2013 Campo Media Placements by Campo

2013 Media Placements The Abbi Agency

Campo Table Of Contents Date

Publication

8/3/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

8/1/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013 7/26/2013

Golf & Lifestyle WWLP WoodTV WIVB WishTV.com Wane.com News 8 WTNH KXAN KSN KRQE KIMT KASA Kansas First News Fox 43 Fox 11 CW 55 TV CBS 42 2 News WDTN

7/13/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

7/12/2013 7/1/2013 7/1/2013

Pop Sugar Alaska Airlines Smart Meetings - Online

7/1/2013

Southwest Spirit Magazine

Reno Pulls Out All The Stops Annually For A Month-Long Arts Extravaganza Called Artown

6/26/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

Cheese; From Cow One Day To Customer The Next

6/26/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

Sand Hill Farmstead Cheese, The Area's Only Artisan Cheese Maker, Finds Increasing Demand For Its Products (Watch Video)

6/25/2013

The Cheri Hill Show

6/13/2013

VIA (AAA)

6/7/2013 6/6/2013

Yahoo! Shine The Daily Meal

6/1/2013

Pizza Today

Title Reno-Tahoe Open: Local Food Options Add To Experience 19th Hole Cocktail Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Happy Hour - Pale Blue Eyes Sunday Profile: Women's Day Reaches Children Through Debbie Fuetsch Cooking With Kids - The Safe Way Enjoying Reno And Lake Tahoe Nevada: A World Within

Local Sustainable Food Movement In Northern Nevada Recipe: Wild Salmon with Grilled Vegetable Succotash Top Underestimated Food Cities Top 10 Under-the-Radar Towns Mark Estee, Owner & Chef, Campo, Reno, Nevada, Talks Pizza Quality Control & Authenticity

Campo Table Of Contents Date

Publication

5/7/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

5/7/2013

Getaway: Reno-Tahoe

4/29/2013

Keeping Lake Tahoe…The Best Lake

4/28/2013

KRNV News 4

4/24/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

4/23/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

4/14/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

4/13/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Reno Rebirth

4/12/2013

SF Gate

4/12/2013

Moonshine Ink

4/12/2013

The Game Changer

4/8/2013

Zagat

4/1/2013

Reno Tahoe Magazine

3/28/2013

Examiner

3/27/2013

Market Watch

3/27/2013 3/17/2013 3/13/2013

What Keeps The BIGGEST…little. Northern Nevada Arts & Enterainment Reno Gazette Journal

3/11/2013

This Is RENO

3/3/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

3/1/2013

Reno Tahoe Tonight

3/1/2013 3/1/2013 3/1/2013

National Geographic Nevada Business Nevada Business Magazine

2/28/2013

Sierra Sun

2/27/2013 2/24/2013

Reno Gazette Journal Northern Nevada Arts & Enterainment

2/21/2013

Sierra Sun

2/20/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

Title In One Ear: La Strada Bests Campo At Nevada Opera Chefs Duel The Perfect Side Dish: Dining With A View In Reno/Tahoe Lake Tahoe's "Biggest Little Neighbor" Community Helps Raise 20K For The Eddy House Pot Pies Fundraiser Eating News & Notes: Pot Pies Benefit Helps Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care The Great Indoors The Great Indoors [Includes Video Of DesertGrown Fish] Anti-Cancer Club Founder To Guest On The Cheri Hill Show Top Chefs: Local Chefs Are Heating Up The Culinary Vibe In Reno-Tahoe Locally Grown And Operated Pebble Beach Food & Wine Wrap: Crab Legs, Uni Onslaught, Fave Bites Delicious Adventures Open Table Releases Top 100 Restaurants In America Open Table Diner Reviews Reveal The Top 100 Dining Spots In The U.S. Mark Estee, 12 Months Revisited Campo Gold Card For Napa Trip Campo Gold Card For Napa Trip TEDx University - Things I Love That Make My Business Successful (video) People You Should Get To Know: Joseph Dutra Mark Estee Named James Beard Award Semifinalist, Best Chef In The West Top 10 Emerging Ski Towns Mark Estee: Campo Face To Face Tahoe Truckee Community Announcements Getting Beard-ed Campo 4-Course Beer Dinner Mark Estee Named James Beard Award Semifinalist Estee Named Deard Semi-Finalist

Campo Table Of Contents Date

Publication

2/19/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

2/19/2013

Inside Scoop SF

2/19/2013

LA Times

2/18/2013 2/13/2013

The Paramus Post KOLO News 8

2/11/2013

KTVN News 2

2/9/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

2/7/2013

KOLO News 8

2/5/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

2/4/2013 2/4/2013

About.com Reno Gazette Journal - Online

2/3/2013

Reno Gazette Journal - Online

1/26/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

1/24/2013 1/17/2013

Fox Reno Reno News & Review

1/16/2013

KRNV News 4

1/13/2013 1/10/2013

Northern Nevada Arts & Enterainment Gayot.com

1/10/2013

The Chamber

1/9/2013

Reno Gazette Journal

1/9/2013

Hotel Chatter

1/9/2013

SF Weekly - Blog

1/8/2013 1/7/2013 1/1/2013

KTVN News 2 Ranch & Coast - Online Ranch & Coast

Title Eating News & Notes: Nominate Your Favorite Local Burger 2013 James Beard Awards Semifinalists Announced; Bay Area Fares Well Again Lots Of L.A. Names In James Beard FirstRound Nominations Reno Tahoe, The "Next Big Thing"? Mardi Gras In Reno Reno Rotary Club To Host Mardi Gras Party Tonight Rotary Club Hosts Reno Mardi Gras On Tuesday To Benefit Community, Youth Avoiding Valentine's Day Procrastination UNR: First TEDx Event Showed Heart And Soul Of Reno Valentine's Day Dining In Reno Dining Out Options For Valentine's Day Cashing In On Kaepernick: UNR, Reno Get Publicity Boost From Quarterback's Meteoric Rise Speakers Share Triumph, Tragedy, Insight At Reno's First TEDx Event Tedx Event Are Bodies Stacking Up Like Cord Wood? UNR To Host TEDx At College Of Business Campo Offers 30-Minute Lunch Campo Restaurant Review Campo Reno Chef Mark Estee To Headline Session At Yosemite's Chefs' Holidays At The Ahwahnee Campo Quick Lunch Ahwahnee Hotel Chefs' Holidays 2013 Feature Hungry Cat And Cakebread It's Not Too Late To Book A Chef's Holiday Dinner At The Ahwahnee Hotel In Yosemite Business Booms At Local Egg Farm Winter Getaway Guide Winter Getaway Guide

Dec. 26, 2013

Chefs Adam Bronson, left, and Ben Deinken are opening Tournant, a pop-up restaurant that will serve diners only on New Year's Eve from the Jungle Vino space (and Java Jungle-Jungle Vino kitchen) on West First Street. The menu is four courses with cocktail pairings. / Andy Barron/RGJ FILED UNDER

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Northern Nevada Food & Drink

Sole survivor: CNN documentary features Reno air crash 'Sole Survivor' George Lamson Jr. December 20, 2013 How do you say thank you for a second chance at life? That is the question that has followed George Lamson Jr. since the cold, clear Reno morning of Jan. 21, 1985, the day he walked away from the burning wreckage of Galaxy Airlines Flight 203, and 70 others did not.

Tom Collins gets a winter twist in cocktail recipe from Campo December 19, 2013 Justin Jensick of Campo, recognized as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2012 by Esquire Magazine, created this interesting take on the classic Tom Collins, which he calls the gypsy Collins. A housemade rosemary simple syrup and a touch of bergamot bitters gives it a wintry flavor. 20 must-have winter cocktails: not a hot toddy in sight Ingredients For the rosemary simple syrup:   

1 c sugar 1 c water 1 sprig rosemary

For the cocktail:     

2 fl oz gin ¾ fl oz rosemary simple syrup ¾ fl oz lemon juice 3 dashes of bergamot bitters 1 sprig rosemary, for garnish

Directions For the rosemary simple syrup: 1. In a medium-sized pot, combine all of the ingredients and heat until the sugar dissolves.

For the cocktail: 1. Fill a rocks glass with ice. 2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. 3. Shake all ingredients, and strain into the glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

In One Ear: Merryvale wine dinner (cue the whipped bacon) Dec. 10, 2013

Bring on the fried whipped bacon. That’s what our table decided as we looked over the menu last week before the Merryvale wine dinner at Cactus Creek Prime Steakhouse in the Bonanza Casino. The pre-prandial reception featuring ratatouille and Gouda tarts, charcuterie, ranks of ahi cones and the ‘09 Carneros pinot noir had amused the assembled bouches — and now appetites were getting restless. Sean Foster, Merryvale’s senior winemaker and vice president of wine making, led the pours. Russ and Margo Sheltra and Ryan and Kristie Sheltra — the Sheltra family is among the owners of the casino — hosted the evening. Such as Robin Mercer and Ed Morgan, Greg Galli, Be-Be Adams and Sean Gamble, and J.J. Jarzynka made the Prime time. There would be two courses and an intermezzo between fried whipped bacon on paper and on palate. Maine lobster poached in Sprite (do you love it?), a big sweet hunk of meat, arrived with purple rice California rolls fashioned from Savoy cabbage and with a pour of the ‘11 Carneros chardonnay. A Bibb lettuce and strawberry salad set with a baked Brie nugget (like a high-end Tater Tot) touched down next, along with the ‘11 Starmont sauvignon blanc. Intermezzo time: mango juice “noodles,” coconut ice and a gusty crystallized mint leaf. And then, the fried whipped bacon — which, upon closer read, we learned would be incorporated with sunchokes as one of several adjutants to a USDA Prime grade, dryaged New York medallion of beef. Folks reached for the pairing, an earthy-spicy ‘09 Profile Bordeaux blend, Merryvale’s flagship wine that can retail for $150-plus a bottle.

