DAY TRIP FROM SOUTH RENO: SQUAW VALLEY AND TAHOE CITY, CA

Squaw Valley on Dwellable

I don't ski or snowboard — or drive an SUV — so a trek to Lake Tahoe in the winter months isn't practical for me.  Looking forward to warmer weather, however, I'll be eager to revisit areas such as Squaw Valley and Tahoe City in nearby Northern California.

During day trips from South Reno last summer and fall, my family was impressed by the region's history and natural beauty. Squaw Valley drew worldwide attention as the setting for the 1960 Winter Olympic Games.

Today, the Village at Squaw Valley incorporates many familiar elements and symbols of the Olympics.  And it's a veritable paradise for those who love snow sports, hiking and biking.

Yet even for non-athletes, the Village at Squaw Valley offers a lot to see and do, with a variety of restaurants, bars, boutiques and special events.  On one of our visits last year, there was a fair featuring art, music and wine.

Since we'd already eaten lunch elsewhere, we mostly just moseyed around and took in the spectacular scenery.

Afterward, we took a short drive to Tahoe City.  The downtown area is just a few blocks long, but the highlight here is Commons Beach, a public park where you can stroll, free of charge, along the shore of glistening Lake Tahoe.  

Discovering this park was a real perk.  On earlier excursions to South Lake Tahoe, we learned that getting close to the water, unless you were a hotel guest or member of a private club, was nearly impossible.  In general, Tahoe City is more rustic and laid back than South Lake Tahoe or the Stateline, Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, where casinos and nightclubs abound.

Squaw Valley and Tahoe City are about an hour's drive from South Reno, primarily via I-80 West.  The Mt. Rose route is quicker but not for the faint of heart.  Unless you're comfortable navigating hairpin turns at a very high altitude (often with no guardrails), do yourself a favor and take the sissy route. 

For more information about Squaw Valley,  visit http://www.squaw.com/ .

To learn more about Tahoe City,  visit http://www.visittahoecity.org/ .

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MAKE YOUR OWN GYROS IN SOUTH RENO

South Reno needs a great Greek restaurant.  But until that happens, you can always make your own gyros at home.

You'll find gyros ingredients at WinCo Foods, 9750 S. Virginia St.  Look in the deli section.

It's no big surprise that the Opaa! products — pre-cooked slices of gyros meat and Tzatziki sauce — are from a company called Grecian Delight Foods in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Around Chicago, gyros joints are everywhere.  Among my family's all-time favorites were Gyros King in Downers Grove and Billy Boy's in Chicago Ridge.   Not that they're glamorous, but they have terrific food and large portions for cheap:

https://plus.google.com/111333966077649694922/about?gl=us&hl=en  and

http://www.billyboysrestaurant.com/ .

The Mediterranean Gourmet brand of pita bread purchased at the South Reno WinCo store is distributed by Alexis Foods of Portland, Oregon.  (When in Portland, the famous Saturday Market is a fun place to find gyros and other ethnic food.)

Add some fresh tomatoes and onions to your heat-and-serve gyros meat and pita, serve it with a side of roasted potatoes or rice and you've got a quick Greek feast on a budget.

WinCo prices for the gyros ingredients were $2.08 for a five-pack of pita bread, $3.68 for the 12-oz. pack of sliced meat and $2.98 for the tub of Tzatziki.

Trader Joe's at 5035 S. McCarran Blvd. in South Reno also sells pita bread and Tzatziki sauce but not gyros meat.  That's kind of a mystery, but of course, pita bread and Tzatziki go well with Greek chicken dishes, too.

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TWISTED FORK HAS OPENED IN SOUTH RENO

The hotly anticipated Twisted Fork restaurant recently opened at 1191 Steamboat Pkwy., #1400 in South Reno's Damonte Ranch area.   It's an unlikely location for an upscale restaurant where dinner entrees run in the $20-30 range.  It's across from the R.C. Willey furniture store, near Veterans Parkway.

Not to seem like a party pooper, but my weekend visit left me wondering why there has been so much buzz about Twisted Fork.  Someone at the nearby US Bank branch told me that Bully's Sports Bar used to be located there.   The Twisted Fork's renovated interior is nice enough, in an understated way —earth tones, attractive tables and booths, a cool view of the mountains if you are seated on the main level near the windows.

