22-05-2025
A Winding, Mountainous, Historic Road Trip From Reno to Lake Tahoe
There's a reason Reno, Nevada, one of the original American boomtowns, has so many businesses with the word 'silver' in their name. The history of Nevada aligns closely with the discovery of the Comstock Lode, an enormous silver ore deposit in Virginia City, near present-day Reno. (Nevada's nickname is also the 'Silver State.') Fortunes rise and fall, of course, and Reno has cycled through different eras of changing fortunes in its 150-plus-year history. Today, Reno is usually overlooked as a destination in favor of its younger, flashier downstate cousin, Las Vegas.
But is that justified? Maybe not, as Eater's Matthew Kang and I discovered during an action-packed 36 hours this spring. We set out to create a quick, fun road trip to better understand the area between Reno and Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border, with a bunch of stops in between. We discovered breathtaking mountain views, a non-stop bacchanal of worthy food stops, and fun, old-timey bars and saloons that nod to the heyday of the area's silver rush in the second half of the 19th century.
A late-night arrival into the 'Biggest Little City in the World' led us to scour the town for a nighttime bite. (We did wonder: If Reno is the biggest little city, what's the smallest big city? Philly? San Francisco?) We found a respectable stack of golden pancakes and warm service at the Gold 'N Silver Inn diner before heading to Virginia Street, a walkable stretch south of Reno's downtown with funky college town shops like the Melting Pot.
'Do you serve slices?' I asked the woman behind the counter at Pizzava. 'I've got eight slices all together,' she replied, implying they only come whole. Fair enough. Their 'Backyard' pizza was a better version of a Domino's deluxe pie and served as an ideal midnight snack. After checking out the spacious outdoor patio at Z Bar across the street (and after someone asked Kang from a moving car if he was the photographer behind Reno After Dark), we settled into a comfortable room downtown at Caesars Entertainment's $90-a-night Silver Legacy. (There's that word again.)
The following morning, we explored the casino as well as two others that are attached to create a kind of blocks-long super resort: Eldorado and Circus Circus. Don't miss the centerpiece of Silver Legacy — a shockingly large silver mining rig fitted with lots of kaleidoscopic lights, towering over the gaming area. Circus Circus, for what it's worth, appears much nicer than the worn-down Vegas property and, with its carnival-like games and ample space to run around, looks like it'd be a pretty fun place to take the kids. Before we left the complex, Kang played a hand of baccarat, bet on banker, and won. Who said gambling doesn't pay?
In the face of unspeakably beautiful spring weather, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance, we set out from Reno. But not before making a couple of quick stops: Star Village Coffee, a Native American-owned coffee shop, is an excellent choice for caffeinated beverages. I had a seasonal maize latte, slightly sweet with earthy undertones, as well as a tahini rose chocolate chip cookie. The Artists Co-op Gallery down the street is worth stopping in for a nice selection of work by local artists. When we went, one of the resident artists told us, unprompted, that all-you-can-eat sushi was quite literally invented in Reno. Maybe it's something in the water, but there have been several recent stories about AYCE sushi and its popularity in Reno. Whether the city is the actual origin or its locals have simply embraced it more strongly than in other places, there's no denying that Reno has an enduring love affair with sushi. (We'll have to partake next time.)
The name 'Coney Island' may have distinctly East Coast connotations, but in Sparks, Nevada, the town adjacent to Reno, it's the name of a clubby-feeling bar with some killer lunch specials. Coney Island Bar, in a building that's stood since the Great Depression, is something between a sports bar and an Elks Lodge outpost. They've got a rotating set of homespun lunch specials like spaghetti and a hot sweet ham sandwich. The roast beef sandwich, eaten on pillowy white bread swiped with tonsil-searing horseradish sauce, is outstanding, as is the roast turkey sandwich.
Our next stop was none other than the Nevada state capital, Carson City, just a stone's throw away from Reno, a little over a half-hour's drive if driving directly. However, we took a scenic detour through the Virginia Highlands and up Geiger Grade Road — not named, as you might think, after Hans Geiger, he of the radioactivity counter. Rather, it's named after Davison Geiger, who paid for the road. It's a fun, serpentine drive that our rented Buick SUV could barely handle, but it paid off with some spectacular views of the Truckee Meadows valley.
That road takes you to Virginia City, which was the center of Nevada's silver mining explosion in 1859. It also happens to be where a young man named Samuel Clemens wrote for the local newspaper under the name Mark Twain. More than 150 years later, Virginia City is a kitschy 'Wild West' tourist town with old Victorian buildings, souvenir shops, and dusty saloons with names like 'Bucket of Blood' to peek into. It's certainly worth a stop if you're in the area, if only to see how the places have evolved for the modern era — old card tables, some of which are still on display, have been replaced by the relentless buzz of new slot machines. Foodwise, a box of kimchi fried rice at Lost Seoul Saloon, almost certainly the only Korean restaurant in Virginia City, proved to be great value. Bright orange and festooned with chopped scallions, it was a tangy and filling snack that satisfied during this quick stop.