Oh, we almost forgot. To close the dinner, the kitchen sent out banana three ways (chocolate caramelized plantain, beignet with banana powder, banana bread pudding) for pairing with Merryvale’s Antigua dessert wine. Pot pie, please We couldn’t go, but we hear from our spies Dian VanderWell andDebbie McCarthy that the Feast & Merriment dinner went off swimmingly (and, of course, seasonally) at Great Basin Community Food Co-op. Kudos to general manager Jolene Cook and everyone else at GBCF. Burr and Cindi Otto, owners of Buona Sera Ristorante in Minden, sent a note over the transom to share that executive chef Francesco Gazzana had recently bested chef Mark Estee ofCampo at their restaurant’s osso buco throwdown. We were to judge but had to withdraw at the last minute because of Food & Drink business. Opened: Yummies, a pizza, hoagies and burger spot at 10 E. Fourth St., just east of South Virginia Street. Call 775-329-2200. Re-opened: Zephyr Cove Lodge Restaurant in Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe. There’s new paint, distressed wood floors, a refurbished cedar ceiling and Mason jar lights to celebrate the restaurant’s lodge roots. Executive chef Jeremy Acuna has designed new breakfast, dinner and dessert menus that include braised beef cheeks and chicken pot pie. When pot pie’s on the menu, that’s always a good thing.

Dec. 2, 2013

Five was the perfect number. That’s how many new libations the SoDo Cocktail Council sipped, discussed and rated when it met in executive session the other evening at the restaurant. Earlier in the year, during the initial convening of the council, 10 different drinks were offered up for assessment. By drink No. 7, several members of the council had, shall we say, veered from the agenda (and rather enthusiastically at that). So five cocktails turned out to be just right. SoDo partner Joel Giandalia, general manager Barry Rockburn and crew tasted the council through pours variously fashioned with bourbon, vodka, gin, rum and other persuasions of spirit. The drinks that received the best ratings will be added to SoDo’s cocktail menu rotation. Our favorite was a bracing confection made with Nolet’s gin, which surprised us because we’re typically vodka fiends, but there you are. Council members imbibing manfully (and womanfully) included chef Clint Jolly, Angie Brown, Candy Green, Heidi Rockburn, Jed Spendlove, Jamy Keshmiri, Bebe Adams and Sean Gamble (so nice to see the ladies out and about; it’s been a while), and Natasha Bourlin, who is about to wing her way to Paris, where she’s spending two weeks in a lovely flat near the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement. Natasha, we would love a souvenir from Paris. To save you time looking and hunting and rummaging around, say, the Marché aux Puces, we suggest something from Hermès (make a note: 24, rue du Fabourg Saint-Honoré). Such as: the big cashmere throw or some lambskin driving gloves (with a few cufflinks thrown in) or that calfskin carry-on in black. Just a little something, a bagatelle, really. Merci. The Masha Things were lively the other afternoon at Napa-Sonoma, but then again, when aren’t they? Owner Dennis Banks shared that he’s expanding the restaurant northward to make a private event and dining room. There’s no charge for the room; just cater through the restaurant. (Page 2 of 2)

We also sat and sipped for a few minutes with local radio’s Debbie McCarthy and with Ian Pasalich, whose company, NexGenStore, makes innovative products like the Masha, a kitchen tool that gently and effectively blends and mashes a variety of foods. (You can buy the Masha at Napa-Sonoma). Ian was celebrating his birthday, and he introduced us to Nobilo Icon’s bright and racy New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Cheers, Ian! Bar bites In restaurant news, as our colleague Mark Robison recently reported in his “Reno Rebirth” blog, Portland, Ore.’s Laughing Planet Café is planning to open an outpost at 650 Tahoe St. (the Judge John E. Gabrielli Building). I’ve been to Laughing Planets, which serve fast-healthful food, in PDX, and the restaurant will make a great addition to Midtown. Campo’s 4 to 6 p.m. weekday happy hour now features stuzzichini, which is the Italian word for bites or snacks. The stuzzichini are free at the bar. Prosecco, house red and white wine, Coors Light bottle andPeroni (our favorite!) draft are half off.

Serving the Neighbors of South Reno | December 2013

Abbi & Ty Whitaker The Powerhouse Partnership Behind Public Relations Firm, The Abbi Agency Powered by Boost

Treasured Gifts of the Season Dolan Auto Group’s Third Annual Class Project Giveaway The Gift of Learning: Adventures in Writing Camp at Hunsberger Elementary School Applying to College? Helpful Advice from Sage Ridge Senior The Gift of Health: Understanding HPV and Cancer The Reno Bighorns Reaching Out to the Community Fun Holiday Gift Giving Ideas — All From Local Retailers

Also: Cover photo by Paige Wickum, photoWickum

December Community Calendar of Events and more!

HOLIdAy AdvICE

Stocking Stuffers, Hostess Gifts, Teacher’s Presents and More - Local Retailers Help Tackle Last Minute Holiday Needs Contributed by: The Abbi Agency Powered by Boost

e’ve all been there: we think the holiday gift shopping is all wrapped up, so to speak, and then we find out Billy’s bringing his girlfriend home for the holidays, teacher needs a present and you need a hostess gift for the boss’s wife. Turns out, you’re far from done. But not if you use some of these great suggestions for grabbing last minute gifts – that can all be found locally – that are sure to have friends, co-workers and new-found family members fawning over your flawless gift-giving skills. Get Dirty with Black Rock Mud: Not only is this spa-grade product ultra pampering, it’s harvested from the mineral-rich illite clay of northern Nevada’s Black Rock desert and provides more than 50 naturally-occurring trace elements like calcium, iron and zinc that can benefit the skin. Black Rock products

contain no chemicals, dyes or preservatives and come packaged in sleek, recycled containers. Available for a limited time only, Black Rock’s Fall 2013 harvest produced just 2,500 jars of the high-end skin conditioner that can be purchased online now at BlackRockMud.com for just $59 or by calling 775-302-3599. Brew Something Beautiful: If you’re looking for something truly distinct, check out Davidson’s Organics, based in Sparks, a family-owned and –operated company that imports only the best organic, kosher, fair trade teas direct from Darjeeling, India. Available in loose leaf, bagged and flowering varieties, along with cocoas and mulling spices, Davidson’s teas make beautiful gifts both in and out of the pot. For a special, memorable gift, cut two coffee filters into a holiday-themed shape (think Christmas tree, snowman or star), sprinkle your favorite loose leaf tea between the two filters and sew closed with a string at the top to make a personalized, edible ornament. Special holiday blends are also available, including the much

sought-after pumpkin spice, and can be purchased starting at just $3 online at DavidsonsTea.com, or in person at 700 East Glendale. A Stunning Centerpiece: Don’t know what to get the hostess who has everything; get creative at the local food co-op or CSA by creating a beautiful seasonal centerpiece that can be used on a dining, entryway or coffee table. With all of the colorful squashes, pumpkins, gourds, corn and more than can be found at this time of year, combining them with a couple of candle sticks and some Spanish moss is an easy way to impress even the most seasoned party planner. NevadaGrown.com can help you find exactly what you’re looking for with its directory of farm stands, stores and CSAs that Continued on next page

The Reno Bighorns Reaching Out to the Community

he Reno Bighorns are a part of the NBA Development League and currently affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Since their arrival in Reno during the 2008-2009 season the Bighorns have been an important part of the Reno community under the local leadership of Herb Santos Jr. Each year the Bighorns staff, players and mascot (Bruno) attend over 150 events in the Reno community. Some of community events the Bighorns attended last year were: Boys and Girls Thanksgiving Dinner, Relay for Life and Scheels- Run For Education. Not only was the team and staff active in the community, the Bighorns strive to provide entertaining basketball and a family fun environment at each game.

If you are looking to add some life to a community event or inject some energy into your next employee or client outing, reach out to the Bighorns at 775.853.8220. The Bighorns strive to form strong partnerships both on and off the court. Paid Advertorial The Good Life | South Reno

In One Ear: Greenhouse Project benefit at Café at Adele's 7:32 PM, Nov. 19, 2013

It was a capital evening - in two senses of the word. Capital because Café at Adele's in Carson City was hosting the Celebrity Chef Harvest Dinner to benefit the greenhouse and garden programs of Carson's Greenhouse Project. And capital because the dinner was first-rate, celebrating ingredients from local farmers and producers like Glorious Garlic Farm, Holley Family Farms, Nancy's Green Barn Farm, Churchill Butte Organics and Alpen Sierra Coffee. Greenhouse Project founder Karen Abowd, who owns Café at Adele's with her husband chef Charlie Abowd, spoke before dinner, as did the ... CONTINUE READING IN OUR PAID ARCHIVE

November 13,2013

In One Ear: Miss Rodeo Nevada spaghetti dinner 1:29 PM, Nov. 12, 2013

It's spurs and spaghetti Nov. 26 at Coney Island Bar. That's when lovely Tara Bowlby, Miss Rodeo Nevada 2013, hosts a spaghetti dinner and raffle to raise money for her representing the Silver State in the 2014 Miss Rodeo America Pageant, which runs Dec. 2-9 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. Tara is the daughter of local businessman Chip Bowlby. The benefit is from 6-9 p.m. Cost of $50 covers drink coupons, spaghetti dinner and one raffle ticket. The raffle features gift baskets, restaurant packages, trips, vacations and more. RSVP to Chip Bowlby at cbowlby@montereydevelopmentgroup.com or call ... CONTINUE READING IN OUR PAID ARCHIVE

Local chefs offer diabetic-friendly meals for a cause Reported by: Madison Corney Email: mcorney@mynews4.com

Published: 11/08/2013 11:12 pm Reno & Carson City, Nevada (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- Four local chefs are joining forces to help raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by offering diabetic-friendly meals all month long. Participating chefs include David Holman of Charlie Palmer, Mark Estee of Campo, Charlie Abowd of Cafe at Adele's and Clayton Slieff of Bistro Napa. All four chefs will offer a diabetic-friendly menu for the entire month of November 2013, which is National Diabetes Awareness Month. The specially prepared meals will cost 40 dollars and 10 dollars of each meal will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the world's largest non-profit supporter of Type 1 Diabetes research.