My husband and I were seated at a booth on the upper level.   It was rather dark there and a high partition closed us off from everyone below.

My husband enjoyed his Twisted Burger ($11) which he ordered with bacon and avocado (75 cents each).  It was served on a pretzel bun and also featured tomato, arugula and red onion. Other toppings such as cheese, mushrooms, pickles and mayo would have been optional.  Burgers and sandwiches at Twisted Fork come with a choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, house-made chips, house salad or soup.  He asked for French fries and found them tasty.

As for me, I happily devoured a side of really good tomato-basil soup.  My sandwich, though, was a disappointment.  The Twisted BLTA (also $11) featured plenty of avocado, which I liked.  The onion aioli on the sandwich was interesting, not overpowering, but I would have preferred light mayo.  The meats on my sandwich didn't work at all.   The Twisted BLTA included braised pork belly, something I'm seeing on a lot of trendy menus these days.  The pork belly on my sandwich had a miniscule amount of meat, attached to large clumps of fat.   It reminded me of the fat blob you would find in a can of Campbell's Pork and Beans.  Or as Stimpy (of "Ren and Stimpy" fame) would call it, "The Queen Bean."

The bacon on my sandwich was sparse and overcooked to the point of being tough.  Like that Elvis song, "A little less conversation, a little more action please," I kept thinking, "A little less Twisted BLTA, a lot more soup please."

Service at Twisted Fork was all right, not remarkable.  The atmosphere was all right, too.  A basketball game was playing on the TV and background pop music was soft.

I was surprised by the number of families dining there with young children.  Twisted Fork doesn't have a kiddie menu and nothing on the menu would have appealed to my daughter or son when they were little.  

I'm happy to see new businesses, especially restaurants, landing in South Reno.  It's nice to have choices without driving to Downtown or Midtown Reno.   I just think that Twisted Fork needs to work out some kinks and focus more on well-prepared comfort foods.  According to their Facebook page, they've just added some burgers to the dinner menu, to satisfy customer demand.  On a return visit, I might try their pot pie or chicken parmesan.

For more information about Twisted Fork, call (775) 853-6033 or visit  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Twisted-Fork/137327889749082 .

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"NOTHING IS OBSCURE" AT MIDTOWN RENO'S CARTER BROS. ACE HARDWARE

On a quest for some oddball household items, my husband and I headed to Carter Bros. Ace Hardware, 1215 S. Virginia St. in Reno's Midtown neighborhood.  Moments after we entered the store, we were greeted by a friendly guy named Ron and asked if we needed assistance. "We're looking for some really obscure stuff," my husband stated. Ron laughed and replied, "Nothing is obscure at Ace Hardware!"

Well, that was what we were hoping. We'd mostly had better luck and more personal service at old-fashioned hardware stores around Chicago and Seattle than with big chain stores  like Handy Andy or Home Depot.  Carter Bros. Ace Hardware met our expectations.

My husband wanted something to boost a keyboard stand in his home music studio, as well as "furniture feet cups" to keep a sofa and love seat from sliding against the walls. Yes, Carter Bros. Ace Hardware had the goods he was seeking.

I was searching for one of those rubber "gripper dealies" to open stubborn lids on food jars. Carter Bros. Ace Hardware had one of those, too!

Along with all the standard fare you'd expect to find in a hardware store (tools, nuts and bolts, painting and plumbing supplies, etc.), this store carries a lot of crazy, random items such as pickling and canning supplies, a Squirrel-Be-Gone bird feeder and a percolator top from a 1950-ish coffee maker.  It's somewhat akin to a hardware store and a curiosity shop rolled into one.

The building at Carter Bros. Ace Hardware dates back to 1947.  It's cool that it's still standing and functional.  I will say that the extremely creaky floors are a little eerie — as well as the enormous ceiling fan reminiscent of a helicopter that's ready for take-off.

But where else are you going to find Flexible Flyer sleds or wagons that look like they came straight from the set of "Leave It To Beaver?"

Actually, maybe at one of Midtown's antique markets.  There's one next door to Carter Bros. Ace Hardware that looks like a good place to check out.  But that's a topic for another day.

