2012Media Placements ~ Abbi Public Relations, Inc.
Campo Table Of Contents Date 12/31/2012 12/30/2012 12/30/2012 12/30/2012
Publication KOLO 2 News KTVN 2 News KTVN About.com Reno/Tahoe
12/27/2012
Los Angeles Times
12/19/2012
Marinij.com
12/6/2012 11/12/2012 11/1/2012 11/1/2012 10/24/2012 10/24/2012 10/17/2012
Reno Gazette Journal Fox Reno Full Service Restaurant Esquire Magazine Forbes.com Reno Gazette Journal Reno Gazette Journal
Title New Year's Eve In Northern Nevada New Year's Eve Preparations In Reno New Year's Eve Preparations Reno New Year's Eve Holiday Activities Guide Chef Mark Estee Opens Campo Mammoth At The Ski Resort Bread & Butter: Something's Brewing In Novato -Beltane Brewing Campo Rings It In Movember At Campo, Reno Going Whole Hog Best New Restaurants of 2012 Top 10 Food Trends For 2012 Try But Wait Reno Bites!
10/15/2012 Northern Nevada Business Weekly Food-Festival Backers Hope To Create Large Yearly Event 10/12/2012
Forbes.com
10/10/2012 10/7/2012 10/6/2012 10/6/2012 9/1/2012 8/19/2012 8/9/2012 8/1/2012 8/1/2012 8/1/2012 7/30/2012 7/18/2012 7/3/2012 7/1/2012 7/1/2012 7/1/2012 7/1/2012 7/1/2012 6/27/2012
Reno Gazette Journal Reno Gazette Journal KRNV News 4 Reno Gazette Journal Fallon Visitor Guide Virtual Gourmet RN&R: Best of Reno Awards CAMPO Newsletter Sacramento Magazine Reno Magazine KOLO RGJ Food & Drink KOLO Cares Northern Nevada Life Restaurant Hospitality Spirit Examiner Campo Restaurant Hospitality
6/27/2012
Bleacher Report
6/26/2012
KTVN 2 News
6/26/2012
RGJ.com
6/25/2012 6/25/2012
KRNV News 4 KOLO 8
Can Apple, Indie Music And Gourmet Pizza Reinvent Reno? Kudos, Campo Campo Holds Benefit For Family Injured In Crash Holley Family Benefit Dinner Campo Among Esquire's 20 Best New Restaurants Arts & Agriculture Event Staying Put In Reno Food & Drink Reader's Choice Best Of: Campo Certified Pizza Reno Travel Food Issue Art Town Artown Chefs: Culinary Arts at Campo Vote For Local Chef In Magazine Contest Campo Chef Is Contest Finalist Raise Your Social Status : Campo Oven-Roasted Cauliflower A Meatball To Remember At Campo Campo July 2012 Newsletter Raise Your Social Status Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux, a Unique Event on the PGA Tour Campo Restaurant Finalist In National Contest Eating News & Notes: Mark Estee Of Campo Is Cooking Light Contest Finalist Cooking Light-Mark Estee Cooking Light-Mark Estee
Campo Table Of Contents Date Publication 6/24/2012 RGJ My Meals 6/19/2012 The Atlantic City 6/13/2012 CAMPO Newsletter 6/11/2012 About.com Reno/Tahoe 6/9/2012 KOLO 8 6/9/2012 KTVN 2 News 6/6/2012 Meetings And Conventions 6/5/2012 Table Hopper 6/1/2012 Campo May/June 12 Nevada Magazine May/June 12 prevue 5/29/2012 Esquire.com Eat Like a Man Blog 5/17/2012 BESTBETS 5/13/2012 Northern Nevada Life 5/2/2012 RGJ Food 5/2/2012 Restaurant Hospitality 5/1/2012 CAMPO 4/30/2012 RGJ Local Life 4/28/2012 Adam T. Searcy 4/24/2012 Restaurant Hospitality 4/22/2012 RGJ My Meals 4/21/2012 Holistic Marketing Concepts 4/20/2012 RGJ My Week 4/18/2012 KTVN 2 News 4/12/2012 Best Bets Quick picks 4/4/2012 RGJ Food & Drink 4/4/2012 RGJ Food & Drink 4/2/2012 RGJ Local Life 4/2/2012 Edible Newsletter 4/1/2012 CAMPO March/Apr 12 Reno Magazine
Title Campo Is Artown Reno Just Wants To Be Normal: Campo Burgers For Boobies Top Places For Outside Dining In Downtown Reno A Sold Out Crowd Downtown Reno Downtown Reno's Dine the District Group Venue: Campo Picking Up John Waters Campo Newsletter CAMPO Four-Diamond Reno: Campo Cocktail Of The Week: The Darcy Farrow Monday: Monday Meatballs Movie And Meatballs John Mariani In Reno The Patio Is Open: Campo Monthly Newsletter Campo Offers Free Dish Mark Estee-Gets It The Patio Is Open No Ni Night The Socilaization Of The Restaurant Experience Epicurean Duel Cooking Tips With Jennifer Bushman Monday Movie And Meatballs Restaurants Welcome Diners With Special Menus At Campo, A Star Turn For Mom's Potato Pancakes Campo Dishes Free Meatballs Features: CAMPO Campo's Monthly Newsletter Campo Opening
3/29/2012
FoxReno.com
Campo makes Open Table's Hottest Restaurants List
3/29/2012
KOLO 8
Campo Makes Open Table's Hottest Restaurants List
3/8/2012 3/28/2012 Spring 2012
Best Bets Huffington Post Edible Reno-Tahoe
2/25/2012
Examiner.com
2/23/2012 2/23/2012 2/19/2012 2/15/2012 2/15/2012
BestBets RGJ Local Life RGJ My Meals Nevada Business KRNV News 4
Monday Meatball Night OpenTable Hottest Restaurants List River Walk Splash Nutrisystem's New Celebrity Chef Culinary Council Monday Movie And Meatballs Restaurant Offers Date Night Special Chef Estee At Nothing To It What Life Lesson Did You Learn The Hard Way? Night Out On News 4
Campo Table Of Contents Date 2/13/2012 2/9/2012 2/8/2012 2/3/2012 2/3/2012 2/3/2012 2/3/2012 2/3/2012 2/1/2012
Publication RGJ Local Life Reno Tahoe Best Bets RGJ Food And Drink MercuryNews.com MercuryNews.com MercuryNews.com Eventful Yahoo Upcoming Events RGJ Food And Drink