For full menus and more information, visit: www.northernnevada.jdrf.org.

Business Briefs | November 8 December 12, 2013 Friday, November 8, 2013

Mark Estee Opens French Restaurant Mark Estee, chef-owner of Campo in Reno, Burger Me! in Truckee and Reno, and formerly of Moody’s, recently opened chez louie, a Frenchinspired eatery in the Nevada Museum of Art. The grand opening of the restaurant on Nov. 2 was part of the museum’s feature exhibition “Toulouse-Lautrec & La Vie Moderne: Paris 1880-1919,” on view through Jan. 19, 2014. Estee’s newest venture will highlight seasonal ingredients, and will be open for brunch and lunch. Info: chez louie, 160 W. Liberty St., Reno, (775) 284-2921, chez-louie.com ~ Kara Fox/Moonshine Ink

Local Chefs Come Together to Raise Awareness for Diabetes Posted: Nov 07, 2013 11:49 AM PSTUpdated: Nov 07, 2013 11:49 AM PST

From Draper Strategies and Communications: In an effort to raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) throughout northern Nevada, some of the region's top chefs are providing the community with the option for a diabetic-friendly, four-course meal at their respective restaurants in honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month. Participating chefs include David Holman of Charlie Palmer, Mark Estee of Campo, Charlie Abowd of CafĂŠ at Adele's and Clayton Slief of Bistro Napa. Each chef has created a unique, prix fixe menu following guidelines for a diabetic-friendly meal and will be available for just $40 with a portion of the proceeds benefitting JDRF, the world's largest non-profit supporter of T1D research. "Diabetes is top-of-mind for those impacted by it each and every day but Diabetes Awareness Month provides us with an additional opportunity to educate everyone on this life-threatening disease," said Maryann Zucker, president of JDRF northern Nevada. "We are thrilled to have the support of four incredible chefs, over the next month, as we provide people with a delicious and healthy alternative meal choice that also benefits the critical research being done to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes." The four-course, diabetic-friendly meals will be available now through the end of the month at the participating restaurants. Guests will be able to indulge in dishes like Baby Spinach with Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Poached Salmon Beurre Rouge, Point Reyes Blue Cheese Popovers or Warm Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Sauce. For full menus and more information, visit www.northernnevada.jdrf.org, follow JDRF Northern Nevada on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JDRFNorthernNevada or follow us on Twitter @JDRF_NNev. JDRF has led the search for a cure for T1D for more than four decades through persistent funding and advocacy efforts and is the largest funder of diabetes research in the world outside of the United States government with 80 percent of the organization's expenditures committed to research. Originally the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF has grown to a national organization that provides funding and advocacy for Type 1 Diabetes which affects people of all ages. In fact, 85 percent of those in the U.S. with Type 1 Diabetes are adults. JDRF is the leader of the Type 1 Diabetes community, improving lives and curing Type 1 Diabetes.

Eating News & Notes: $3,500 holiday recipe contest 10:53 AM, Nov. 6, 2013

Food & Drink, Scolari's and RC Willey are inviting folks to submit a family recipe for a first course, main course or side dish to the 2013 Holiday Recipe Contest. Scolari's and RC Willey are awarding $3,500 in prizes. To enter, visit RGJ Taste at www.facebook.com/RGJTaste, Like the page, then click on the Recipe Contest button. Folks also can enter using contest boxes in Scolari's and RC Willey stores. Recipes must be original. Winners agree to be interviewed and have their photographs published. Deadline is 5 p.m. PDT Nov. 22.GREAT BASIN 20TH ANNIVERSARY Great Basin Brewing Co. locations ... CONTINUE READING IN OUR PAID ARCHIVEÂ

Food for Thought Tips on entertaining, new product reviews, simple recipes and more.

Use the ‘whole hog’ .. The philosophy "whole hog" or "root to stalk" entails using all an animal or other food product has to offer. Nov. 5, 2013 12:28 p.m.

Food for Thought: Use the ‘whole hog’ Tip of the Week The term "whole hog" is a philosophy among some chefs that you should use and celebrate the whole animal in cooking. "Rustic cuisine is based upon using what is at hand — think of your grandmother’s cooking," says Reno, Nev.‐based chef Mark Estee. "In those days a similar philosophy was practiced because they didn’t source only the best cuts, they used everything in a variety of different recipes." Putting that idea to work in your home kitchen reaps the same benefits of inspired creativity, sharpened skills and practice with more difficult techniques. "It lends itself to feeling good about what you are eating and living sustainably and cost‐efficiently," Estee adds. Estee, a James Beard‐nominated chef‐owner of CAMPO Reno, CAMPO Mammoth Mountain, Burger ME and Chez Louis, also uses the phrase "root to stalk" for vegetables. One of his starter recipes features beets. Here’s the step‐by‐step process: 1. Purchase beets with stems attached. 2. Once you’re home and in the kitchen, cut the leafy tops off, wash and set aside. 3. Wash and dice the beet stalk. 4. Wash beets and roast with olive oil, salt and pepper. 5. Saute diced stems with garlic, olive oil and peperoncino. 6. Heat a pan and quickly wilt leafy beet tops with diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Now enjoy the whole beet — root to stalk. — Amber Krosel, More Content Now Number to Know 37 percent: Pizza is the top choice to serve at a staygating (tailgating at home) party, according to 37 percent of people who responded to the 2013 LG "Staygating" national survey. It's followed by wings and chips and dip as other fan favorites. — Brandpoint Easy Recipe BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH DRIED CHERRY QUINOA SALAD

1 cup quinoa 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or broth 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives 1 T chopped fresh thyme 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 24 Belgian endive spears 3 T extra virgin olive oil 3 T white balsamic vinegar 1 t stone ground mustard 1/4 t sea salt or to taste Freshly ground pepper to taste Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve; drain well. Bring stock and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then let cool. Whisk together all dressing ingredients and stir into quinoa with cherries, chives and thyme. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir in walnuts and spoon into endive spears. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired. Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x2132750274/Food‐for‐Thought‐Use‐the‐ whole‐hog#ixzz2nxAr1Mrv Follow us: @milforddaily on Twitter | 104182678168 on Facebook Makes 8 servings. — Brandpoint Food Quiz

The Food and Drug Administration established regulations in August that defines "gluten‐free" for product manufacturers. The label "gluten‐free" can be placed on any products that contain less than how many parts per million of gluten? A. 20 B. 40 C. 50 D. 100

Answer at bottom of rail. Wise to the Word

whey: Whey is the watery leftover liquid that is produced after milk has been curdled and strained to make cheese. Liquid whey contains fat, lactose, vitamins and minerals, and is used as an additive in making processed crackers, breads and pastries. — Cookthink The Dish On… “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step‐by‐Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations,” by Ree Drummond.

Ree Drummond — accidental country girl, award‐winning blogger, Food Network personality, and No. 1 “New York Times” bestselling author — presents “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays,” a fantastic collection of recipes, photos and homespun humor to help you celebrate all through the year. Filled with creative and flavorful ideas for intimate dinners, group gatherings and family meals, “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” includes dozens of mouthwatering dishes (with 19 recipes for Thanksgiving alone), helping home cooks create a variety of delights. — Amazon Food Quiz answer ‐ A. (However, even those who carefully choose their foods based on gluten‐free labels also need to be aware of cross‐ contamination dangers.)

Answer at bottom of rail. Wise to the Word

Food for Thought: Use the ‘whole hog’

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Tip of the Week The term "whole hog" is a philosophy among some chefs that you should use and celebrate the whole animal in cooking. "Rustic cuisine is based upon using what is at hand — think of your grandmother’s cooking," says Reno, Nev.‐based chef Mark Estee. "In those days a similar philosophy was practiced because they didn’t source only the best cuts, they used everything in a variety of different recipes." Putting that idea to work in your home kitchen reaps the same benefits of inspired creativity, sharpened skills and practice with more difficult techniques. "It lends itself to feeling good about what you are eating and living sustainably and cost‐efficiently," Estee adds. Estee, a James Beard‐nominated chef‐owner of CAMPO Reno, CAMPO Mammoth Mountain, Burger ME and Chez Louis, also uses the phrase "root to stalk" for vegetables. One of his starter recipes features beets. Here’s the step‐by‐step process: 1. Purchase beets with stems attached. 2. Once you’re home and in the kitchen, cut the leafy tops off, wash and set aside. 3. Wash and dice the beet stalk. 4. Wash beets and roast with olive oil, salt and pepper. 5. Saute diced stems with garlic, olive oil and peperoncino. 6. Heat a pan and quickly wilt leafy beet tops with diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Now enjoy the whole beet — root to stalk. — Amber Krosel, More Content Now Number to Know 37 percent: Pizza is the top choice to serve at a staygating (tailgating at home) party, according to 37 percent of people who responded to the 2013 LG "Staygating" national survey. It's followed by wings and chips and dip as other fan favorites. — Brandpoint Easy Recipe BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH DRIED CHERRY QUINOA SALAD 1 cup quinoa 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or broth 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives 1 T chopped fresh thyme 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 24 Belgian endive spears 3 T extra virgin olive oil 3 T white balsamic vinegar 1 t stone ground mustard 1/4 t sea salt or to taste Freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve; drain well. Bring stock and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then let cool. Whisk together all dressing ingredients and stir into quinoa with cherries, chives and thyme. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir in walnuts and spoon into endive spears. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired. Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2132750274/Food‐for‐Thought‐Use‐the‐whole‐ hog#ixzz2o2Dd8V4h Follow us: @enterprisenews on Twitter | EnterpriseBrockton on Facebook Makes 8 servings. — Brandpoint Food Quiz The Food and Drug Administration established regulations in August that defines "gluten‐free" for product manufacturers. The label "gluten‐free" can be placed on any products that contain less than how many parts per million of gluten? A. 20 B. 40 C. 50 D. 100 Answer at bottom of rail. Wise to the Word whey: Whey is the watery leftover liquid that is produced after milk has been curdled and strained to make cheese. Liquid whey contains fat, lactose, vitamins and minerals, and is used as an additive in making processed crackers, breads and pastries. — Cookthink The Dish On… “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: 140 Step‐by‐Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations,” by Ree Drummond. Ree Drummond — accidental country girl, award‐winning blogger, Food Network personality, and No. 1 “New York Times” bestselling author — presents “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays,” a fantastic collection of recipes, photos and homespun humor to help you celebrate all through the year. Filled with creative and flavorful ideas for intimate dinners, group gatherings and family meals, “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” includes dozens of mouthwatering dishes (with 19 recipes for Thanksgiving alone), helping home cooks create a variety of delights. — Amazon Food Quiz answer ‐ A. (However, even those who carefully choose their foods based on gluten‐free labels also need to be aware of cross‐contamination dangers.) Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2132750274/Food‐for‐Thought‐Use‐the‐ whole‐hog#ixzz2o2DiwyWB Follow us: @enterprisenews on Twitter | EnterpriseBrockton on Facebook

