Reno-Tahoe

By: Colleen Hagen

When Chocolate Bar opened in downtown Reno in 2005, I rejoiced.  There was actually a place with a menu that consisted only of chocolate and cocktails, the two official food groups of women everywhere. The posh modern interior worked with the location since it put Chocolate Bar on the Saturday night downtown bar rotation along with Silver Peak and Imperial.

But when I heard earlier this year that Chocolate Bar would have a Summit Sierra location off the Mt. Rose highway, I was skeptical: How could the leather-and-chandelier-spackled lounge survive in a mall that is equidistant to Lake Tahoe and Carson City? Could they have picked a more isolated location for a place that thrives off the late night scene?

So Chocolate Bar took a page from Darwin and evolved. It now serves lunch.

At upscale bistro prices, chic and hungry shoppers can dine on a variety of small gourmet plates and lunch specials.

The lamb “lollipops” ($12) marinated in garlic and rosemary, were not on the rib bone, as in the classic definition, but skewered with wooden picks. Still, they were tender, savory and served with a sweet potato purée.

The ahi sliders ($12), though, were disappointing. What they call a French roll was more like a thick gummy bun that enveloped the ahi, making the delicate, briny flavor all but disappear. The same was true of the generic-tasting sirloin sandwich, where the flavorless bread seemed to scream “defrosted from a bag.”

The garlic fries ($7) were crisp and tasty but were scant on actual garlic. The chef should take a trip to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk where the fries seem to garnish the garlic, not the other way around.

While Chocolate Bar’s décor is the embodiment of chic, modern and daring, the chef has yet to take many risks with the menu. The dishes, while adequate, are uninspired. I would expect shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad at a run-of-the-mill restaurant, not from a place decked with giant jet-black chandeliers and oversized Victorian mirrors.

Thankfully, the dessert lives up to the fuss. I relished the delicious chocolate mousse cake ($7) while trying to put my finger on its tangy lingering flavor (Baileys?).  The “cbar” bread pudding ($7) is made with layers of croissant, giving it an unexpected airiness. Another favorite was the doughnut sampler ($8), a sophisticated presentation of three dishes of doughnut bites rolled in different flavors (cinnamon spice, bittersweet chocolate and powdered sugar), accompanied by three sweet dipping sauces.

So while Chocolate Bar is certainly no mall food-court locale, the newly formed lunch menu still has some evolving to do. But having experienced Chocolate Bar’s devotion to attentive service, luxe decor and sinful sweets, I am sure it will be no time before the lunch catches up to the panache and ganache.

Chocolate Bar

-13979 S. Virginia St.  Reno, Nevada 89511
-475 S. Arlington Ave.  Reno, NV 89501
-Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.   Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The Dandelion Deli and Café features fresh baked cookies, quiches, sandwiches and salads with great options for vegans and carnivores alike. Photo by Scott Barnett

For almost a year now my vegetarian friend Krystal has been bugging me to try Anthony’s Dandelion Deli and Café on Wells Avenue, a restaurant catered to vegetarians and vegans.
As a recovering vegetarian myself, I am not adverse to a good meat-free dish.  But my affinity for the stellar vegetarian/vegan haunt Pneumatic Diner had kept me from taking Krystal’s suggestion seriously for months.

Last Friday, I finally decided to give Dandelion a try. I planned on scoping it out with my sister before meeting Krystal for lunch on Saturday, only to discover that Dandelion is closed on weekends.  As such, I went big and decided to try several dishes at once, ensuring that I sample from both veggie dishes on the menu and from the few meat dishes they serve.

After placing our order of a turkey dip ($6.75), small Greek salad ($5.95), deli-style turkey sandwich ($6.05) and the day’s special, a falafel sandwich ($6.95), we took a seat at a small table in the center of the empty café. Between the wooden chairs and tables, multitude of quaint dandelion-themed décor and strings of patio lights, it felt a bit like waiting to eat lunch in your friend’s grandmother’s kitchen: a little unfamiliar but warm and welcoming.

Baskets full of bags of potato chips sat in front of the deli case, where pre-made salads and sandwiches were available for purchase.  A refrigerated drink case at the back of the restaurant was full of waters, teas and natural sodas.

The food arrived plated simply, the sandwiches accompanied only by one carrot stick, one celery stick and a sprig of parsley.  My turkey dip was served with an almost neon yellow turkey au jus.  Having only sampled the classic beef-based au jus, it was an odd sight to be confronted with.  It was then that my sister, Katy, noticed that the only meat this deli offers is of the fowl persuasion: chicken and turkey, no red meat.

The salty au jus added much needed flavor to the otherwise boring sandwich of Dutch bread and turkey.  The simple bread-with-meat combo works better with roast beef dips, and my sandwich was in need of some sort of dressing.  Katy’s deli sandwich was much tastier, full of flavor from the vinegar, oil, oregano and fresh veggies.  The Greek salad was also good, made with fresh greens, generous crumbles of feta, a light dressing and Greek olives.

The falafel special came in a whole wheat pita with chunks of cucumber and tomato and a messy and disastrous sauce.  The brown-yogurty mess was bland and did nothing to save a too-dry falafel.

The lunch ended on a high note, however, with a thick, chewy and soft vegan cookie ($1.65).  No meat-eater would have ever guessed the “chocolate” chip cookie wasn’t the real-deal.

Falafel disappointment aside, the meat and dairy-free dishes at Dandelion are generally worth a try.  But speaking as a carnivore, I think I’ll dine with my vegetarian compatriots elsewhere.

Anthony’s Dandelion Deli and Café
1170 S Wells Ave # 2 Reno, NV
Hours: Open Weekdays 7am-4pm; Sat 10am-4pm

Colleen Hagen can be contacted at editor@nevadasagebrush.com