For more information about Carter Bros. Ace Hardware in Reno's Midtown, call (775) 337-1200 or visit http://www.acehardware.com/mystore/index.jsp;jsessionid=Nw22Q9kCCzD4JscnYDTrWRntbJPLNJzs2hLtTp3gJXhdP5GDxnLk!-215222398?store=14834 .

To learn more about the Midtown District in Reno, visit http://midtowndistrictreno.com/.

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SOUTH RENO'S 168 ASIAN MARKET

A wish to cook healthy Asian meals at home drew me to 168 Asian Market, 3090 S. Virginia St. in South Reno. 

My shopping list wasn't complicated.  Products such as lower-sodium soy sauce, hoisin sauce and rice wine vinegar are available at regular supermarkets like Smith's and WinCo.  But I figured there must be some unique products at this Asian specialty store, which is located near the Atlantis and Peppermill Hotels and Casinos. 
  
168 Asian Market isn't as spacious or lively as Seattle's Uwajimaya: http://www.uwajimaya.com/ 

Yet the Biggest Little City's 168 Asian Market does feature a lot of interesting and unusual merchandise — at least unusual for someone who isn't super-knowledgeable about authentic Asian grocery items.  

Freezer cases were brimming with containers of beef blood and pork blood, fish and octopus meat rolled into balls, "Young Buddhist Ducks with Heads and Feet On," dumplings, tofu, moo shu wrappers, wonton wrappers and more.  (Also, some unfamiliar brands of hot dogs!  Who knew that hot dogs were popular in Asian countries?) 

168 Asian Market seems to have every kind of rice or noodle imaginable ... 

And a dizzying array of cooking oils, vinegars and sauces ... 

Produce, both fresh and dried ... 

Canned meats, salty snacks, teas and other beverages, plus housewares  — dishes, pots and pans, steamers, utensils.  It's a fun place to browse and get ideas for exotic meals, whether you're into Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese or Indian cuisine. 

168 Asian Market does not have a Web site but for further information, you can call the market at (775) 823-9918. 

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HEALTHIER HOT WINGS IN SOUTH RENO? IT'S NOT CLEAR

With football fever heating up, everyone’s talking about hot wings and other game day snacks.  I thought it might be fun to check out some South Reno restaurants where hot wings are the main attraction.  But hot wings are typically doused in butter and high in sodium. I wanted to do some research and learn which menu items might be a little on the lighter side.

My first stop was Buffalo Wild Wings, 13967 S. Virginia St., #914, at South Reno’s Summit shopping center.  
http://www.buffalowildwings.com/Locator/Detail/3325

I quickly found a take-out menu but no nutrition facts. When I asked for such a brochure, the girl behind the counter looked confused. She located a dog-eared photocopy of some info but admitted, “This is just some of our menu items and this is pretty old.” 

Next I popped into WingStop, 720 S. Meadows Pkwy. #1.  http://www.wingstop.com/Find_A_Store.aspx?search=89521

Again, a take-out menu was in plain view on the counter but when I asked the order-taker for nutrition information, she, too, looked dazed. “I think there’s a sheet in the back somewhere … but we don’t have any brochures like that,” she told me.

Driving home, I wondered, “Aren’t chain restaurants required to post nutrition info where customers can plainly see it?”  Then it dawned on me.  I’m not in Seattle anymore!

Since 2009, chain restaurants with at least 15 locations in King County, WA, including Seattle, are required to provide printed materials or signage with detailed nutrition info about each menu item — in a way that is easily visible to customers before they place their orders. 

This was enacted in an effort to curb obesity and reduce health menaces such as heart disease and diabetes.

As stated in a recent article in the Northern Nevada Business Weekly, “A researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, one of the first cities to mandate nutritional labels on menus, found that labels led restaurant customers to order lower-calorie alternatives.”

While skeptics may say, “It’s a no-brainer that fried foods are going to be more caloric than grilled foods,” some seemingly-virtuous selections such as salads can be less healthy than some burgers due to dressings or other toppings that are laden with fat and sodium.

Thankfully, a movement is now underway in Washoe County, NV, including Reno, to encourage restaurants to post nutritional facts.  The Northern Nevada Business Weekly mentioned that local restaurants now on-board include Buenos Grille in Reno, Pathways Café at University of Nevada, Reno and Black Rock Pizza in Sparks.

Plus, many national chains like Subway, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have long been offering that info as a way to help health-conscious diners stick to their goals.

