Reno-Tahoe

Sterling’s Seafood Steakhouse at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino presents a Ferrari-Carano Jazz Dinner featuring music from CeCe Gable on Thursday, July 9 at 6 p.m.

Chef Neil Campbell will pair the five-course meal with selections from Ferrari-Carano vineyards. The inclusive meal is $99 per person.

The first course is a Lollipop Colorado Lamb Chop surrounded in blueberry, a balsamic butter sauce (PreVail, West Face, ’04.) The second course is a Chilled Leek, Chive and Potato with English Clotted Cream (Fume Blanc, ’06,) followed by a Butter Lettuce and Double Cream Roquefort Cheese Salad (Alexander Valley, Chardonnay ’06.)

For the main course, guests will enjoy a Filet of Fresh Chilean Sea Bass with Lobster Crust, Butternut Squash Risotto and Caviar Sauce (Tre Terre, Chardonnay. ’06.)

Dessert is an Apricot Chocolate Ganache, Almond Pecan Nougatin and Chocolate Mascarpone Cream in a Hazelnut Sweet Dough Shell (Eldorado Noir, ’06.)

For reservations, guests can call Silver Legacy at (775) 329-4777.

Reno-Tahoe knows how to throw a party, and one of the biggest excuses of the year is Halloween. Here’s a breakdown of some the region’s Halloween events. If you know of an event not listed here, please submit in the comment section:

• Magic Underground: Through Oct. 31 Famous magician couple Kalin and Jinger will present a special Halloween show at the Magic Underground in Reno.
• Halloween Hallow: Downtown Reno merchants put on this annual event, with fun for the kids, candy and entertainment.
• Ghost Night: Bring the kids to historic Virginia City for “Ghost Night,” with a parade, costume contests and other haunted happenings.
• Trick or Treat in the Streets: Oct. 31 from 5-8 p.m. at the National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno.
• Trick or Treat Street: Oct. 31 from 4-7 p.m. at Circus Circus in Reno.
• The Reno Zombie Crawl: Bring your best zombie outfit and hit several downtown Reno hot spots the evening of Oct. 31.
• Halloween Skin and Scare Ball: Oct. 31- Nov. 1 at Edge nightclub, or hit Cal Neva, Gold Dust West, Harrah’s Reno or the Peppermill Reno for one of several local parties.
• Halloween Monster Mash: Oct. 31 at Pearl Champagne Lounge at the Grand Sierra Resort.
• 11th Annual Freakers’ Ball: Oct. 31 at Bruka Theatre in Downtown Reno.
• Freaks of Fashion – Circus of Wonders: Oct. 31, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. – features live music by Keyser Soze, fashion by Haute Trash, drink specials and a costume contest.
• Night at the Mansion: Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at 10 p.m. at BuBinga Lounge at the Eldorado Hotel Casino.

Artown, one of the premier arts festivals in the west, is on its way to a banner year with great opening acts at the beginning of July, with more than 300 performances, many of them free, planned throughout the month.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band brought the flavor of New Orleans to Wingfield Park on July 2 with a free concert that had the crowd dancing, clapping and be-bopping along. The smoky skies cleared out just long enough to let the Northern Nevada sun shine down on the venue, while the band played some new stuff along with the jazz standards for which Preservation Hall is famous.

Every day for the duration of the Artown festival, there are options for every taste, from dance and art, to music and theater. Check online to see a full schedule of events, and if you haven’t experienced Reno during Artown, come and find out what you have been missing.

Reno-Tahoe turns red, white and blue in July, with Fourth of July events for the whole family.

Come hang out at Star-Spangled Sparks for a taste of hometown patriotism with a milk carton boat regatta, a fun run, a kite-flying contest, and food and drink at the Sparks Marina. The event is capped off with a spectacular evening fireworks display at Victorian Square.

Reno shows its true colors with a Fourth of July parade followed by the Reno Celebrates America fireworks show at Rancho San Rafael Park.