2/1/2012
Reno Gazette-Journal
2/1/2012 Association News 2/1/2012 Campo 2/1/2012 Nevada Business 1/25/2012 RGJ Food And Drink 1/18/2012 RGJ Food And Drink 1/17/2012 KTVN 2 News 1/17/2012 KRNV News 4 1/16/2012 Northern Nevada Business Weekly 1/16/2012 metromix reno 1/15/2012 KNPB 1/13/2012 Moonshine Ink. 1/13/2012 Moonshine Ink. 1/11/2012 RGJ Food & Drink 1/8/2012 KRNV News 4 1/8/2012 KTVN 2 News 1/7/2012 The Buzz 1/1/2012 RGJ My Week 1/1/2012 RGJ My Week Jan. 2012 Edible Reno-Tahoe
Title Free Meatballs At Campo With Stub Best New Restaurant: Campo Valentine's Contest Winner Monday, Movie And Meatballs Cocktail Night Date Night Campo's Event Listings Campo's Event Listings On The town To Celebrate Cupid's Sting, A Quiverful Of Dining Options Regional Focus Nevada Campo Newsletter Mark Estee Campo Meets Cupid Win Campo Valentine's Day Dinner For 2 Farmer Food And Friends No-Night At Campo Mark Estee Best New Restaurant: Campo No Ni Night Moody's Revitalized, Campo Established Soul Kitchen From Field To Fork Campo Weekly Special Nights Mark Estee Chef And Owner of Campo No Ni Night On Air With Marnie Brennan And Mark Estee No Ni Is Grandmother In Italian Heads Up On Healthy Eats & Beer Pairing Dinner Hot Events
New Year’s Eve In Northern Nevada
RENO, Nev. -- Monday is New Year's Eve and many people across the state are planning special events to celebrate the arrival of 2013. If you are going out to celebrate in Reno, remember, RTC wants to be your designated driver. They are offering free rides from 7pm to 2am. It's part of an effort to keep Nevada roadways safe and ensure no one drives drunk. RTC officials encourage everyone to support the Zero Fatalities Drive Safe Nevada initiative. For those of you celebrating the New Years near Tahoe, be prepared for a big crowd. About 60,000 people are expected in the area of Stateline. US Highway 50 may be closed to vehicle traffic in the evening for public safety. Therefore, traffic will be divered around the Stateline casino area on to Upper and Lower Lake Parkway Drive.
Traffic in that area is going to be pretty heavy, so it may take about 15 minutes longer to get where you're going, and always be prepared for slick roads. In this story, we are simply listing a number of events occurring Monday. We will update the list as needed: * Downtown Reno: New Year’s Eve celebration and fireworks display * Boomtown Noon-Year's Eve party starting at 11:00 a.m. with champagne and dessert. * Campo, Reno: 4 Course Menu, Champagne Toast, Live Music & Dancing (Dinner Seating at 8 p.m., $125 per person excluding tax, tip) * Gold Canyon Steakhouse, Dayton: Live Music & Dancing * Bodega Night Club Grand Opening 9 p.m. 555 East 4th Street, Reno, NV 89512 * Party at EDGE nightspot. Doors Open 8 pm, tickets are $55 in advance, $60 at the door.
There is always plenty to do on New Year's Eve, and there are going to be thousands hitting the streets of downtown Reno. Campo had only been open a few weeks when New Year's Eve rolled around last year. To ring in 2013 though, they're expecting big crowds for its New Year's Eve meal and champagne toast. "It's very festive," says Campo's general manager Giancarlo Pellegrino. "Especially this year, downtown is fully booked. Everyone is here to have a great new year." On Sunday afternoon, workers were still preparing for the feast. "She was cutting up some brioche, which is going to be part of the dessert part of the dessert menu," says Pellegrino. Locals are also gearing up for the celebrations, whether it's an evening downtown or something low-key. "As a rule, we try to avoid downtown because it's a little too busy for us," says Barbie Marcoe. "We kind of like the little bit more quiet." And, as most of us know, downtown is bustling on New Year's Eve. We found some families from the Sacramento area here to join in on the fun. "We came up a couple days ago, did a day of skiing and now we're just checking out Reno," says Tammie McKenna. One of the biggest draws for many New Year's Eve revelers is the downtown fireworks display. "I myself have actually never liked the sound of it, but I really think they're cool, the way how you can get them to go in different shapes and patterns," says 11-year-old Collin McKenna. The casinos are booked up with people ready to ring in the new year with a little gambling. "We enjoy it here," says Vernon Smith, visiting from Canada. "The casinos are closer together than Vegas." Written by Adam Rasmussen
New Year’s Eve Preperations 12/30/2012
12/30/2012
Bring in 2013 with these New Year's Eve holiday activities, events, and shows in Reno and Sparks. Activities include parties at casinos and nightclubs across the Truckee Meadows, plus dining specials and fireworks at midnight in downtown Reno. If you are going to be up at Lake Tahoe, check out these Lake Tahoe New Year's activities for your partying pleasure.