I checked online to see if Buffalo Wild Wings or WingStop post nutritional facts there.  At Buffalo Wild Wings, I had to submit an inquiry through the Contact Us link. They sent me a PDF a few hours later.  WingStop doesn’t offer nutritional info at all.

I’ve decided to err on the side of caution and prepare my own game day snacks.

Happily, a few years ago, I clipped and saved a King County Journal story with healthy game day recipes from the Seattle Sea Gals.  I’ll be cheering for the Seahawks, anyway.

To learn more about the nutrition labeling program in King County, WA and Seattle, visit:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/nutrition/healthyeating/menu.aspx

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BLIND ONION REVISITED: TWEAK THE SERVICE AND LOSE THE ATTITUDE!

Back on Oct. 13, 2012, I blogged the praises of The Blind Onion Pizza Pub in South Reno.  (See BLIND ONION PIZZA PUB: GREAT LUNCH AND GROOVY LOGO.)

Although it wasn't the best pizza I'd ever encountered, I thought it was better-than-most for this area, that the $5 slice and soda lunch was a screaming deal and that the cute pictures of Fred The Onion made this whimsical, tiny place, a place worth visiting again.

Sorry to say, a recent return visit to the South Reno Blind Onion was a downer.  For starters, the restaurant was freezing cold. The thermostat on the wall said the temperature was fluctuating between 54 and 56 degrees. My party wasn't the only to notice this; other customers were heard complaining about the big chill.

The guy who took our orders — the slice and soda deals  — looked like he was mad at the world.   We then waited more than half an hour for our food to arrive, or at least some of it.  Our server brought what my husband and I had ordered and told our son his order was on the way.  It took about another five mintues for his pizza to be brought to the table.  No apology from the server, who also was behaving in a surly fashion.

Adding insult to injury, the tomatoes on my pizza were uncooked and my son found some foreign matter on the edge of his pizza.  Also, I had asked for just one topping, tomatoes.  Part of my pizza had sausage on it, too.  If I were a vegetarian, this would be a problem.  The place was crowded and we didn't have time to get into another waiting game, so we just sighed and dealt with these issues.

For the final straw, some very angry-sounding music was being played in the restaurant, at ear-shattering volume. Clearly, someone was having a rotten day and wanted the clientele to know about it.

I contemplated whether to do another blog post about The Blind Onion in South Reno and decided it was important to report my dissatisfaction after my second visit.  Why?  I didn't start this blog to tear down local businesses in South Reno.  Actually, it's a joy for me when I find great places or events that are truly worth writing home about.  But when I'm treated very rudely, I want to spare others from the same misfortune.

Furthermore, as a longtime journalist, I'm well-acquainted with the recent trend toward "advertorial" sections in many newspapers.  Print publications, competing with online news sources, are increasingly pressured to produce special sections on topics such as travel, fashion or food and entertainment.  Feature coverage is given to businesses which buy ads.  Businesses that don't advertise are given the brush-off or no more mention than a couple of sentences, regardless of how good or bad their products or services may be.

What this means to me, is that what's said in those features may not be completely honest or reliable. The reviews may not be impartial.  Therefore, I rely more on the feedback of other independent bloggers or ordinary folks on sites like Yelp to gauge whether or not I want to patronize a restaurant or other business.  They aren't tooting some restaurant's horn in return for ad revenue.

At first, I thought our recent bad experience at South Reno's The Blind Onion was a fluke.  Every business has "off" days.  Mishaps can occur.  But when it's one mishap after another and no one can be bothered to say they're sorry, it's a sign that they need to tweak their customer service and lose the attitude.   And then I heard from my husband that a co-worker had a similar experience at South Reno's The Blind Onion recently, at least with regard to the frigid dining room.  This restaurant needs to fix its front door that doesn't shut properly, along with fixing the nasty attitude problem.  Maybe then we'll give it another chance.

http://www.blindonion.com/

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PEG'S GLORIFIED HAM N EGGS: A GLORIOUS BREAKFAST IN SOUTH RENO

Breakfast-time rocks in South Reno!  Why?  Because now my family has discovered TWO rave-worthy local restaurants for our lazy weekend brunch splurges. 

Our new find is Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs, 720 S. Meadows Pkwy. in South Reno.   (It's between WingStop and Port of Subs, in the Smith's shopping center.)

