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.

Experience the delicious cuisine and culinary talent that has made the Lake Tahoe region the most renowned mountain-dining destination in the country during the second annual Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week. From Sunday, October 2, through Sunday, October 9, enjoy three-course, pre-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus from more than 30 participating restaurants for $20, $30 or $40. Beautiful views from these prestigious restaurants will compliment your meal, making this a dining experience like no other.

October is the perfect time to visit Lake Tahoe, as it is still warm enough to take pleasure in great outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking and kayaking, while the scenery transitions into its stunning autumn colors.

Make it a vacation or weekend getaway by taking advantage of the variety of lodging options the region has to offer. From extravagant casinos to bed and breakfast inns, Lake Tahoe has everything to meet your accommodation desires.

Participating restaurants include the following, with new restaurants added daily:

The Beacon Bar & Grill

Chart House

Crystal Bay Club Steak & Lobster House

Dragonfly

Edgewood Restaurant

The Fresh Ketch

Friday's Station Steak & Seafood Grill

聚福樓 (Gi Fu Loh)

Hard Rock Cafe Lake Tahoe

Jake's on the Lake

Lone Eagle Grille

Mamasake Sushi

Manzanita Lake Tahoe

Mountain Burrito Company

19 Kitchen

PlumpJack Cafe

River Grill

River Ranch Lodge

Sage Room Steak House

Six Peaks Grille Soule Domain

Swiss Chalet Restaurant

Sunnyside

Wild Goose Tahoe

Wolfdale's Cuisine Unique

For more information including a continuously updated list of restaurants, visit TahoeRestaurantWeek.com.

Check out the results from Reno Magazine’s Best of Reno 2011: Dining. From the Best New Restaurant to the Best Romantic Dinner to the Best Girls Night Out, these 26 restaurants will go above and beyond satisfying your taste buds.

Click on the image to start flipping through their online magazine to view the list.

Orozko Lounge in John Ascuaga’s Nugget offers the world’s super-premium tequila brands along with delicious tapas, every Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. – a great way to toast the work week’s end! Half-price shots of select premium tequila will be featured each week in addition to 2-for-1 flavored Margaritas. 

Tequila tasters can sample from among famous makers such as Tres GeneracionesAnejo, Reposado and Plata; Patron Silver and Anejo Gold; CorralejoAnejo and Reposado, Cabo WaboBlanco; HerraduraAnejo and Reposado; Partida Silver and many others. Tequila Fridays beverage menu also features flavored Margaritas: strawberry, peach, mango, Midori, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate.

A wide choice of mixed drinks rounds out the selection, including The Basque Flag, the Mexican Hurricane, and Tara’s Triple Platinum Margarita, a limoncello version of Long Island Ice Tea.

Orozko Lounge’s “Over the Top Tapas” menu changes weekly, with offerings like Ahi Poke with Won Ton Chips, Artichoke and Goat Cheese Fritters, Lime Infused Pork with Grilled Sea Scallop, and Oven Roasted Beet Carpaccio salad with Maytag Bleu Cheese.

Those who like to share their love of tequila can sample any of Orozko’s Amigo Specialties, like Beto’s Blue Diablo, 44 ounces of pure pleasure in a Nugget souvenir glass (with two straws!) or the Orozko-Rita. Both drinks feature 1800 brand tequila.

If you’re planning a trip Orozko Wednesday through Saturday, here’s what’s going on!

Wednesdays Every Wednesday night from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. is Nugget Jazz Night featuring nationally-known jazz recording artists in the Orozko Lounge. There is no cover charge for these events. Schedule is available at janugget.com.

Thursdays Every Thursday night from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. is Wine Tasting Thursdays featuring top wines from all over the world specially paired with delicious tapas created by our world-class culinary team. It’s only $20 per person for this gourmet wine and food experience.

Saturdays Saturday night is The Ultimate Martini Bar at the Orozko Lounge from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Orozko’s famous signature and ultra premium martinis are only $5 each.

Rain, snow or shine, a trip to Lake Tahoe is a guaranteed good time. I knew regardless of my dining experience, I would at the very least enjoy my drive up to the Lake. Working in the tourism industry and social media world, I couldn’t escape the buzz surrounding the new West Share Cafe - the newest indulgence along the shores of Lake Tahoe, directly across the street from Homewood Ski Resort.

 The setting is elegant, rustic, warm and inviting, and the view is absolutely breathtaking. You feel as if you’re sitting on the clear blue waters of Tahoe. The lunch menu has a nice variety of burgers, fish & chips, salads, wings, sandwiches and soups, and the kids don’t get skimped either! We ordered the chicken strips platter for our toddler, and requested a side of fruit in lieu of the fries. Her meal was hands down the best one on the table, and the healthiest kids entree I’ve ever seen - at a great price! Lunch ranges anywhere between $10 – $18, with dinner entrees starting as low as $12.

 The room was a blend of families, skiers fresh off the slopes, business meetings and a few romantic couples at the bar. With a setting this beautiful, it’s the perfect setting for any group or occassion.

After our meals, we went upstairs to tour the Inn portion of the West Shore. If you’re looking for prime lodging with a more intimate feel, this is the place for you. All suites are approximately 500sq ft and feature fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, down comforters, soy bamboo micro fiber robes, and most importantly, a deck overlooking Lake Tahoe.

For more information on the West Shore Cafe and Inn, check out their website: http://www.skihomewood.com/westshorecafe.

