buffet inside Harrah’s Reno, Oct. 15-17.  Chef Wu will demonstrate ancient techniques of Chinese hand-pulled noodle making for all patrons who dine in the buffet.

The performance will be a feast for the eyes as Chef Wu’s one of a kind style is second to none. Signature noodle dishes, prepared by chef Wu, will be offered in the buffet only on these special nights.

• What: Master Noodle Chef Yongdong Wu
• Where: Carvings Buffet at Harrah’s Reno
• When: Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct.16 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Oct.17 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Demonstrations will occurevery half hour during these hours.
• Web: HarrahsReno.com

Chef Wu’s talent will be on display at no additional charge for all guests who purchase a buffet meal.  The Carvings Buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Friday lunch is $10.99 for adults and $6.99 for children.  Saturday champagne Brunch is $12.99 for adults and $6.99 for children.  Thursday dinner is $15.99 for adults and $8.99 for children.  Friday steak and seafood dinner is $20.99 for adults and 10.99 for children.