We'd often driven past Peg's, it always looked busy and we'd heard good things about it, but were so pleased with the South Reno Squeeze In that we just didn't know how any other breakfast place could rival it. 

I should note that one of my dad's famous sayings was, "Stick with what you know!"  He didn't like to try new restaurants and sometimes when we did — and were disappointed — he'd comment, "What did I tell you?  Stick with what you know!"   It's become a long-running family joke, but we've agreed that sometimes you have to go a little wild and find out what you might have been missing. 

Well, now we know what we've been missing!  Peg's has outstanding food, perky servers and is a fun place to people-watch.  We arrived at 1 p.m. on a Saturday, expecting the place to be not-so-busy, since it closes at 2 p.m. But Peg's was still humming with activity.  Not only was there a steady stream of hungry people arriving to eat on the premises, but also many folks getting take-out orders. 

We were seated within minutes and perplexed by what to order.  There are countless choices at Peg's, not just for breakfast but lunch, too.  I was intrigued by the Monterey Skillets, all with a "South of the Border" twist. 

I decided to try a Monterey Skillet starring Chile Relleno and Eggs ($10.99).  It was spicy, sensational and massive, served with hash browns, pico de gallo, tangy cabbage slaw, fresh pinto beans with cheese and a cantaloupe wedge.  Everything tasted homemade; the relleno was one of the best I've ever had, including in cities like San Diego.  And no, I couldn't finish all of it. I took leftovers home.

Chile Relleno and Eggs Monterey Skillet

My son ordered the Monterey Skillet with a Sierra Omelette ($10.99). His omelette was stuffed wtih spicy chicken, green chiles, jalapenos and jack cheese, topped with sliced avocado.  He asked our server to hold the beans and slaw but he thoroughly enjoyed his omelette, hash browns, pico de gallo and melon. 

Sierra Omelette Monterey Skillet (sans beans and slaw)

The Peglet Omelette ($9.99) was my husband's selection. It was loaded with jack and cheddar cheese and a choice of meat.  He went with bacon and there was lots of it.  His meal came with hash browns, toast and melon. 

Peglet Omelette

In addition to all the Monterey Skillet choices (Huevos Rancheros, Tamale, Burrito, etc.), Peg's has some Hawaiian-style breakfasts with Spam, New York-style faves such as bagels and lox, hearty picks like steak and eggs or corned beef hash with eggs, plus Eggs Benedict, pancakes and much more. You would have to eat here for long time before running out of new things to order. 

Speaking of a long time, I learned from the Peg's Web site that the founders of this family-owned-and-operated business are a couple named Fred and JoAnna, who go by the nicknames of Pops and Peg and have been wed for 53 years.  They opened their first restaurant in Portland, Oregon in 1959, eventually expanding to 18 restaurants. Thirty-five years hence, Pops and Peg retired and moved from Eugene, Oregon (a town of infamy for us UW Husky fans) to Reno.  They launched Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs in 1999 and now their kids and some grandkids are running the show — and commendably. 

The verdict?  We still love Squeeze In in South Reno, but Peg's is awesome, as well.  Now I've got that Steely Dan song stuck in my head: "Peg, I will come back to you!  Peg, I will come back to you!"  (And back to Squeeze In, too.) 

Peg's Glorified Ham n Eggs has locations in Downtown Reno, Northwest Reno and Sparks, besides the South Reno restaurant.  The South Reno phone number is (775) 851-7200. For more info, visit http://eatatpegs.com/ .

BONUS TRAVEL TIPS:  Breakfast hang-outs like the South Reno Squeeze In and Peg's had big shoes to fill when we moved to Reno.  Back in our Chicago and Seattle days, we were crazy about the Original Pancake House.  http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

We especially liked the Original Pancake House locations in Oak Forest and LaGrange, Illinois and the Kirkland, Washington location.  We visited the original Portland, Oregon restaurant, too.

Another don't-miss breakfast spot, if you're in the Seattle area, is The Maltby Cafe in the tiny town of Maltby, Washington.  http://maltbycafe.com/

Last but not least, when in San Diego (where my hubby grew up), do not miss having breakfast at The Broken Yolk Cafe! http://thebrokenyolkcafe.com/

So many great breakfast memories, but now we're creating breakfast memories here in South Reno, too.

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