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

We arranged for a babysitter and headed out.  Upon arriving, I was first amazed at the scale of the restaurant – from outside The Melting Pot looks pretty modest, but it’s actually quite large; two stories with tables that were set for two to 10. We also noticed a large contingent of high school kids … apparently it was prom night.

After being escorted around a great bar and wine cellar, we sat in a comfortable booth near the back. Drinks were ordered and we reviewed the menu. Our waitress walked us through the menu, and made a few suggestions about her favorites. We decided to try the “Big Night Out” which includes your choice of a cheese fondue, any salad, choice from three different selections of meats and, of course, a desert fondue.

We chose the Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Fondue, which includes: Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic.  It was accompanied by three different breads, Grannysmith apples and a selection of different raw vegetables.

As we started to finish the cheese fondue, a busboy named Pablo quickly cleared our plates and refilled our drink order.  Our waitress brought or next course, two Insalata Caprese salads, and helped us decide how to cook our meats. We chose to use oil so that we could also tempura a few items, but other options include infused broths.

Meats and vegetables included lobster, teriyaki-marinated sirloin, white shrimp, marinated pork tenderloin, filet mignon, breast of chicken, potstickers, mushrooms, a spinach cheese filling, two types of tempura batter, melted garlic butter, and a variety of sauces – bleu cheese, spicy cocktail, light mustard sauce, plumb sweet-and-sour and teriyaki. For desert we indulged in fondue called the Flaming Turtle, made mostly of milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans, which were flambéed tableside, accompanied by several types of cake, brownies, fruits and marshmallows.

All in all the meal took a little over two hours to complete, so make sure you plan accordingly. For what we received, in both ambience and food, the price was within what I would expect.  The service was wonderful – everyone was helpful and knowledgeable about the establishment.  I would also note that this is not necessarily family friendly … not due to the restaurant, but having hot oils and broths with skewers can’t be a safe option for smaller children. I would suggest you try out this if not for dinner, then for at least a special dessert for you and your significant other.  Also I would suggest making reservations, especially if it is a special day for you.

The Melting Pot
6950 S McCarran Blvd, Reno 89509
(775) 827-6500
www.meltingpot.com

Lunch Hours
Daily 11 AM to 2 PM

Dinner Hours
Sundays 4 PM to 9 PM
Monday to Thursday 5 PM to 10 PM
Friday and Saturday 4 PM to 11 PM

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.