Other Fourth of July festivities:

• Incline Village: Red, White, and Tahoe Blue with the Reno Philharmonic
• Tahoe City: 62nd Annual Fourth of July Fireworks at Commons Beach
• South Lake Tahoe: Star Spangled Fourth – Lights on the Lake

“The Tahoe Adventure Film Festival is different than any other film festival in the world. This is no stuffy film festival. This fun high-energy festival will fuel your passion for action, and ignite your senses for adventure. We highlight the best adventure sports films of the year. Most of the films are edited for this festival’s fast pace format. Our festival is exciting and entertaining on and off the screen, off the screen guest speakers, action photo displays, break-dancers, DJs, and a few surprises, on the screen the best action/adventure films of the year.”

“Directly following the Main Event of the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, film attendees are invited to party with friends, fellow film goers, the athletes, and film makers. Festival attendees with their FULL PASS ticket stubs will be admitted to the Party at no charge. The Party is the Festival’s way of saying thank you for your support and hope your enjoyment will cause you to return next year with your family and friends! The party will go into the weee hours. Remember this event is in the state of Nevada.”

To make reservations call 800-648-5080 or check out the GSR website.

-MTB

By Miranda Jesch

It’s rare that I walk into a restaurant and gasp a little in surprise. I’m usually greeted by what I expect, accompanied sometimes by moderate interest and other times mild disappointment. The sensation Charlie Bucket must have felt upon stepping into Willy Wonka’s candied Eden is one that generally eludes me.

Francis’ Asian Bistro, based solely appearances, is lackluster. It’s set in a strip mall that houses pet stores and tanning salons. The bland lettering, nondescript building and inconspicuous door don’t promise any thrills inside. However, if you pass this place by because of its uninspired exterior, you might be passing up one of the most inspired new restaurants in Reno.

When I stepped through Francis’ tinted glass door, I whispered, “Wow,” then refrained from speaking to my friend Bob for at least a minute as I took it all in. First, there was the oyster bar and the sweeping, curving, wooden counter of sushi-bar dining. Beyond the bar were tables set with elegant flatware and wine glasses and, beyond those, that breathtaking panoramic view of Reno seen from the heights of South McCarran.

Eating at the off-hour of 2 p.m., we found Francis’ relatively empty. Our server led us to a table overlooking the city. He was professional and friendly but not the least bit sycophantic, as waiters sometimes are in middle-to-upscale establishments.

Sushi and noodles are two of my favorite Asian food options, so I thought I’d try what I know. I ordered chicken pan-fried noodles ($8.95), and Bob and I shared a Godzilla sushi roll ($7.95)-tempura fried hamachi (yellow tail) with green onions and a spicy sauce. As an appetizer, I got the garlic cucumber salad ($4.95). Most cucumber salads I’ve tasted have a sweet vinegar dressing. I like that particular sauce, but it doesn’t hold up against Francis’ cuke concoction of garlic, ginger, Chinese parsley and chili marinade. The quartered cucumbers were marinated just long enough to have a hint of being pickled. This combination of delicate and vigorous would be perfect paired with steamed rice for a light lunch or used as a cooling introduction to a hot and spicy main course.

The miso soup that came with Bob’s chicken shogayaki ($13.95 for sliced chicken breast in a delicious ginger sauce) is worth a paragraph of praise itself. The flavor was buxom and centering, unlike every other fairly bland and watery bowl of miso soup I’ve had before. As soon as Bob tasted it, he said, “This is instantly my favorite restaurant.” I totally agreed. Everything following the soup was just extra frosting on an already textbook cake.

The presentation of the food was gorgeous. Rectangular tableware gave all the dishes a clean look that enhanced the artful arrangement of the food; the sushi was particularly striking. The crisp, darkened edges of my pan-fried noodles extended to the plate’s boundary. The pile of chicken in the middle was not just slopped over the noodles but carefully mounded over the center. Impressive appearances were just the precursor to impressive taste. A combination of textures and sweet, salty flavors made the noodles hard to resist even after I was stuffed. Portions are quite generous.

I haven’t gone out of my way to tell friends and family about a great new restaurant in a long time. Francis’ is inspiring in so many ways.

Francis’ Asian Bistro
4796 Caughlin Parkway, Suite 101, Reno
(775) 827-3111