Hashtag heroes: Social media tags help spread the word about great things in Reno By Mark Robison, November 2, 2013

Vanessa Simpson grew up in Gerlach. “Every morning in elementary school, the whole school would go out around the flagpole in the schoolyard and we would say the Pledge of Allegiance,” said the owner of the local photo business Focus in Photography. “And every day in October, we would sing a verse of ‘Home Means Nevada.’ Consequently, I have that song stuck in my head. I love it here. This is where my heart is, so I started tagging photos like that.”

She means she uses the hashtag #homemeansnevada when she posts photos online. Simpson is just one of many private citizens, organizations, businesses and government entities who are using hashtags to improve the image of Reno and Northern Nevada. She also uses #biggestlittlecity and #thisisreno. “I think Reno gets a bad rap,” Simpson said. “I have a good following on Instagram and Flickr from all over the country and the world, and I want to get people past the ‘Reno 911’ stigma. There are so many awesome things in this town that are happening.” #biggestlittlecity Abbi Whitaker is a community advocate with the Biggest Little City pride movement that aims to improve Reno’s image by getting people who live here to talk about why they think this is a great place. The biggestlittlecity hashtag was already being used. “There’s been a 350 percent increase in use since we started using it in June,” she said. “I think hashtags are going to become the new dot-com. They’re like the new www because it can connect everything on a particular topic.” She said that if you search for posts using #biggestlittlecity, they are 99 percent positive. Tourists and locals seem to be using the hashtag mostly for three things: scenic pictures, pictures of people doing outdoor activities and people out at night. “I see it helping Reno’s image because when you click on those hashtags, you see beautiful pictures of Reno, people kayaking, great food, skiing,” she said. “You don’t see negative things associated with Reno.

“We know people click on a tag to find out about a place — it’s the future of marketing.” “Hashtags allow people to start conversations with other like-minded people,” Whitaker said. “And when people talk to other people who care passionately about this community, they are going to inspire each other, and that can only lead to great things.” City hashtags If you’re not sure what hashtags are, you’re not alone. The city of Reno has embraced hashtags — such as #thinkreno for citizens to suggest innovative or strategic ideas — but not everyone is down with them. “Some people are scared of hashtagging,” said Deanna Gescheider, Reno’s director of communications and community engagement. “We’re finding we still need to educate people about how to use them, why to use them and when to use them.” She said the city has hired a new “digital engagement manager” — Monica Thompson — who starts Monday and will oversee citizen engagement through the city’s website, social media efforts, email and other online strategies. The city gets a lot of feedback wanting postcards to be sent out or to have people knock on their doors. “The reality is that government resources are so slim, we have to rely on these more innovative approaches because they are more cost effective — but they can also be intimate and require less of your time,” Gescheider said. “If you can engage with a hashtag and feel your voice is being heard, then we would consider that a success.”

In addition to #thinkreno, some other main hashtags the city uses are #cityofreno (for announcements, news and agenda items) and biggestlittlecity (for positive stories). “(Hashtags are) a really good way for us to track discussions in social media and hear about issue-related topics so we can gain feedback and directions from our constituents,” she said. “It’s just one more way for us to do outreach, so it’s a very important tactic we’ve adopted and will continue to embrace.” #thisisreno Bob Conrad and Ryan Jerz started thisisreno.com in 2009. “We saw the downsizing of newsrooms in the Northern Nevada market, and we were seeing a lot of news distributed and not a lot published or aired, so the idea was to give a voice to individuals, businesses, government agencies and politicians that weren’t being heard in addition to a lot of their other media efforts,” Conrad said. Although unintended, the result is that a lot of thisisreno’s content is positive. He said a hashtag is an easy way to identify a particular topic on a social network, so rather than following individuals, you can follow a topic or a subject based on that hashtag. Conrad sees #thisisreno being used on Instagram quite a bit. “I can’t say whether it’s the most popular Reno hashtag, but I see it increasing in use, and I see it being used with a lot of other hashtags related to Reno and Northern Nevada,” he said. The site’s staff also uses #homemeansnevada and #battleborn a lot. “And the biggestlittlecity hashtag, of course,” he said.

#homemeansnevada Bethany Drysdale, director of public relations for the Nevada Commission on Tourism, said her staff uses a lot of different hashtags. An important one is #homemeansnevada. “When we see something popular catching on, it’s good to be a part of the conversation,” she said. “I think our staff here knows some of the best treasures in Nevada, so we lend our voice of authority by calling out some of these great places.” The hashtag is intended for anything positive about Nevada or that makes you proud to be a Nevadan. “If people from the outside see how much residents feel pride in living here, of course they’re going to want to come here and visit themselves,” Drysdale said. “It helps you latch on to something positive and learn about the wonderful treasures around the state. (The hashtag) can only benefit us in attracting people to the state.” #renofoodporn Mark Estee of Campo restaurant in downtown Reno helped start the renofoodporn hashtag. “The idea is to show other people what you’re eating that is beautiful or cool,” he said. “I think it helps Reno because it’s kind of fun, doesn’t cost any money and gives people a chance to show their inner photographer and to show different restaurants they’re eating at. “And the more we show all our (restaurant) offerings and all our food, we’re raising community awareness as well.”

A contest is raising awareness for the hashtag. People are encouraged to take photos of their food arranged to look like a hashtag and post them tagged with #renofoodporn. Winners will get gift certificates to Campo or Estee’s Frenchinspired restaurant Chez Louie inside the Nevada Museum of Art. #renorevival Reno mayoral candidate Jessica Sferrazza has started a hashtag that she hopes lives on long after her campaign is over: #renorevival. “The hashtag symbolizes two things: one is all the good things that are going on in Reno, and No. 2 is the potential that Reno has moving forward,” she said. Sferrazza plans a big kickoff to really introduce the hashtag to the public soon, with a major policy plan called “Reno Revival” unveiled early next year. “I wanted to do something that symbolized Reno in a positive way,” she said. Some hashtags promoting Reno and Nevada • #homemeansnevada 45,221 accounts reached • #biggestlittlecity 18,733 accounts reached • #thisisreno 10,488 accounts reached • #renorevival 6,525 accounts reached • #thinkreno 1,630 accounts reached

• #renofoodporn 1,505 accounts reached Source: tweetreach.com What hashtags are and how to use them Hashtags help track conversations by topic. They can be used on photos or messages in many different places: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr and Google-Plus. To use one, just type a hashtag such as #thisisreno in the body of the message or caption field. Then, generally, people who care about that topic can see what you’ve posted. Or you can follow other people who are talking about that topic. A number of sites and apps can help you then track posts using particular hashtags across different social media platforms. A free and easy one to start with is tagboard.com.

Serving the Neighbors of South Reno | November 2013

Herb Santos Jr. May Surprise You

— He’s an Attorney and the Managing Owner of The Reno Bighorns — Along with His Family, They Share Their Story Enjoy the Sights, Sounds & Tastes of the Holiday Season A.V.A. Ballet Theatre Presents The Nutcracker at the Pioneer Center Nevada Chamber Music Festival Celebrates 10th Annual Event Four Ways To Pair Wine for That Perfect Holiday Meal Take a Fresh Look At Lake Tahoe This Season The Food Bank of Northern Nevada Making A Difference Chef Mark Estee of Campo Restaurant — Regarded as One of the Best Chefs in the West

Also: Cover photo by Paige Wickum, photoWickum

November Community Calendar of Events and more!

MARkETPLACE

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre Presents

The Nutcracker at the Pioneer Center Featuring the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra By: Steve Trounday

he stage at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts will be alive with a sugar plum fairy and dancing mice as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents its 18th annual Nutcracker Ballet on December 13, 14, 15, 2013. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting rendition of the popular holiday ballet and the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s moving score. Laura Jackson will conduct the orchestra. Principal dancers who have performed with professional ballet companies such as Ballet West, Houston Ballet and the Diablo Ballet will perform the leading roles along side a large cast of local talent. Nutcracker performances will be held Friday December 13th at 8pm, December 14th at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday December 15th at 2pm at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Reno. Ticket prices for adults are from $25 to $50. Ticket prices for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and older are from $20 to $40. A special Sugar Plum party will be held after

the Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances where children can meet the Nutcracker characters. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada’s largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe. Mark your calendars now for this spectacular holiday tradition. For tickets call the Pioneer Center box office at 775-686-6600 or on-line at pioneercenter.com. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 6pm. For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165 or on-line at avaballet.com or call the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts at 775-686-6600. About the author: Steve Trounday is on the board of directors of A.V.A. Ballet Theatre and coordinates their marketing and public relations.

