You won’t want to miss a bite of what’s cooking in our local food-and-drink community.

Atlantis Steakhouse was recognized as one of the top casino restaurants in the United States by USA Today as part of the 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Coming in at No. 4, the restaurant scored higher than any other Nevada-based nominees.

 

Another Atlantis restaurant, Bistro Napa, received a AAA Four Diamond designation on Sept. 30. This marks the restaurant as part of the top tier of the hospitality industry in North America. It is not, however, Atlantis’ first similar recognition. With the Atlantis Steakhouse holding the title since 2013 and the resort as a whole having its own AAA Four Diamond rating since 2012, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is now the only property in Northern Nevada to boast multiple AAA Four Diamond restaurants in addition to being a AAA Four Diamond hotel.

 

This may be some of the best food news we’ve heard so far: The original Awful Awful is back! Burger fiends can now get their fix inside Baldini’s Sports Casino in Reno. While the inventor of the iconic Reno staple has passed, his grandchildren decided to bring the burger back to the local food scene.

 

Pele Utu, a new Reno tiki bar, opened its doors on Stardust Street on Sept. 27. The island-themed bar plays yacht rock on Sundays and offers tiki drink specials. The concept comes from Reno personality Dr. Shocker and his wife, Rosie Raddish.

 

Tahoe Bagel Company owners Justin and Jeff Kaplan have secured a lease on Moana Lane in Reno to expand their business. The brothers currently own two bagel shops in South Lake Tahoe.

 

Pho 999 is back and bigger than ever! The beloved pho restaurant moved into the former location of Rusty Taco in Reno, gaining quite a bit more real estate. The menu also boasts some new items.

 

The old Rapscallion building is getting a new tenant, Cibo e Vino Restaurant and Wine Bar. We’re still awaiting a proposed opening date.

 

MaryBeth and Colin Smith, the couple behind Roundabout Catering and other food businesses, acquired The Virgil, an event space in Reno. The Smiths plan to use the 100-year-old building to host events, including weddings, corporate gatherings, and more. They have plans to conduct kitchen improvements and turn The Virgil into a one-stop shop for event planning and related services.

 

Vistro made headlines last year when it relocated its takeout operation from the basement of Greater Nevada Field to its own bright orange building near the original Reno arch on Lake Street. However, it seems the virtual kitchen model was the best fit for the business. The owners have downsized and returned to their original model, serving a variety of menu items as delivery and takeout only. Orders are taken online. So what will take over the previous spot, now that there’s a bright orange hole in the restaurant landscape of downtown? King Sushi will be the new kid on that block, planning to open this Friday, Jan. 24.

 

All of the businesses under Reno Local Food Group will be part of an initiative to promote clean, healthy eating, creating a closed-loop food system by feeding cows repurposed spent grain produced by brewing operations. As part of the commitment, restaurants within the Mark Estee-owned group will exclusively serve grass-fed and brewery-grain-finished beef from Park Ranch Meats. This includes four locations of Great Basin Brewing Co. in Reno, Sparks, and Carson City, as well as Liberty Food & Wine Exchange in Reno, Overland Restaurant & Pub in Gardnerville, and Cucina Lupo in Carson City.

 

On Oct. 27, Royce celebrated 10 years in business.

 

Harvey’s Lake Tahoe announced a $160 million renovation plan that will include a completely redone casino floor and updated guest rooms.

 

If you’ve been waiting for the grand opening of Tahoe’s Waldorf Astoria, we have some bad news. After the developer, EKN Tahoe LLC, failed to pay the $82 million principal balance, the deal fell through. That puts the future of the Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino building up in the air, perhaps getting sold to the highest bidder at auction.

 

Bruschetta joined the Stateline dining scene over the summer. The Italian concept had been in the works for over a year, while owner Erik Rhoades worked hard on the remodel. The Bay Area-transplant has lived at Lake Tahoe since the Covid-19 pandemic, and Bruschetta is his first Nevada restaurant after selling his California eatery four years ago.

 

If Saturday afternoon finds you in search of a tasty tipple, how about crafting your own specialty cocktail? High Mark Distillery in South Reno offers weekly cocktail-mixing and spirit-making classes in its tasting room. The classes are taught by owner/master distiller Felicia Keith-Jones.

 

For about 10,000 years, beer fermentation was cloaked in mystery and, thus, left to the women. Ninkasi, the Mesopotamian goddess of beer and brewing, oversaw the unknown chemical process that created the much-loved beer and the women who made our favorite frothy drink.

 

In the not-too-distant past, folks who opted to forgo alcohol while out on the town had limited choices. Few venues offered much beyond soft drinks, club soda, or the bland virgin versions of classic cocktails.

 

Latin America has delicious cuisine, but oftentimes folks overlook its cocktails. That is a mistake, especially here in Northern Nevada, where you can enjoy many mouthwatering beverages reminiscent of those cobblestone plazas, sidewalk cafés, and bars where one can sip and watch the world go by while on vacation or studying abroad.

Looking for something fun to do this week? Check out this selection of some of the exciting events happening in our community.