New Year's Fireworks in Downtown Reno Reno's New Year's fireworks show is sponsored by the downtown hotel casinos and the City of Reno. Be downtown at midnight for a spectacular fireworks display and fun street party to bring in 2013 with lots of big bangs. The fireworks street party centers around the Reno Arch and runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
New Year's Eve Events and Parties at Casinos and Restaurants Rockin' the Dome Dance Party at the Silver Legacy - Count down to 2013 at the best party in Downtown Reno. We are Rockin' the Dome on New Year's Eve with live entertainment, dance parties, and a spectacular midnight countdown and fireworks show at midnight. The 21+ party starts at 10 p.m. and tickets are $40. Admission gets you one drink, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight. The Silver Legacy is at 407 N. Virginia Street in Reno. Outside on Virginia Street, celebrate New Year's with the downtown Reno fireworks spectacular at midnight. Silver Legacy and other Reno casinos will be rocketing hundreds of pyrotechnics from the rooftops to ring in 2013. New Year's Eve at the Eldorado - BuBinga Lounge will host a special New Year's Eve Midnight Masquerade featuring Roni Romance and DJ Dragon spinning well into the New Year. General admission is $35. The Brew Brothers New Year's Eve features The Crashers playing today's hits and DJ D.Rek rockin' the beats well into 2013. One $15 cover includes entry to The Brew Brothers and Roxy's Bar and Lounge and includes party favors plus a countdown and midnight shot. Roxy's Bar and Lounge mixes it up this New Year's Eve. Gil, Stam and Bobby play at the piano bar starting at 4:30 p.m., with DJ Freeze stepping in to turn it up into the wee hours of the morning. A $15 cover gets you party favors and midnight toast plus entry into The Brew Brothers. For a quieter evening, try Cin Cin Bar and Lounge, with no cover charge. The Eldorado is at 345 N. Virginia Street in Reno. New Year's Eve at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks - The FIXX plays on New Year's Eve at the Nugget, starting at 10 p.m. There will be free entertainment, cash and free play, and restaurant specials throughout the casino. Enjoy two free champagne toasts, at 9 p.m. and midnight. Call (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 for details. The Nugget is at 1100 Nugget Avenue in Sparks. New Year's Eve at the Peppermill Hotel Casino - The Peppermill will have two options to ring in the New Year. The Capri Ballroom Bash, from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., will feature an evening of dancing, mingling, cocktails and party favors. Tickets are $60 per person and can be
12/30/2012
purchased online. Admission includes three drink tickets, party favors, and a champagne toast. On the casino floor, enjoy free champagne and music by Chocolate Martini in the Terrace Lounge from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. At midnight, there will be a big balloon drop and champagne toast infromt of the Cabaret Lounge. The Peppermill is at 2707 S. Virginia Street in Reno. New Year's Eve at the Grand Sierra Resort - Hit the hottest New Years Eve party in Reno and join Grand Sierra for Frozen in Time: the celebration of all time in WET Ultra Lounge and Bar. Dress in costume from your favorite era – 50s sock hop, 30s flapper girl, 90s parachute pants, or whatever time you are frozen in. There will be prizes for the best dressed. Toast to the New Year with a casino - wide countdown, special New Years dining menus, and great cocktails. The Grand Sierra is at 2500 E. 2nd Street in Reno. New Year's Eve at Harrah's Reno - Harrah's Reno, downtown next to the Reno Arch, is offering two New Year's Eve parties. At The State @ The Zone, there's no cover before 10 p.m., $10 after. The party will feature live music with AudioBoxx, party favors, dancers, and on-air personalities from Rock 104.5 FM. The Sapphire Lounge party starts at 9 p.m. and there is no cover. This party will include a DJ playing the hits, go-go dancers, and drink specials. At midnight, step outside for the fireworks show. New Year's Eve at Boomtown in Reno - Boomtown Casino Hotel will host a noon Year's Eve party starting at 11 a.m. You are invited to come enjoy champagne and dessert. On New Year's night, Rebekah Chase will be performing the most rocking hits around. The party features drinks, dancing, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and a live band. Boomtown is next to I80, just west of Reno at exit 4. For more information, call (800) 648-3790. New Year's Eve at The Knit - On New Year's Eve, the Knitting Factory will present NYE 2013 : Pandemonium with Chuck La Vida, H- Mazz, Ultraviolet Riot, DJ Kronyak, and DJ 530. The show is for 18+ and starts at 9 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $200 and can be purchased online. Call (775) 323-5648 for information. The Knitting Factory is at 211 N. Virginia Street, just south of the Reno Arch. New Year's Eve Party at Great Basin Brewing Company - Great Basin's annual New Year's Eve party / concert will be on two nights. On Sunday, December 30, Dead Winter Carpenters play with Moondog Matinee. Cover is $20. On New Year's Eve, Dead Winter Carpenters get down with Buster Blue for $30. Both shows are $40. The shows will be at Great Basin's original location at 846 Victorian Avenue in Sparks. For tickets and more information, call (775) 3557711. New Year's Eve at Campo Reno - Enjoy New Year's at Campo with a four course menu, champagne toast, party favors, live band and dancing. Dinner service starts at 8 p.m. and the cost is $125 per person excluding tax and tip. Campo is at 50 N. Sierra Street, on the ground floor of the Palladio condo building, facing the Truckee River. For reservations and more information, call (775) 737-9555. New Year's Eve at The Wild River Grille in Reno - New Year's Eve at the Wild River Grille will feature a four course gourmet dinner and complimentary glass of champagne. There will be live music with Erika Paul Carlson in the River Room. Dinner is $65 per person (tax and gratuity not included), with seatings from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended - call (775) 284-7455. Wild River Grille is at 17 S. Virginia Street, on the Riverwalk next to the Truckee River.