The Lone Eagle Grille takes my breath away each time I visit. Step inside for a second and you’ll see why it’s so popular with the locals. The Lone Eagle Grille literally sits on the shore of North Lake Tahoe, with a private beach right outside its windows for guests of the Grille and the Hyatt Regency Resort at Lake Tahoe.

The mouth-watering dessert depicted in this blog was taken just a few months ago while enjoying a late afternoon lunch there.

Today the Lone Eagle Grille announced it has reopened after undergoing a $700,000 renovation – just in time for Thanksgiving weekend!

Here is additional information on the renovation straight from the Grille’s press release sent this afternoon:

“Led by CSS Architecture, Lone Eagle Grille’s fresh alpine design updates have added polish to the lounge’s signature mountain lodge style. Changes will enhance the existing classic rustic style: lengthened bar, new low-backed leather lounge chairs, communal tables and plush couches, carpeting, artwork, antler chandeliers, and a warm color scheme. Seating has increased to approximately 58. Also included in the renovations, the resort’s Lakeside Ballroom will be completed in December.”

If you haven’t experienced the lakefront, premiere dining available only at the Lone Eagle Grille, what are you waiting for? The picture featured here is of the Great Room before the remodel. Come see the new look!

Lone Eagle Grille is featuring a delectable menu for Thanksgiving which includes a four-course prix fixe lunch from 12pm – 3:30pm ($55/pp), and a six-course prix fixe dinner from 4pm – 9pm ($70/pp). Special menu for children 12 and under. Menu choices include: Roasted Turkey with Sausage & Hazelnut Stuffing with Madeira; Grilled Salmon with Lobster Whipped Potatoes and Dill Butter; Black Truffle Stuffed Scallop with Cucumber and Watercress; plus, Mincemeat Tart with Cinnamon Ice Cream, Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream, and more. For reservations, visit www.loneeaglegrille.com or call 775.886.6899.

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.

Sitting on the exact location where Reno began in 1859, the newly renovated River Room in the historical Riverside Hotel is now open for business. Chuck and Jan Shapiro, owners of the thriving Wild River Grille, expanded their business into the space previously occupied by “Dreamers Coffee”.

The River Room has now doubled the size of the Wild River Grille, known for its creative cuisine, extensive wine list and picturesque spot along the Truckee River.

The River Room will continue the Grille’s tradition of live music, entertainment and exceptional hospitality. The new operation will employ up to 50 people during peak season, creating 20 new jobs. The new venue features vibrant décor that celebrates the history and significance of the site. Oversized images from the Nevada Historical Society frame the windows and an enormous image of the old Reno Arch covers the back wall. A fresh and creative menu accompanies the new space.

In the evening you can expect classic infused cocktails, martinis and the new “Ring Toss”, the River Rooms Signature Drink. (Homage to the Reno legend of newly-divorced women tossing their rings into the Truckee River from the Virginia Street Bridge.)

The menu also showcases a tempting array of small plate options and desserts such as brie potstickers, short ribs, and espresso mousse. “In the coming months we will also include a daytime cafe offering fresh sandwiches, salads, pastries and espresso.” said Chuck Shapiro, Owner of Wild River Grille and the River Room.

“Since 2007, we have been a proud part of the urban renewal going on in Reno,” said owner Chuck Shapiro.  “Our patrons enjoy a restaurant where they can meet up with friends to enjoy great food and drink, while celebrating the art and music renaissance of the Riverwalk. We are very excited to offer an additional space for dining, entertainment and relaxation.”

The building, a Frederick DeLongchamps design and on the National Historic Register, was saved from demolition and renovated in 2000 by the City of Reno and Artspace Projects of Minneapolis to create live/workspace for local artists. “We are delighted that the Wild River Grille has decided to expand into the space,” said Will Law, Chief Executive Officer of Artspace. “It is a successful example of a local business that strives to serve the needs of the community within and around the Artists Lofts.”

Check out the River Room at 17 S. Virginia Street or call 775-284-7224.

The popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives will feature Reno’s very own DISH café this Monday, March 29 at 10:00PM ET/PT. (That’s 7PM Pacific Time for those of you still doing the math.)

Food Network Host Guy Fieri’s perpetual search for the best fresh and funky restaurants in the country, landed him in three Reno restaurants in January; DISH Café, The Gold ‘N Silver Inn and Louis’ Basque Corner.

Monday’s episode will feature one of Fieri’s favorite San Francisco spots, a diner in North Carolina serving up whole turkeys and DISH Café in Reno, making home-made granola.

DISH Café’s road to national TV started way back in 2008, when show producers began their search for candidates. A DISH Café employee happened to be near the production headquarters in Minnesota at the time, and delivered samples of granola and baked goods. It wasn’t until January of 2010 that Guy Fieri waltzed into the café and spent two days filming.

“It took a lot of preparation. I wanted it to be perfect, but once they were here, even though they were on a tight schedule, it was easy to relax because the crew was so laid back,” said Nancy Horn, owner of DISH Café. “It was definitely a dream come true. I’ve known that I wanted a restaurant since I was six years old. Cooking is my passion and my dream is to teach on TV and write cookbooks. This was a very informative and exciting experience.”

DISH Café & Catering is known for its upscale comfort food made from fresh, local organic ingredients. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. See why Fieri thought they were worthy of the national spotlight and check them out at 855 Mill Street, Monday through Friday.