BUSINESS PROFILE

From his childhood food memories to his professional approach to cooking By: Anh Gray

n early 2013, Mark Estee, chef and owner of Campo in Reno was nominated as a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef, West. In the food world, this recognition is considered the “Oscars” and among the highest honor for professionals in the industry. Despite the accolades and years of professional training with esteemed chefs in some of the most revered kitchens — Chez Panisse, Gary Danko, Lespinasee — Estee is like many of us. His most intimate and vivid food memories connect him to his family and childhood. “Growing up, my favorite food memories were of my dad making spaghetti sauce on Sundays. Hands down, the best part was that since I would help or even cared to watch, I got to taste,” said Estee. As a reward for those who were laboring in the kitchen, “We would eat a few coffee mugs full before dinner even started,” Estee added.

Before embarking on a culinary career in the Lake Tahoe and Reno area, Estee spent his youth in New England. He was born in Somerville, Massachusetts and grew up primarily in the Boston area. With an Italian father and a Greek mother, good food played an important role in his upbringing. “We ate well. My mom had a few special dishes that she made. Greek soup was the best one so we ate that three times a week! Locanico and Greek salad were a few of her other hits!” Estee was the former owner of Moody’s in Truckee, prior to becoming the chef and owner of Campo Reno. Currently, he’s also partner and chef at Campo Mammoth and owner of two Burger Me! restaurants, one in Truckee and the other in Reno. He extends his reach to the Nevada Museum of Art this fall, taking over catering and food service with chez louie. Although Estee has spent much of his adult life in restaurant kitchens, dining out wasn’t a Continued on next page

The Good Life | South Reno

Roam the globe: Reno is a city shaking off its seedy reputation

This week, we check out Reno and discover how it’s a city making changes to its reputation. Campo, Downtown Reno, Nevada’s other city, is shaking off its seedy casino reputation. ‘The biggest little city in the world’ has been forced to reinvent itself after losing its gambling revenue to new casinos in California. Its food scene has certainly benefited: Campo, which serves Italian fare including pumpkin gnocchi and wood‐fired pizzas, has been named one of the country’s top new restaurants by Esquire Magazine. www.camporeno.com Mount Rose Ski Tahoe Less than half an hour from the centre of Reno is Mount Rose, which offers skiing, hiking and incredible views of Lake Tahoe. In a bid to attract early season skiers, this year it has installed a snow‐gun system along its silver dollar run and proposed a $23million plan to improve terrain, with additional lifts and various skiing services. www.mtrose.com Midtown Reno’s biggest transformation, however, can be seen in Midtown, where craft beer breweries, vintage boutiques and speakeasy‐style bars sit alongside tattoo parlours, porn stores and strip clubs.Brasserie Saint James, a microbrewery and restaurant, is one of the newest additions, serving dishes such as Dixie Chicken and Waffles, Moonlight Matinee ale and California Steamin’ lager. www.midtowndistrictreno.com www.travelnevada.com

Nevada Museum of Art is collaborating with Mark Estee to create a new restaurant called chezlouie, to open in mid-October. / Courtesy of Nevada Museum of Art

Chef Mark Estee is adding another restaurant and style of cuisine to his repertoire. The owner of Italian restaurant Campo (voted Best New Restaurant in 2012 by Esquire) in Reno, and two Burger Me locations in Reno and Truckee, is now looking toward opening a French-inspired eatery. The Nevada Museum of Art (NMA) is collaborating with the local food fanatic to create a new restaurant called chezlouie. “[Estee’s] energy really attracted us, his energy and creativity speak to the museum’s mission,” Rachel Milon, director of communications and marketing at NMA, said. “He has such a presence and such a personality and we wanted that vibe and that energy in the space.” Estee described chezlouie as: fun, feminine, and French. Estee’s new venture will live inside the NMA, replacing Composition Café, the museum’s former eatery and catering company run by Chef Robert (B.J.) Mueller. For its one year operating in the NMA, Composition Café served gourmet burgers, fresh salads, and sandwiches. Chef Mueller will now focus on Sauce Wagon, his local food truck and on his catering business.

CHEZ SMILE: The French-inspired chezlouie will be Chef Mark Estee’s fourth restaurant in the area. / Photo by Erin Meyering

Chezlouie will revamp Composition’s menu by offering interpretations of French classics while keeping the focus on using local and sensible ingredients. The physical location of the space will also be renovated with new furniture and decorations. The main set up of the restaurant — indoor seating with an outdoor patio — will stay the same. “[Estee] is dedicated to good food and he’s not interested in cutting corners,” Milon said. The name chezlouie is a combination of the French word chez meaning at, and louie, a word Estee described as slang for friend in Italian. The Italian reference combined with the French represents Estee’s love for his restaurant Campo and his excitement for the new venture alongside the NMA. The idea is to bring high-class cuisine and a refined taste to a comfortable, friendly and enjoyable setting. “[chezlouie] will be modern and refined in both food and service,” Estee said. The new restaurant is expected to be open by mid-October, just in time to compliment Masquerade at Moulin Rouge, an event showcasing French cuisine, cancan dancers, and a chanteuse — a sexy piano show. The event also kicks off the museum’s exhibition for ToulouseLautrec and La Vie Moderne: Paris 1800-1910, a celebration of the work of Parisian avant-garde artists during that era. The event takes place Nov. 2, 2013. “Being in the NMA will expose us to a whole new demographic of people, it gives myself, my managers and our team a chance to do something new and fun,” Estee said.

2. Where to Eat

Campo is one of the city's most celebrated restaurants. (Photo: Courtesy of Campo)

Make your own eclectic meal at the West Street Market, which offers outdoor communal seating and several restaurants to choose from. Bowl serves all of its dishes—kale salad, Moroccan meatballs, paella— in bowls ($12–$18), while Z Pie offers gourmet pot pies ($6.75–$7.95) stuffed with everything from Italian sausage to Thai chicken. No matter what your preference, this is an ideal option for dinner after the monthly Reno Wine Walk, which allows you to sample wines from more than a dozen merchants for $20. Taste the city's most lauded Italian food at Campo, housed in one of the riverside condo buildings anchoring the fast-improving downtown district. After earning a spot on Esquire’s 2012 list of best new restaurants, this popular spot continues to impress with its handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas (made in an oven imported from Italy), including the Bee Sting ($15), which is topped with salami, Serrano peppers, and honey. The kitchen also turns whole hogs into all types of charcuterie, some of which is bound to show up in the four-course chef’s tasting menu ($50). Tap into the local craft-beer scene at Brasserie Saint James, a brewpub in the burgeoning Midtown district. Choose from a selection of house-brewed varieties and imported bottles to pair with hearty plates of duck cassoulet ($18) or braised pork shoulder ($16). Reno averages 300 days of sunshine a year, which you can take advantage of with an outdoor meal in the beer garden or on the rooftop deck.

There is nothing better than fresh, homemade, locally-grown food – and here in the Reno, Tahoe and Carson Valley area, we are lucky to have many exceptional restaurants that offer this style of dining. The new “farm-to-table” concept is sweeping the country, and our area is following suit. With so many places to choose from, we decided to visit some of our favorites and try the best they had to offer. Starting in Reno, we took some time to stop by Noble Pie Pizza Parlor in the downtown Riverwalk District. This distinct pizza establishment starts by making their own dough and sauce from scratch daily for their delicious pizzas. The toppings are made with homemade meatballs and sausage from Durham Ranch Berkshire Ground Pork and Durham Ranch Certified Ground Angus Beef from local company Sierra Meat and Seafood. You can also enjoy their great Sunday Brunch where all of their brunch Items are made from scratch using various ingredients including farmfresh eggs from Renoegg.com and proudly brewed coffee from local coffee company Hub Coffee Roasters. Another great spot for lunch is SUP, where you can choose from a fabulous variety of fresh-made soups which vary from day to day. What makes this little spot so unique is they make their soup stocks inhouse daily from fresh ingredients; it is never reconstituted from thick bases bought from suppliers. They also purchase all their breads from local bakery House of Bread. If you’re looking for the quintessential place to dine in the farm-to-table style eating, you can’t miss heading to CAMPO, where Chef Mark Estee prides himself on using the best organic, local and seasonal ingredients from the local Great Basin Food Companys D.R.O.O.P program. He even has a salad named after the program called the D.R.O.O.P Salad which is concocted daily depending on the local produce available to him that morning. In addition to using local, organic products, they make their delicious Salumi in-house and make all their syrups for their drinks themselves, thus they do not have a soda gun in the establishment. If it’s Monday, then make sure you stop by Wild River Grille for their famous “Meatless Mondays,” where a different meatless dish is offered every Monday with all the ingredients sourced from the Great Basin Co-Op. Also make sure to try their homemade strawberry basil jam made from fresh local basil that chef Joe Bell makes and is paired with all their natural pork chop dishes. Want to know more about Wild River Grille? Watch this video to see what the experience is like – Getaway Reno/Tahoe visit Wild River Grille You can enjoy any of these wonderful dishes on one of the best patios in Reno on the River in Downtown while enjoying local, live musicians every night of the week in the summer.