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Free New Year's Eve Safe Ride Home Program Between 7 p.m. New Year's Eve and 2 a.m. New Year's Day, RTC will be offering free rides on RTC RIDE, RTC RAPID, and RTC RAPIDCONNECT around the Reno / Sparks area. Just hop on board - no ticket required. The 4th Street Station in Reno is at the corner of Lake and 4th Streets. RTC Centennial Plaza in Sparks is at the west end of Victorian Square in Sparks. Reno's downtown bus system, RTC SIERRA SPIRIT, is always free and will be running its regular schedule on New Year's Eve. Call (775) 348-RIDE (348-7433) for assistance and more information.
"Tipsy Tow" from AAA AAA will be offering "Tipsy Tow" from 6 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Tuesday. Call (800) 222-4357 and tell the operator "I need a Tipsy Tow," and your vehicle will be towed up to 10 miles free of charge. You do not need to be a AAA member to use this service. Keep going for more New Year's Eve activities at Lake Tahoe and New Year's activities for kids, teens, and families.
Last year we wrote about the first public offering of local homebrewer Alan Atha and his aspirations to start a microbrewery with a tasting room. On Dec. 15, Atha's dream was realized with the grand opening of Beltane Brewing in Novato's Bel Marin Keys. Beltane Brewing's small tasting room features reclaimed redwood furniture that will sit about 12 — more if the crowd is more neighborly, he says. "The vision of the place is all camaraderie, no TVs," Atha says. And his brew is "mostly Belgian-style and West Coast kinds of beer." The tasting room is serving eight Beltane brews with a guest brew that will rotate. Prices range from $3.75 to $6 for a half-pint. Four-ounce pour tasting boards are available for $8 for four pours and $15 for eight. Initial hours are Monday through Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 2-10 p.m., Saturday 1-10 p.m. and Sunday 3-8 p.m. Hours will be adjusted in the future in tune with community demand. Beltane Brewing is at 401-B Bel Marin Keys Blvd. in Novato. Call 328-1373 or go to www.beltanebrewing.com. Mexican holiday Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito is celebrating Las Posadas, the pilgrimage, in traditional Mexican style. There's a special menu each night through Dec. 24. On Dec. 21, it will feature California yellowtail zarandeado (coal-roasted guajillo and arbol-rubbed fish), grilled onions, Mexican rice, and fennel with a citrus and anise seed vinaigrette for $24.
Drop by on New Year's Day for a Hangover Brunch, from a civilized 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for a choice of three brunch entrees, including chilaquiles divorciados — two fried eggs, salsa ranchera, roasted tomatillo salsa, house-made tortilla chips, sour cream and Zalazar Farms queso cotija ($15) with choice of the hair of dog, Micheladas, Mexican Beer Bloody Mary or Bloody Sangrias. Copita Tequileria y Comida is at 739 Bridgeway in Sausalito. Call 331-7400 or go to www.copitarestaurant.com. Ahwahnee chefs The Ahwahnee in Yosemite is again offering its popular Chefs' Holidays series, and Cowgirl Creamery's Peg Smith and Sue Conley will be participating. The 28th annual event, from Jan. 5 through 31, features a "Meet the Chefs" reception with three educational cooking demonstrations and tastings, a kitchen tour and five-course gala dinner prepared by the chefs and paired with four wines. Point Reyes' Smith and Conley will be demonstrating for the Jan. 16 and 17 session along with chef Mark Estee of Campo in Reno. Tickets for the gala dinner are $199. For a full list of participating chefs, call 801-559-4903 or go to www.yosemitepark.com. Kids get cooking Wondering what to do with the kids ovr the winter break? Get them cooking with ITK Culinary's Holiday Break Cooking Camp. The Culinary Dude, aka Scott Davis, will lead children 4 to 14 to cook in the style of their favorite cooking shows. They'll learn cooking techniques, prepare lunch from scratch each day learning kitchen and food safety, professional kitchen behavior, measuring and prep skills, and table etiquette along the way. The camp is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 26 through 28; cost is $225 or $85 for one session. ITK Culinary is at 300 Turney St. in Sausalito. Call 331-8766 or go to www.itkculinary.com.
Movember At Campo, Reno 11/12/2012
Restaurants Embrace Snout To Tail Practices The two halves of an Ossabaw Island hog are splayed across the wooden kitchen counter of Arlington, Virginia’s Green Pig Bistro. Chef-owner Scot Harlan looks over the American heritage breed pig and breaks it down verbally. “I’m going to make two hams, bacon, and Canadian bacon,” he says. “I’ll cook the tenderloins for the staff, the bones will go to stock, and the ribs will be cured. Then I’ll make scrapple with the head and country terrine with the shoulder. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the liver. And we’ll have a ton of fatback to play around with.” Though Harlan’s restaurant has only been open since early April, it has already earned a reputation for its highly creative snout-to-tail cuisine. The menu showcases such offal-oriented dishes as ox heart Reuben sandwiches, Kung Pao lamb sweetbreads, pig ear tacos, Southern-style chopped chicken livers glazed with maple and bourbon, steak frites with marrow butter, and poutine topped with foie gras and cubes of duck liver. A menu like this proves that you can go snout-to-tail with pretty much any animal—pig, cow, lamb, or fowl.