Saloons and a general Wild West motif are popular in this part of the country, and the theme continues as you move into the capital, a short drive down from the hills of Virginia City. Bank Saloon, just across the street from Nevada's various legislative buildings in Carson City, supposedly dates back to 1899. Today, it certainly doesn't look over 100 years old, as, in recent years, it's had a reinvigorating makeover and serves bespoke cocktails while hosting events like a weekly 'Puppy Hour,' where patrons are invited to bring in their dogs. The drinks are solid, and it's worth a look, if only for the befuddlingly large amount of Bob Ross paraphernalia decorating the inside.
When in an unfamiliar place, your best move come mealtime is often to check out a local grocery store. And so we headed toward Hacienda Market and Grill, a Mexican grocery northeast of the Capitol building that also has prepared foods. After sampling the shop's carnitas taco (and the diverse salsa selection), we headed south out of town to nearby Genoa, Nevada, and its venerable Genoa Bar, which advertises itself as Nevada's oldest bar — a very distinct possibility as it opened in 1853, many years before Nevada's statehood. The clientele at Genoa during our visit was a healthy mix of out-of-state travelers and local bikers, which fits in with the timeless Old West feel of the town.
One spicy bloody mary and another winding, scenic drive later, we had reached Lake Tahoe. Technically, we had arrived in the prosaically named Stateline, which lies, well, on the Nevada side of the state line shared with California. Harveys Lake Tahoe, another Caesars property that will soon be rebranded as Caesars Republic, was where we checked into our spacious rooms (about $100 a night including resort fee, plus an inexpensive upgrade). The view from my room, a craggy, snow-capped mountain tableau, was stunning, nearly making up for the fact that the lobby was a full-on construction zone.
After checking in and resting, it was time to treat ourselves a bit. Kang and I had been eating good but frankly inexpensive meals over the last 18 hours. Dinner at the gorgeous Edgewood Tahoe resort was the antidote. Entering the building itself is an experience, with floor-to-ceiling windows treating visitors to views of pine trees soaring over the glimmering lake, all set beneath a dramatic mountain backdrop. Fat curry-and-lime mussels and spice-rubbed lamb chops taste better when taking in a sunset over the Sierras as you eat them. If I'm picking nits, a seafood tagliatelle had slightly undercooked pasta, but the overall quality of the seafood picked up the slack.
Diners looking for a good value seafood experience on a slightly lower budget should check out Kalani's, on the California side of the state line. A Chilean sea bass with ponzu butter sauce is a good bet, as are the sushi rolls.
Why not take the long way back to Reno?
The next morning, with cool air in our lungs and after numerous gulps of the refreshing mountain tap water, we left the south side of Lake Tahoe. Why not take the long way back to Reno? Cliches come to mind when driving on a clear day along the lake — 'breathtaking' is one of them — but they really tell the truth. Maybe it's just culture shock coming from the often hazy urbanity of Los Angeles, but, occasionally, your organs forget what clean air feels like.
Arriving at the northeast side of the lake in Incline Village (a place that, along with Stateline, really could use a renaming), we hit the Tunnel Creek Cafe, a quaint little counter-service restaurant with a pleasant outdoor dining area. While chatting with the friendly staff, we learned a fun fact: The restaurant is near the entrance of what used to be Ponderosa Ranch, a theme park based on the television Western Bonanza , which you're almost certainly too young to remember but was one of the most successful and longest-running television shows of all time. Bonanza starred Lorne Greene and Michael Landon, among others, and took place on a fictional ranch close to Virginia City, which we had just visited. A theme park was created based on the show, which ran from 1959 to 1973. Some episodes were even shot inside the park; eventually, the park closed in 2004.
While at Tunnel Creek Cafe, you would be wise to sample their Swedish oatmeal pancakes. Now, what makes them exactly Swedish is unclear to me, as Swedish pancakes are typically paper-thin and quite eggy, adorned with powdered sugar and lingonberry jam. These were not that — but they were excellent. They resembled a normal hotcake in size and shape, but were impossibly airy with a wonderful nutty flavor.
Full to the brim from the last couple of days of eating, we felt ready to head back to Reno to catch our flight home. After a quick stop at the beach near the northernmost point of the lake to take in yet another Ansel Adams-esque vista, we embarked on one final winding drive through the mountains, past ski slopes that still held onto a surprising amount of powder.
Before heading to the Reno airport, with just enough time for a final meal, we stopped at Casale's Halfway Club, a classic red-sauce joint on East Fourth Street that says it's Reno's oldest restaurant. And while that's a tough claim to fact check, the restaurant's small-town charm and food quality are not in question. It's a cozy space, every cranny of the room filled with photos, tchotchkes, and writing on the walls and ceilings, like at the old Gino's East in Chicago, a fixture of my adolescence. The house-made ravioli are a good choice, as is the lasagna, which takes a while to come to the table but is ultimately worth the wait. Emerging with a golden brown, leopard-spotted crust, it's everything I want in a lasagna: piping hot, saucy, and blanketed with borderline too much cheese. And at just $24 for a lasagna and a small order of ravioli, this was a lunch bargain that seems difficult to beat.
Just as suddenly as it began, our trip had ended, and it was time to hop our quick flight back home. We were possibly dazed — food comatose, certainly — after a whirlwind trip, but had new insights on a part of Nevada neither of us had really known deeply before. Between the good food and drink, historical significance, and natural beauty, we agreed on one thing: There was still plenty of silver in those hills, and we'd be back soon to explore again.
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