Take a historical drive and travel through Carson City, the state capital, and down through the beautiful Carson Valley, where we highly recommend trying any or all of these great restaurants offering some of the freshest ingredients. If you’re looking for homemade comfort food, look no further than Red’s Old 395 Grill in Carson City, NV. Red’s Chef Jose Rivera, first-place winner of the local Iron Chef Competition, hand makes their award-winning wood-fired pepperoni pizza with all the freshest ingredients. Finish your meal with their homemade apple-raspberry bread pudding, made daily with raspberries and ripe granny smith apples. If you’re craving fresh, locally-produced beef, 1862 David Walley’s Resort in historic Genoa has some of the freshest you can find on their bistro menu and in their restaurant 1862 Saloon. Head Chef Richard LaCounte, who was selected for “Best Chefs of America” this year, chooses to serve only all-natural, grass-fed beef. Their Ranch One C.A.B ½ Pound Burger is named after “Ranch 1,” the oldest ranch in Nevada. On top of the freshest beef you can find in the region, 1862 Saloon also uses an assortment of fresh seasonal produce and vegetables from Hungry Mother Organics out of Minden, NV in several of their dishes. In the heart if Minden, Tahoe Ridge Winery not only uses local vegetables daily; they are also building Nevada’s wine industry. With their “fromearth-to-glass” approach, they are a pioneer of Nevada’s wine and grape growing industry, and are Nevada’s first wine-grape vineyard. You can pair one of their award-winning wines with their Harvest Salad that changes daily based upon their delivery of fresh-picked vegetables from Nancy’s Green Barn Farm in Dayton, NV. Up in the higher altitudes surrounded by the beauty of Lake Tahoe, there is a multitude of excellent dining options to satisfy even the pickiest taste buds. Check out North Lake Tahoe’s newest addition in Squaw Valley, Rocker@Squaw. This new restaurant offers a weekly farm-to-table special. A partnership with the Tahoe Food Hub makes this a true local collaboration that involves sourcing food from local growers and creatively designing a new menu item each week around what’s ripe for picking. Another one of our personal favorites – Fox and Hound! Located at the top of Kingsbury Grade and 7,380 feet above sea level, this restaurant features sweeping views of Carson Valley. Watch Getaway’s experience at Fox & Hound Tahoe Fox and Hound is known for its amazingly delicious and award-winning barbecue. The BBQ sauce is a homemade secret recipe that is finger-licking good. One of their occasional specials is grass-fed brisket, which is directly sourced from a small ranch right down the hill in Genoa. How is that for local! If you’re feeling in the mood for some savory Japanese cuisine, check out Samurai Sushi on Hwy 50 in South Lake Tahoe. This restaurant features an authentic atmosphere and a wide variety of cooked entrees and traditional sushi. See what our experience was like and watch this video – Samurai Sushi. The lobster featured at Samurai is sourced from Overland Meat & Seafood Company, one of the excellent local butchers in town. See just they were voted the best by watching this video - Overland Meat & Seafood Company. When you go, try one of the favorites on the menu – the Nabeyaki Udon. This dish is made in-house from scratch including the noodles and sauce.

Another great spot to check out is MacDuffs Public House right in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. This Scottish pub takes local to a whole new meaning. At MacDuff’s, most of the vegetables you will devour come directly from the local farmers market at the American Legion just down Hwy 50, and all of the bread is from Sugar Pine Bakery, located a few blocks away. One of their featured beers is the Tahoe Local Lager from the Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company in Tahoe City and Truckee. This is one spot you’ll definitely want to try for a real all-around Tahoe experience. See what Getaway’s experience was like when they stopped in for dinner – MacDuffs Public House If you love to fish, but hate to clean and prepare your fresh catch, head on over to Blue Angel Café for their Fresh Fish Menu. You can either bring in your fresh fish or have your Captain drop it off with your menu selection and reservation. Blue Angel Café then prepares it for you! You’ll receive a multi-course dinner featuring pasta, salad, and fresh-baked French bread along with your fish, prepared in one of five flavorings. It doesn’t get much fresher or local than that! Finally, who doesn’t love chocolate for dessert? The Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop features a variety of tasty, delectable delicacies, which are all handcrafted on-site at both of their South Lake Tahoe locations. The chocolate is sourced from the San Francisco based company Guittard Chocolate Company, which has been in the chocolate business since 1868. Local favorites include the Dark Chocolate Covered Bacon, Tahoe Bark, and S’mores. Watch a video on YouTube about Getaway’s sweet visit to Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop Whether you are looking for amazing food made from scratch, locally-grown produce, Nevada-raised beef, or a combination of it all, make sure to check out some of these amazing restaurants while enjoying the beauty of northern Nevada!

Autumn Food & Wine Fest a carnival of bites and sips - Appetizers Blog - The Sacramento Bee

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This story is taken from Sacbee / Life

Autumn Food & Wine Fest a carnival of bites and sips apierleoni@sacbee.com PUBLISHED TUESDAY, SEP. 10, 2013

The smoke from the Rim Fire had lifted (mostly), leaving crystal-blue skies at Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort near Truckee this past weekend. Which was a break for the 2,000-plus foodies who gathered there for the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival. On Sunday, they sipped fine wines and sampled delectable small-plate dishes at tents and kiosks set up on and above the Northstar ice-skating rink. As usual, it was a classy affair. The multi-day fest featured food- and wine-related events around the lake, at Northstar and at the ultraluxurious Ritz Carlton hotel, situated a gondola ride above Northstar. It culminated with Sunday's Grand Tasting, which featured 23 area restaurants teamed with 20 wineries and three distilleries to vie for gold, silver and bronze medals in several various categories. The biggest question: Which food-and-wine pairings would be the most compatible? For the first time, I was included among the judges for the Grand Tasting, as well as for Saturday’s annual Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook Off. That “Iron Chef”-style competition pits two top chefs who must cook four restaurant-quality courses in an hour, in front of a crowd of hundreds of cheering foodies. The “secret ingredient” this year was baby goat (last year it was crawfish from Lake Tahoe). Last year’s winner was Elsa Corrigan, executive chef-owner of Mamasake at the Village at Squaw Valley. This time out, she went up against Mark Estee, executive chef-owner of Campo in Reno. He’s the winner of the inaugural throw-down held in 2004. After we judges sampled the eight dishes and tallied the scores, Estee walked away with the plaque and bragging rights. Celebrity chef Nathan Lyon emceed. From the judges’ perspective, Blazing Plans was a stroll in the park compared to sitting at tables in a conference room at Northstar on Sunday, tasting, ranking and discussing 23 dishes matched with 20 wines, one sparkling sake, one beer and a tequila-based Charbay cocktail from the Charbay Distillery in St. Helena. All on deadline. The panel of judges was made up of some very heavy-hitters, and I learned a lot. At the table were Mike Dunne, former Sacramento Bee restaurant critic and now Sacramento freelance writer, blogger and contributing wine columnist for the Bee. Douglas Dale is the executive chef-owner of Wolfdale’s fine-dining restaurant in Tahoe City. Bill Ryan is a wine-industry expert, retired from Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena. Kim Caffery is the tasting room manager for Silver Oak-Twomey wineries in the Napa Valley. Lara Ritchie is the culinary director of the Nothing To It Culinary Center in Reno. Sac Bee Campo 9.10.13.htm[10/14/2013 12:03:05 PM]

Autumn Food & Wine Fest a carnival of bites and sips - Appetizers Blog - The Sacramento Bee

At the judging table, behind closed doors, we tasted a cornucopia of dishes that ranged from the mundane to the superb, paired with good to great white and red wines. The Harushika sparkling sake was refreshing but sweet; the Chambray margarita was a like a blend of lemonade and tequila; and the Schubros Fest Bier had flavor and depth. Some of the best entries we tasted were basic and simply prepared, such as a meatball in marinara sauce. Others were so complex and involved so many ingredients that they figuratively fell apart. Surprisingly, many of those lacked the “wow!” factor. In the past few years, pork belly and short rib have dominated the tasting, reflecting the coming fall season. This year, one of the two pork-belly dishes was a smoked pork belly “taco” with sweet potato puree and dried-cherry jam. The other was grilled pork belly with peach sauce. The lone short-rib entry was a smoked pastrami short-rib slider with cabbage slaw. Several dishes were served in spoons (one dish came to the table with a baked cracker resembling a spoon) or on top of a chip of one sort or another. Duck showed up four ways — topped with five-spice sauce, grilled, sou vede (encased in a plastic bag and slow-cooked in hot water) and in a tart with mushrooms and truffle oil. Seafood was there, too, as bluefin tuna sashimi, octopus soppressata (thinly sliced octopus “salami”), beetcured rainbow trout with avocado-mascarpone cheese puree, baked oyster with Mornay sauce, and shrimp in gazpacho. Among other dishes: Moroccan-spiced chicken korma, rabbit and wild boar roulade, smoked elk, braised lamb shoulder, lamb-and-beef meatballs, beef carpaccio, and an outstanding roasted-beet canape with honey- and herb-infused goat cheese and candied walnuts. By the time we were done sampling, no one wanted to look at another plate of food or glass of wine ever again. Or at least until later in the day. The winners in all the categories were announced to the lively crowd sipping and tasting outside, who applauded and hooted and made quick dashes to the winners’ tents for seconds (or thirds). For the record, the top three best pairings were: Gold: meatball with marinara sauce from the Village Pizzeria in Truckee, with Kenwood 2010 zinfandel. Silver: rabbit and wild boar roulade from Moody’s Bistro in Truckee, with Paul Hobbs 2011 pinot noir. Bronze: duck and mushroom tart from Jake’s On the Lake in Tahoe City, with Handley Cellars 2009 pinot noir. The complete list of festival winners is coming to www.gotahoenorth.com today. Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni, (916) 321-1128. Follow him on Twitter @apierleonisacbe