All across the country—from Portland, Oregon’s Country Cat Dinner House and Bar, Los Angeles’ Animal, and San Francisco’s Incanto to Philadelphia’s Alla Spina and New York City’s Sauce—whole-beast-focused restaurants are proving they’re a cut above the rest. The primal philosophy has found a home in international eateries as well, including St. John in London, which is led by snout-to-tail standard-bearer Fergus Henderson, and The Black Hoof and Parts & Labour, both in Toronto. Overcoming the fear factor Convincing diners to try off-cuts can be a tough job for a chef. There’s a fear factor associated with parts like the brain, cheek, and trotters (feet), which are not commonly served in many mainstream American restaurants. What will it taste like? Will the texture be weird? Does it smell funny? Is it unhealthy to consume vital organs or bone? Jennifer McLagan, author of Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal, believes this hesitance mostly comes from unfamiliarity. “We’ve lost touch with where our food comes from, and how a cow isn’t just steaks and chops,” she says. “It’s got a head, feet, a tail, a heart, a liver, lungs, and all these other parts.” Harlan thinks that the key to winning over diners to offal is putting it in the right context. “Put it in a dish that doesn’t scare them,” he says. “You do poached ox heart salad and you’re not going to sell any. But if you put Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on most things, it’ll taste like a Reuben.” McLagan confirms that the love of a familiar dish can overcome the hesitance to try a new ingredient. “You don’t fry up the brains or serve them a crispy testicle salad,” she says. “Instead, try heart ground up into a burger; brain ravioli; put tongue in a pasta sauce; or make blood ice cream.” Yes, you read that correctly: Blood ice cream. This sanguine sweet is already popular at restaurants like The Pig in Washington, D.C., which serves a chocolate-blood ice cream in its Sundae Bloody Sundae topped with brandied cherries, bacon-peanut brittle, and gingery whipped cream. It goes to show that offal can even be used for the dessert course—if a creative approach is taken. On this year’s Cochon 555 tour—a porcine competition celebrating snout-to-tail philosophy— some of founder Brady Lowe’s favorite dishes were the sweet finales. He was particularly impressed with Naomi Pomeroy’s porky chocolate blood pudding topped with cinnamony chicharrones (fried pork rinds) and a dollop of whipped vanilla bean lardo for Portland, Oregon’s Beast. He also liked Kelly English’s doughnut ball filled with blood chocolate ganache, for Memphis, Tennessee’s Restaurant Iris. For Lowe, creating memorable flavors and winning dishes simply comes down to technique. “It’s the chef’s job to maximize textures, flavors, and products that consumers will enjoy,” he says. Sometimes, incorporating unfamiliar cuts into familiar dishes isn’t enough. Mark Estee, the chefowner of Reno, Nevada’s Campo believes chefs need to ease first-time diners into the offal experience. “Introduce it in small portions at a small price,” he says. “Let people try it and get excited about it.” One of the easiest ways he does this is by offering a board of house-made charcuterie that
might include salami, mortadella (cured pork sausage flecked with fat cubes), terrines (coarse pâté), and rillettes (a style of pâté). Off-cuts are also unobtrusively ground into the hamburger patties and meatballs, and incorporated into the slow-cooked sugo (pasta sauce often made with pork cheeks). Estee cautions that there can be offal overkill. “I can’t put 11 different off-cuts on the menu at once,” he admits. “That would freak people out.” There’s also the matter of language. “I know one chef in New York who makes amazing head cheese, but he couldn’t get anyone to eat it,” says Marissa Guggiana, author of Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers. “Then he changed the name to pâté, and suddenly it was getting ordered every night. I’m not advocating being shady, but sometimes giving it a great name helps.” At Green Pig Bistro, you won’t see any mention of pig ears in the description for the tacos— they’re just crispy pig tacos. “There have been plenty of people who have had them and were told afterwards,” Harlan says. “I don’t feel bad about that. No one has freaked out.” There’s also a practical reason for his description. “My ambiguity is also so that I can put in pork belly if I’m out of ears,” he says. “That way they’re still crispy pig tacos.” Bulk savings Chefs are embracing this primal philosophy for a number of reasons. Estee had an epiphany 12 years ago when he was taking a class on how to break down a pig. “I was looking at a pork tenderloin, which weighs about two pounds, and realizing that it came out of a 100-pound half pig,” he says. “That made me realize there are so many more parts.” His kitchen goes through three pig halves a week and a half cow every other week. Of course, no matter why chefs started doing it, they all know that there’s one universal upside to snout-to-tail usage: It saves money. Guggiana goes one step further. “If you have the fortitude and you don’t make too many expensive mistakes, buying whole animal is profitable,” she says. Or, as Estee puts it: “It’s a lot less expensive to buy half an animal than it is to buy muscles.” Harlan concurs, since he pays about $4 a pound for American-heritage pigs sourced from Bev Eggleston’s Ecofriendly Foods in nearby Virginia. Though he’s paying the same amount for the eyes as he is the tenderloin, there are plenty of ways to maximize his profits if he can sell every last bit. When it comes to sourcing whole animals for restaurants, everyone interviewed for this article recommended getting in touch with local farmers directly. To find producers nearby, consult online directories like Eatwild, onlyGrassfed, and Farmer’s Pal. Tools of the trade Though more farmers and purveyors are offering off-cuts, the best way to do snout-to-tail cuisine will always be to do your own butchery in-house. However, the staff will have to be adept at breaking down animals and have the proper tools on hand. A good starter kit would include a few well-sharpened knives (both Guggiana and Harlan recommend Victorinox), a bone saw, a meat grinder, and a sausage stuffer. “And some brute strength,” Estee adds.
