Santa Fe Hotel, 235 Lake St, Reno, NV 89501
On my last visit to the West Coast I had hoped to try Basque cuisine, but the plans fell through. I wasn’t leaving this time without success and found the experience in this Reno establishment to be unique and delicious to boot! First tip, you need to come here hungry. Very, very hungry, because you are going to be receiving five heaping courses of a formidable feast (or four if you forgo the entrée, like I did and it was still too much food!).
The steaming soup came out quick with some fresh French bread and it was top notch. I couldn’t help but refill my bowl over and over again, though I tried to slow down knowing there was a lot more to come. I tasted beans, onions, and all sorts of yummy spicy. More beans came out and they were addictively delicious as was the fresh salad. We picked the two different side dishes, Jeff went for the oxtail and I for the paella, so much food. More meat for Jeff, a big ole steak, and some killer French fries. We were so stuffed we couldn’t even think of vanilla ice cream, so we opted for a bit of cheese for dessert.
Oh and you get a carafe of house wine! My goodness. We had some great leftovers for lunch the next day, to be sure. Skip the buffets and go for something different when you’re in Reno, the food is hot and a lot, you won’t soon forget this meal.
Great Full Gardens, 555 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501
Looking for something a little lighter, this spot was super popular on a weekday night and for good reason! The murals and artwork around the walls were beautiful,
and I loved the thankful quotes posted on the table.
There were tons of healthy, vegetarian, and vegan options available. The wasabi vegetable bowl was incredibly flavorful, I would chug a bottle of that homemade dressing! Warm brown rice, spinach, kale, broccoli, avocado, cucumber, tomato, all of the nutrients my body craved was in this bowl.
Even if you planned on eating healthy, don’t leave without dessert here! Juli’s famous apple chai cookie a la mode and vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookie a la mode were dynamite!
Honey Bakery, 403 Keystone Ave, Reno, NV 89503
We got back late one night after a far off hike and were in need of a quick and delectable takeout meal. We couldn’t even wait to get back to the hotel room car picnic time! The pork buns were top notch – fluffy, savory, goodness, but what really surprised me was the sweet pineapple bun. Warm, buttery, and sweet – this was another real winner!
It’s such a unique experience, would love to see more of their culture over in Europe.
I happened to have dinner at the Santa Fe only a month ago. What a unique experience. My wife and I enjoyed the communal table arrangement and chatting with others who shared our table.