Sac Bee Campo 9.10.13.htm[10/14/2013 12:03:05 PM]

contributing wine columnist for the Bee. Douglas Dale is the executive chef-owner of Wolfdale’s finedining restaurant in Tahoe City. Bill Ryan is a wine-industry expert, retired from Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena. Kim Caffery is the tasting room manager for Silver Oak-Twomey wineries in the Napa Valley. Lara Ritchie is the culinary director of the Nothing To It Culinary Center in Reno. At the judging table, behind closed doors, we tasted a cornucopia of dishes that ranged from the mundane to the superb, paired with good to great white and red wines. The Harushika sparkling sake was refreshing but sweet; the Chambray margarita was a like a blend of lemonade and tequila; and the Schubros Fest Bier had flavor and depth. Some of the best entries we tasted were basic and simply prepared, such as a meatball in marinara sauce. Others were so complex and involved so many ingredients that they figuratively fell apart. Surprisingly, many of those lacked the “wow!” factor. In the past few years, pork belly and short rib have dominated the tasting, reflecting the coming fall season. This year, one of the two pork-belly dishes was a smoked pork belly “taco” with sweet potato puree and dried-cherry jam. The other was grilled pork belly with peach sauce. The lone short-rib entry was a smoked pastrami short-rib slider with cabbage slaw. Several dishes were served in spoons (one dish came to the table with a baked cracker resembling a spoon) or on top of a chip of one sort or another. Duck showed up four ways — topped with five-spice sauce, grilled, sou vede (encased in a plastic bag and slow-cooked in hot water) and in a tart with mushrooms and truffle oil. Seafood was there, too, as bluefin tuna sashimi, octopus soppressata (thinly sliced octopus “salami”), beet-cured rainbow trout with avocado-mascarpone cheese puree, baked oyster with Mornay sauce, and shrimp in gazpacho. Among other dishes: Moroccan-spiced chicken korma, rabbit and wild boar roulade, smoked elk, braised lamb shoulder, lamb-and-beef meatballs, beef carpaccio, and an outstanding roasted-beet canape with honey- and herb-infused goat cheese and candied walnuts. By the time we were done sampling, no one wanted to look at another plate of food or glass of wine ever again. Or at least until later in the day. The winners in all the categories were announced to the lively crowd sipping and tasting outside, who applauded and hooted and made quick dashes to the winners’ tents for seconds (or thirds). For the record, the top three best pairings were: Gold: meatball with marinara sauce from the Village Pizzeria in Truckee, with Kenwood 2010 zinfandel. Silver: rabbit and wild boar roulade from Moody’s Bistro in Truckee, with Paul Hobbs 2011 pinot noir. Bronze: duck and mushroom tart from Jake’s On the Lake in Tahoe City, with Handley Cellars 2009 pinot noir. The complete list of festival winners is coming to www.gotahoenorth.com today.

The Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival, in its 28th year, runs through Sunday, with many of its biggest and most popular events held this weekend at Village at Northstar . Presentations are largely free — the trick is to get there early. Should you get shut out of an event, or just have some extra time, a meander through the Gourmet Marketplace Vendor Fair is well worth it. Among the free events Saturday at Village at Northstar: Chef Jason Gronlund of Florida’ Smokeybones Bar and Fish Grill will give a demonstration of his pulled pork at noon. Chef Lara Richie will teach 25 attendees how to make their own fresh mozzarella; first-come, first-seated (1:15-2:15 p.m.; if you miss out, there’s another chance at 3:15 p.m.). And TV chef Nathan Lyon (“Good Food America,” “Growing a Greener World”) will prepare a summer’s-end dish (2:15 p.m.). Also at Northstar on Saturday: The popular Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook-Off. This year’s installment will feature last year’s champion, Elsa Corrigan of Mamasake in the Village at Squaw, facing mark Estee of Reno’s Campo. They’ll prepare four courses in an hourlong battle with a required ingredient revealed at the start ($15; 4:30-6 p.m.).

This Friday through Sunday, some 3,500 foodies are expected to converge on the Village at Northstar and the neighboring Ritz-Carlton Highlands hotel near Truckee for the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival. On offer will be food-, wine-, craft brews- and spirits-tastings, cheesemaking and mixology classes, cooking seminars and demonstrations, a gourmet-foods marketplace, culinary competitions and a celebrity chef cook-off. The three-day celebration of tasting and sipping will culminate with Sunday's Grand Tasting, at which 30 restaurants will team with 30 wineries to vie for the best pairings of food and wine. “The festival will focus on the amazing diversity of dining options and culinary talent in our region,” said Judy Laverty, special event programs manager for the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. “Also, we’re focusing on our outdoor active lifestyle, so three new events have been added — Pedal & Pinot Tasting Room Tour, Bike to the Beach Bash & BBQ, and Trailside Hike and Tastings.” For tickets, lodging and a schedule of events: www.northstarcalifornia.com, www.tahoefoodandwine.com and www.ritzcarlton.com.

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Hike and nibble. Bike, then barbecue. Walk softly (OK, leisurely) and carry a big sip. At the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival, the food and wine are being blended with outdoor activities like never before. "It's a really great way of highlighting the outdoor playground of Northstar and our area, and it's a sign of the food movement in general, with more emphasis on active lifestyles," said Brooke Rose, communications coordinator for Northstar California Resort outside Truckee, where much of the festival is being held. Several events also are occurring just up the mountain ...

Grilled cheese, Awful Awful burgers, California rolls, lemonade, sweet potato fries, crab cakes, Parmesan garlic fries and an array of other tasty nibbles can be found at the Reno-Tahoe Open. This year, four food trucks were invited by Roundabout Catering owner Colin Smith and Campo chef and owner Mark Estee to be vendors at the RTO in order to create a local food atmosphere for guests at the four-day PGA Tour event. This is the first year Smith and Estee partnered with the RTO to head the food and beverage service. As local business owners, their goal was to provide a variety of treats that are prepared by some of Reno’s favorites. Gourmelt, Reno’s grilled cheese truck, served a special sandwich — the RTO Melt, consisting of jack cheese, red pepper pesto, turkey and grilled red onions on sourdough. “It’s been great. We just like to support other local events as much as possible, and it’s so easy for food trucks to do events because we are all self-contained,” Gourmelt co-owner Jessie Watnes said. “So, we just roll up with everything we need and roll out when the event is done.” The rich and unique grilled cheeses had RTO visitors lining up. It’s hard to say no to the Parmesan-crusted bread, gooey goodness and a popular, local food truck. “You can’t go wrong with a grilled cheese,” said Jessica Billman, an RTO fan who recognized the addition of local vendors to the tournament this year. “I like that it’s giving a mixture. You don’t have to be in a tent to actually get some good food. I think it’s a good idea because they (food trucks) are very popular right now.” Burger Me! and Mamasake were two other trucks at the RTO on Saturday. Mamasake, which also is a sushi restaurant in the Village at Squaw Valley, added new items to the food truck menu this weekend, such as crab cakes and chicken curry rice bowls. “We’re doing a bunch of different things,” said Mamasake owner, Elsa Corrigan. “That’s what the food truck gives us an opportunity to do is to try a bunch of stuff out that we wouldn’t normally do in the restaurant.” Outside of the food trucks and local vendors, Roundabout Catering was responsible for 14 venues, six concessions, three full bars and nine hospitality bars. Smith set up a “base camp” at Montreux Golf & Country Club for the week, comprised of 16 ovens, three flats tops and two Swiss grills in order to prepare for an expected 13,500 people.

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Debbie Fuetsch, an avid golfer, had one condition when Jana Smoley, former executive director of the Reno-Tahoe Open, approached her about becoming the co-chair of Women’s Day with Nancy Botsdorf last year. “Besides Women’s Day supporting the RTO Foundation, I asked them if we could also support the Children’s Cabinet,” Fuetsch said. Fuetsch served on the Children’s Cabinet Board of Trustees for eight years and works closely with the local nonprofit organization. Last year, the Reno-Tahoe Open Women’s Day event raised $26,000 dollars for the Children’s Cabinet and the same success is anticipated for this year’s Women’s Day on July 28, starting at 3:30 p.m. at Montreux Golf and Country Club. “To me, one of the most important parts in playing a role in an event like this is to making sure that we can give back something to the community, and I felt very strongly about the Children’s Cabinet,” Fuetsch said. “That was probably my one little hitch to co-chairing was to make sure that the Children’s Cabinet was a part of it.” The Children’s Cabinet was started by Reno businessman Michael Dermody in 1985.

Golf wasn’t always Fuetsch’s hobby. Born in Reno, she played tennis for Bishop Manogue Catholic High School and the University of Nevada, Reno, where she majored in marketing. Golf now serves as Fuetsch’s leisure pastime and networking tool. “I started golfing seriously when I was working for the bank because all the men in the office used to leave and go golfing, and I got tired of that,” Fuetsch said. “So, I started making them take me.” Fuetsch can usually be found golfing at Graeagle Meadows on the weekends. She’s the first one out at 7 a.m. with her pushcart, and she jogs between holes to get in her four-mile cardio workout. “It’s pretty much my addiction,” Fuetsch said. “Once the kids are out of the house, as an empty nester, that’s become my hobby. I do it a lot. We have a fifth wheel up in Graeagle, and I go there almost every weekend and play 18-36 holes a day.” This year, Fuetsch will serve solo as the Reno-Tahoe Open Women’s Day chairwoman. Annika Sorenstam, who won 72 LPGA tournaments, is returning to conduct a clinic and demonstration. New this year will be a clinic from Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk, the seven-time Canadian Women’s Long Drive champion. “I’m really excited for people in this area to get to know Lisa,” Fuetsch said. “She has such a great story about how she became involved in golf and how golf has really helped her in all aspects of her life.” Along with the two clinics, there will be appetizers provided by L’uva Bella and a food and wine pairing dinner from Campo and Robert Mondavi wine. Women’s Day, which is presented by Barrick Gold, kicks off the RTO and allows more women to get involved with golf. Mike Pomi, a longtime friend of Fuetsch and her husband, George, is the executive director of the Children’s Cabinet and appreciates the time and efforts Fuetsch has devoted to ensure that Women’s Day is also focused on the Children’s Cabinet. “Debbie Fuetsch is the strongest advocate I have out in the community,” Pomi said. “Women’s Day really created a higher profile of people understanding the Cabinet because of the presentation; we had kids and a booth there that day to answer questions. I was there all day last year and will be again this year.” Last year, Smoley nominated the Children’s Cabinet for the PGA Charity of the year, and the Cabinet was awarded the national honor and a $30,000 check. “It really was Women’s Day that highlighted the Children’s Cabinet, and Debbie really worked hard on making sure the Cabinet stood out,” Pomi said. “It was all spring-boarded because of Women’s Day and the work that Debbie did: $56,000 of unanticipated money to support our programming last year just from the tournament.” When Fuetsch isn’t on the golf course, she is the vice president and senior relationship manager of Wells Fargo Nevada Commercial Banking and has a lengthy list of community involvement. Fuetsch has served as a board member for the Nevada Women’s Fund, the Athletic Association at UNR and was the Executive Women’s Golf Association president from 2011 to 2012.