Guggiana stresses that it’s not about fancy equipment. “You need a game plan,” she says. “So, if you get a lamb in, you have to figure out how you’re going to use it. Day one, you’re going to cut it into primals, then get the loin and rib chop out onto the plate as specials. Day two, you’re going to make a sauce, get the bones in stock, and smoke the belly to make lamb bacon. You have to know how you’re going to use every part and when.” Once the animals are broken down, it’s important to empower your front-of-house staff. “Get your servers on board and let them try things,” Guggiana says. “If you’re making salumi by hand or spending time and money forming relationships with local farmers, you’re going to want to get some return on that. Servers need to know how to share that information with customers.” Staff should be ready to answer commonly asked questions about texture, flavor, smell, and health concerns. The chef can prep them with answers for the first three questions. As far as the latter goes, there’s little to suggest that there are adverse affects from eating offal in moderation, as long as the meat is high quality and properly prepared. Pushing boundaries Not every offal dish can be renamed or reconfigured to appeal to middle-of-the-road diners. One of the most memorable dishes Lowe ever enjoyed at Cochon 555 was Chris Cosentino’s fricola made with stomach, spleen, lung, uterus, and other types of offal. “It was these ribbons of flesh that were dried out and reconstituted to be like noodles,” Lowe remembers. “It was finished with brown butter sauce and a mayonnaise made with brain—brainnaise.” At Campo, Estee sometimes offers an Offal Offal Burger—modeled after Reno’s signature Awful Awful Burger—made with headcheese, trotters, cow testicles, beef liver, and beef heart. And Harlan recently purchased some blood, so he is thinking of recreating Fergus Henderson’s famous recipe for blood cake. “Other people at the restaurant are a little wary about putting it on the menu,” he admits, “but I’m going to do it because I want people to try new things, and I know it’s delicious.” When working with unorthodox ingredients, sometimes chefs will take diners out of their comfort zones. That’s the point, though, McLagan says. “The customer isn’t always right,” she says. “They need to be challenged a little.”
Top 10 Food Trends For 2012 10/24/2012 Once again, on National Food Day, we present the year’s leading trends in American food and restaurants. The pickings are as diverse as they are meaningful and (well, mostly) good for you and the environment. Just a taste: bison bitters, infused pastas, the Peruvian boom and – just possibly – the beginning of the end of bacon dominance. Wash them all down with water purified and bottled in house, and served for free.
Out west, Reno is often seen as something akin to Detroit: a city that depended on a single industry for far too long. Or in Reno’s case, industries: first gold mining, then divorces, and for the past half-century, gambling (or as the industry now likes to call itself, gaming). Lately, there’s been a lot of angst in Reno about what the city’s next steps will be. Should it try to chase big technology names? Emphasize its proximity to Lake Tahoe and California? Or create a cool Reno that attracts young, hip residents to whom Reno’s notorious history is simply a matter of the past? Last month, a group of journalism students at the University of Nevada, Reno, tackled all the issues facing the community on a blog called Reinventing Reno. Under my direction, the team — whose members were Cambria Roth, Zach Yeager, Zachary Volkert, Sage Leehey, Chanelle Bessette, Melissa McMorran, Nick Rattigan, Katherine Sawicki and Laney Olson — fanned out across Reno to find stories that look at Reno’s future. Reno’s revival, according to the team, looks like it will rely on a collection of ideas and efforts, touching every level of the city‘s economy. They include: Big name businesses. Reno officials were ecstatic in late June when Apple announced a $1 billion, 10year investment, writes Yeager. Apple is building offices in downtown Reno and a data center next door in Sparks, Nev. In exchange, Nevada gave the company $89 million in a special tax abatement. Writes Yeager: “While some claim that Nevada is the latest to overpay for the Apple brand name, critics were assured that attracting Apple as the first mover will spark additional investment in the region. William Eadignton, a professor of economics at the University of Nevada, Reno, said, “They have the potential to act as a catalyst.” But some fear that Reno is getting only a slice of investment, when what it needs is an entire orchard of Apples. “…All Reno has proven able to attract is their support functions: the back-of-the-house operations that just need to get done. Where and by whom isn’t important, so companies pick wherever they can do them the cheapest. Fortunately or unfortunately, when people think of doing business cheaply, Reno is at the top of their list.” Indie music. It’s a safe bet you wouldn’t put Reno on a list of the nation’s liveliest indie music capitols. But, Rattigan writes there’s an effort underway at creating a haven for indie artists, part of a bid to retain and attract more young people under age 21. He profiles the non-profit Holland Project, whose motto is, “Art. Music. Culture. By young people, for young people.”
The name Holland is a nod to the Vera Project, a similar all ages project based in Seattle, which is named after the Vera Club in Holland (aka The Netherlands). The organization’s music director, Clark Demeritt, says, “Reno has always had a pretty crazy Do-It-Yourself culture … it is a good fit for Reno, because if you want to see something you have to do it yourself.” Hip new business district. Ask anyone who lives in Reno about its most up and coming neighborhood, and you’re likely to hear about Midtown, which sits across the Truckee River a few blocks south of downtown Reno. Bessette writes, “The movers and shakers of Midtown have created a cultural center that they compare to the styles of San Luis Obispo, Austin, and Portland, especially within the last two years. In this time, the area that was previously known for hosting rundown and abandoned buildings has exploded with newfound dining, shopping and cultural delights.” Take a walking tour of Midtown Reno here. Along with Midtown, small businesses have popped up all over Reno, captured in this slideshow by Sawicki. Downtown movement. Visitors to Reno may not venture out to these places, but they are discovering some of the city’s new restaurants, bars, and developments along the riverfront, where a muchphotographed attraction is the bridge where freshly minted divorcees threw their wedding rings into the Truckee. One leader of the downtown revival is Mark Estee, a well-known California chef who once worked for Paul McCartney and whose Reno restaurant, Campo, bustles all day long with customers. Many come in for the gourmet pizzas he fires in a wood-fueled oven, others simply for an espresso. Estee told Leehey, ““I want all the businesses looking (for locations) to know that there is opportunity available,” Estee said. “The more the merrier in my book. There is a hunger and a thirst for these things down here. There is clientele available. You just have to come in. You have to engage them.” Deeper problems. One challenge, however, will be finding solutions for Reno’s abandoned casinos. As Olson reported, some have been converted into condos, while one development, CommRow, is taking a different approach. “Open for a year, it is providing entertainment with a rock climbing wall, restaurants, bars, and a club. General Manager Dean Hanson is hoping a hotel portion will be open in 2013.” Olson writes. Another, more deep-rooted issue for Reno is its steep unemployment, which has led to homelessness for some, and hurdles for others in remaking their lives. The “no vacancy” signs at some of the city’s motels camouflage who actually lives there: a number of welfare recipients, including their children. Roth spoke with two teens who are determined to overcome their difficult start, and to area activists helping low-income recidents, addicts and alcoholics. She also profiles Chuck Grimm, a leader in the Pathfinders Children Ministry, whose organization has about 150 children in grades K-12 that attend Pathfinders on Friday nights. Many families live in the rooms of Wonder Lodge Motel. “The children are fed a meal, play games, do a bible study, and we counsel,” Grimm said. “Kids will do anything to come because one, they enjoy it and two, it gets them out of their home environment.” What do Reno residents think of all this? Some are concerned that Reno’s less-than-savory image might hold the city back in its revival efforts, writes Volkert. A number of city dwellers talked to McMorran about what they think the world thinks of Reno. Take a read through all the Reinventing Reno stories, explore the photos, and decide for yourself. Can Reno be reinvented?
THIS WEEK Staying Put in Reno Part Two by John Mariani Everyone Has a Julia Child Moment by John Mariani
NEW YORK CORNER Moti Mahal by John Mariani
Staying Put in Reno Part Two by John Mariani
That's a nostalgic 1950 postcard above of Reno's Virginia Street, at a time when its principal draw was its casinos, where the restaurants served up an amalgam of American and continental food at prices low enough to keep people fueled up and ready to gamble the night away. But as in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Reno is making strides to become a destination for all manner on non-casino activities, and that includes some excellent restaurants, both large and small, attracting locals and visitors alike for their variety and quality, from sushi bars and Thai restaurants to grand Italian places and steakhouses.
At Campo, owner-chef Mark Estee and chef de cuisine Arturo Moscoso have given Reno its first, unmistakably modern Italian restaurant, from antipasti to zuppa, and done it with enormous brio, from first-rate pizzas that are impeccably charred and blistered to housemade charcuterie and freshly made pastas. Not only has Campo energized the local dining community but it is starting to get noticed throughout the West for its formula of true hospitality, sumptuous food, and moderate prices, all within a big, open atmosphere of good times. Plan to eat a lot and share everything. Of course, as in so many Italian restaurants, the appetizers and pastas are the show-off dishes, and the charcuterie (below) at Campo is outstanding, as are the peppers al forno with a lemon-lime sea salt, the white polenta with roasted mushrooms and egg, and, most of all, the crispy pork plate lavished with ear-and-jowl skin that crunches when you bite into it like tortilla chips. The pizzas come from a custombuiltoven that makes them textbook perfect in texture, and the quick cooking guarantees they are very hot and the dough just starting to subside under the toppings. The housemade pastas are difficult to choose among—tagliatelle with wild boar bolognese ragÚ and aged pecorino cheese; risotto with roasted pork, zucchini, spring onion, and chicharones; and potato gnocchi with truffled-mascarpone and grana padano cream sauce. And if you have room, by all means order the roasted baby pig, porchetta, with purple mashed potatoes or the stuffed pig's trotter called zampone (Campo goes through several whole Niman Ranch pigs per week). Desserts are good--creamy budino and cheesecake--and the wine list is highly admirable for having so many well-chosen bottlings under $50. Campo is a major player in town, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Estee branch it out to Lake Tahoe. That city could use it.
Dinner starters $4-$11, pizzas $12-$15, pastas (half portions available) $22-$28, main courses $13-$50.
KOLO 8: Art Town July 30, 2012
Recently, the Riverwalk Dining District sponsored Dining the District tour, a tour of downtown Reno restaurants that featured tastes of over 20 different restaurants in the Riverwalk area, and we were lucky enough to be invited to attend. Our next stop was the Italian eatery Campo, which was quite popular with diners on the tour. Campo had their tasting set up on their charming patio, set with an eclectic blend of Victorian settees and bistro tables where guests can linger before entering the dining room. It was a warm day, and there was a long line waiting to taste the bite, but everyone was friendly and patient as we waited our turn. Campo is an elegant space located in the same building as JB Mapes, across from the Riverside Theater, and it offers lunch, brunch, and dinner menus, which change seasonally. Campo makes everything in-house, from their pastas to their pizzas, and they pride themselves on their fresh, local ingredients. They served a taste of their homemade meatball, which was heavenly. It was soft, juicy, and tasted fresh, seasoned perfectly, and was the ideal size. The only thing wrong, it was cold, I would have preferred it hot, but because of the crowd of people, and being served outside, I suppose that was impossible. I wish that the tasting was served inside, so we could have seen the inside of the restaurant, as well, but that probably would have been unwieldy with the size of the crowd. That taste of meatball would certainly bring me back to try another taste of Campo on a different evening. Campo offers quite a wide variety of choices on their menus, so diners can try many types of Italian dishes, and they offer many different brunch choices for a special Sunday brunch. Located right on the Truckee River, the patio is a great way to spend an evening over cocktails and an appetizer. Campo is 50 North Sierra Street, Suite 104, 775-737-9555.
Golf Writer Andy Reistetter continues his exclusive "Play-Write" series playing his first round of golf on a High Sierra golf trip at a course you have undoubtedly seen on television and wondered what it would be like to play. Montreux Golf and Country Club is a private gated community located between Reno and Lake Tahoe and soon will be hosting the PGA TOUR's RenoTahoe Open for the 14th time. Join Reistetter as he flies into Reno-Tahoe, plays the exclusive Montreux and gets the inside story to this year's RenoTahoe Open.
There I was sitting in my window seat flying up from the south to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO). I can't tell you what seat I was in because I was aboard a Southwest flight. There are seat numbers, but who looks on Southwest? I found a window seat with a "C" boarding pass, so I knew this was going to be a good trip. When l first saw the High Sierra Mountains, I entered into some sort of mesmerizing meditation knowing I was coming to play Montreux Golf & Country Club where the PGA TOUR pros will be playing in exactly five weeks on August 2 in the Reno-Tahoe Open (RTO). The High Sierras start 100 miles or so north of Los Angeles and progressively crescendo through the Sequoia and Yosemite national parks to the magnetic magnificence of Lake Tahoe. Once you see Lake Tahoe from above—and you cannot miss it—as it is the largest alpine lake in North America you know you are getting close to landing in what is unequivocally known as the living, working and playing paradise of Reno-Tahoe. With golf on my mind, I looked out the window to see green footprints of the golfing god of my golfing heritage. She walked with care though leaving her imprints of golf courses on the beautiful terrain. One course safely nestled in the foothills of a valley below, another on the barren terrace along the ridge northeast of Reno, and a third I could see in the Ponderosa pine trees on the gentle eastern slopes of snow-capped Mt. Rose-Montreux! Montreux's 16th hole from the tee... a fun foursome- (L to R) Palm Springs' Matt McKay host of the Elevated Tee, the desert's original golf talk show; Sacramento's Vince Mastrucco, producer and host of Golf Talk; yours truly; and Texas golf writer Steve Habel.
Once landed, the hypnotic state inverts itself. Instead of looking down on the glorious mountains and lakes, you are in the flatness of a high desert valley looking up to the peaks of what must be one of God's greatest creations. The view from the ground is a montage of stunning beauty in all directions. I missed experiencing Reno when I came to the Fire Science Academy at the University of Nevada Reno almost 30 years ago. Fighting fires all day requires sleep at night. Now my eyes seemed to be open to a dynamic community in a majestic setting. From RNO, I headed south 15 miles towards Lake Tahoe on an expressway. It seemed as though I was standing on the tee of the opening hole at Montreux quicker than Kevin Na waggling his way to fame at The PLAYERS or Jason Dufner waggling his way to two PGA TOUR wins! With only a 9-iron approach and an easy 2-putt par on the first, I was thinking my game is in the best shape ever. On the second, I am reminded I am playing a Jack Nicklaus creation as the
forecaddie notes its 267 yards to the gigantic Ponderosa pine in the middle of the fairway. I blew it by the tree into the left fairway. Feeling really good about my game, a thought came to mind of getting to the last Q-School before the PGA TOUR makes the Nationwide Tour the only ticket to the BIG tour. Not a realistic thought, mind you, like freshman Jordan Spieth of the National NCAA Champion UT Longhorns golf team. After all, I meet the age requirement for the Champions Tour! A better view from the tee of the 16th at Montreux. Photograph courtesy of Rod Hanna, Golf the High Sierra.
Then it dawned on me in the middle of the afternoon when I flew my wedge 20 yards over the green on the fourth hole. There's a reason "High" is in High Sierra. I was playing high altitude golf and didn't even know it. I guess golfing in the Reno-Tahoe area has one very special advantage— added length. The playing experience of Montreux is incredible—views of snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and the majestic pines lining the fairways. The most dramatic elevation change presents itself on the tee of the 421-yard par-4 17th hole (Montreux tees are a short 6,539 yards). The adjective "picturesque" does not do it justice. The criss-cross mowing pattern of the flat fairway 138 feet below attracts your eye and hopefully your golf ball. You need to be in this fairway to find the smallish green tightly tucked into a side hill accented with tall pines and guarded by a gushing creek short and right. Sadly, I still had not learned to judge my distances and my ball came to rest over yet another green. After the round, I joined the full contingent of golf travel writers for a reception at the Chocolate Bar and dinner at Campo's in downtown Reno. On a Sunday night, the activity level was bustling for "The Biggest Little City in the World." Reno really isn't that little as it is the largest Nevada city excluding that other gambling and entertainment mecca. I highly recommend the chocolate shake at its namesake bar and the Dover Sole/Prince Edward Island Mussel Sauce entrée at Campo's. Travel golf writers tend to be a sociable sort of people especially when intermingled with local public relations and sales and marketing folks.
Author with Jana Smoley the Executive Director of the Reno-Tahoe Open at a reception at The Chocolate Bar in downtown Reno, Nevada. Note the chocolate shake... hmmm very tasty!
I had the remarkable pleasure to meet Jana Smoley, the Executive Director of the Reno-Tahoe Open (RTO). Since becoming the skipper of a rising boat in lowering economic times, she, her team and partners have made changes in the RTO as dramatic as the Montreux golfing experience. In our ten minute conversation my thoughts were not about adding a women's touch to professional golf. My thoughts were simply that getting a natural leader and someone who really cares into the right position is a tremendous catalyst for change probably anywhere on this planet. The RTO will become the only PGA TOUR event using a Modified Stableford scoring system starting with their 14th rendition in August. Weighted heavily towards sub-par scoring on each hole, the format encourages a "go-for-it" attitude which makes for exciting golf on an inspiring golf course! Jana, the mother of two young children and an obvious adventure athlete is bringing Annika Sorenstam to the RTO for the second year in a row with a Women's Day leading into the tournament on Sunday, July 29th. She is also switching the playing of the nines at Montreux to showcase the mountain views of the closing holes for the millions of golfers around the world watching on TV. The Reno-Tahoe Open and Montreux Golf & Country Club are making their imprint on the PGA TOUR no different than the golfing god's golf course footprints on the High Sierra landscape. Both are inspirational. This is the RTO gopher who is very excited about the new Modified Stableford scoring format for the 2013 Reno-Tahoe Open... catch all the excitement on the Golf Channel beginning on Thursday, August 2nd.
Want a tip on where to schedule your next golfing vacation? My tip is head for RNO, watch the RTO at Montreux and golf, golf, golf- there are over 50 golf courses in the Reno-Tahoe area. You may not remember your seat number but I bet you will remember every golf hole you played.