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umulus clouds dot the sky above as I enjoy an early summer stroll along Reno’s Raymond I. Smith Truckee River Walk. This city’s reputation may be based on neon and nightlife, but there is a more subtle side to the high-desert Northern Nevada metropolis that I love to explore, including a visit to this pleasant walking park that runs along the Truckee River corridor and features galleries, hotels, restaurants and shops. The riverwalk district is one of the hidden gems of this city that is known for its warm hospitality, natural beauty and endless supply of recreational opportunities. For instance, in the spring, you can enjoy a round of golf in Reno and minutes later be swooshing down the ski slopes at a nearby Lake Tahoe area resort, such as Alpine Meadows or Squaw Valley. Four distinct seasons and an average of more than 300 days of sunshine per year make the Reno–Lake Tahoe area an ideal location in which to live, work and play. Long known as “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno continues to grow, now boasting a population of about 230,000. The famous moniker, which is depicted in neon lights in an arch By Mikalee Byerman over Virginia Street in Reno’s downtown, accurately describes the city’s unique combination of big-time fun and small-town charm. However, Reno is also changing in a number of ways. Sure, the city center still bustles with activity from hotels and casinos. But reinvention is the new focus for Reno, as the city accentuates its distinctive arts scene, a growing number of excellent restaurants, and abundant outdoor fun, including many family activities.

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features the City of Despite its desert location, Reno enjoys Reno's longtime motto. plenty of water activities, with the Truckee River running through the heart of the city. A paddlewheel boat plies the waters of Considering the Truckee’s location in Emerald Bay during a Reno, it’s perhaps no surprise that the river cruise on Lake Tahoe. provides a wonderland for water lovers. The Truckee River Whitewater Park, at downtown Reno’s Wingfield Park, attracts many kayakers during the summer months. My family and I often come here to marvel at the amazing maneuvers and stunts on display at the park’s racing course and 11 pools. Water—1 billion gallons of it, to be precise—is also the main draw at the Sparks Marina, a 77-acre lake in Sparks (Reno’s sister city) that is located about five miles east of Whitewater Park. The lake draws fishing enthusiasts, windsurfers, sailors and swimmers. For those who prefer water hazards to windsurfing, there are dozens of quality golf courses, all within a short drive of Reno. One local favorite is the LakeRidge Golf Course, a championship layout located less than five miles south of Reno’s downtown. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., LakeRidge features water on

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One of my brood’s favorite events is the Artown festival in July. The monthlong celebration is in its 18th year and boasts more than 500 events that include art, dance, music, theater, visual arts and more. The Artown festival takes place in venues all over the city and is the centerpiece of a busy summer season. Another highlight is the Hot August Nights festival, which cruises into town August 6–11. One of the premier classic-car festivals in the world, it draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to watch a parade of mint-condition classic rides, enjoy top entertainers from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and take part in many activities, including a series of classic-car auctions. Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in northern Reno will be the scene of The Great Reno Balloon Race, September 6–8. Nearly 100 hot-air balloons ﬁll the skies and race in various competitions for a total of $12,000 in prizes. The same weekend as the balloon race, historic Virginia City, located 26 miles south of Reno, will be hosting races of a different kind: the International Camel Races. That’s right—camel races. Rookie riders straddle these gangly ungulates and traverse the desert landscape, urged on by cheers and chortles from the audience.

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11 holes and is best known for the par-3 15th hole. Golfers stand on a tee box set atop a rocky ridge 140 feet above a pond and aim at an island green guarded by trees and bunkers. Beyond the events and outdoor activities, Reno is also gaining a reputation as a center for new and innovative restaurants. Favorite locations include the trendy SoDo Restaurant and Bar (creative American cuisine), Fuego (mouthwatering Latin tapas), Crème Cafe (divine crepes) and its sister restaurant Süp (unique soups and sandwiches). Campo is one of the stars of the nouveau-dining landscape. Owned by James Beard “Best Chef in the West” nominee Mark Estee, the restaurant is known for its use of organic produce and ingredients grown by local farms. A great way to take part in the area’s expanding food scene is to attend the weeklong gastronomic celebration Reno Bites, October 21–27. The event will include about 30 of the city’s restaurants and celebrate all things culinary—from food trucks to chef competitions and more.

Nearly 100 colorful west. We drive out of Carson City and and creative hot-air turn west onto Highway 50 to begin the balloons will ﬁll area 16-mile climb to Lake Tahoe, leaving skies during the annual sage-brushed valleys behind and welcom- Great Reno Balloon Race, September 6–8. ing tall-timbered mountains. After one last sweeping highway curve, we see the The 41st-annual Lake majestic lake beyond. Tahoe Shakespeare Festival will perform at “Wow,” my 10-year-old daughter Sand Harbor State Park exclaims from the backseat during a this July and August. recent trip. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.” My family members aren’t the only ones amazed by Lake Tahoe’s splendor. Its unique beauty and sheer scale continue to enchant people from near and far. A few weeks after my family getaway to the lake, I’m sitting on

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For those interested in venturing outside Reno, one of the area’s most famous attractions is Lake Tahoe, the second-largest alpine lake in the world. This natural wonder also happens to be a favorite destination for our family trips. Leaving Reno, we travel 30 miles south to Carson City, where we visit the silver-domed State Capitol, the depot of the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad, and even see a group of hang gliders descending from the Sierra Nevada to the 131

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Juneau the back deck of the Lone Eagle Grille at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino on the lake’s North Shore. I’m talking with visitor Lynn Boyd about what attracts her to Lake Tahoe. As we discuss the area, I enjoy the crisp mountain air and the delightful scent of pine on the breeze. The property is tucked into a forested area where all views are aptly oriented toward the lake. “I come here because of this,” says the Dallas, Texas, native as she gestures toward the lake’s blue-green waters that sparkle in the seemingly constant sunshine. “The mountains, the tranquility, the accommodations—this is the ideal vacation spot,” says Boyd, who, along with her husband, Mark, frequently stays at Lake Tahoe. The Texas couple enjoys the many contrasting identities of the lake, which straddles the Nevada-California border. At the north end of the lake—home to quiet, charming communities such as Incline Village that emphasize the spectacular surroundings—the Boyds enjoy picnics, hikes and the local restaurant scene. To the south, which boasts a more vibrant gaming and entertainment atmosphere, they’re regulars at Heavenly Mountain Resort, one of many ski areas offering shopping and year-round attractions. They also enjoy the sunset dinner-and-dance cruises aboard the MS Dixie II, a paddlewheel boat that explores the suitably named verdant waters of Emerald Bay. “There’s so much to do, year-round,” Boyd says. “We’ve been all the way around this lake so many times, I can’t even tell you. And we just keep coming back.”

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STAY Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: 3800 S. Virginia St., Reno; 800-723-6500; atlantiscasino.com. Reno’s luxury concierge tower hotel features an award-winning spa. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino: 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village; 775-832-1234; laketahoe.hyatt.com. Located in northern Lake Tahoe, the resort offers spa services and private cruises. MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa: 55 Highway 50 S., Lake Tahoe; 888-829-7630; montbleuresort.com. Located on Lake Tahoe’s southern shores, the resort is known for offering top entertainment. Peppermill Resort Spa Casino: 2707 S. Virginia St., Reno; 775-826-2121; peppermillreno.com. The downtown resort features the Spa Toscana.

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DINE Bite American Tapas: 907 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village; 775-831-1000; bitetahoe. com. A popular north Lake Tahoe bistro known for its eclectic menu. Campo: 50 N. Sierra St., Reno; 775-737-9555; camporeno.com. Chef/owner Mark Estee gives Italian-American cuisine a new twist. Charlie Palmer Steak Reno: Located inside the Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., Reno; 800-501-2651; charliepalmer.com. This steak house is known for ﬁne food and an excellent wine list. MacDuff’s Public House: 1041 Fremont Ave., South Lake Tahoe; 530-542-8777; macduffspub.com. A local favorite that features wood-ﬁred pizza. OTHER ATTRACTIONS Triple-A All-Star Baseball: Reno Aces Ballpark, 250 Evans Ave., Reno; 775-3347000; renoaces.com/allstar. See Major League Baseball’s future stars during the 2013 Triple-A All-Star events being held July 13–16, culminating with the all-star game on July 17. Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum: 490 S. Center St., Reno; 775-786-1000; nvdm.org. An interactive museum full of exhibits that will engage children and parents. Wild Island Family Adventure Park: 250 Wild Island Court, Sparks; 775-359-2927; wildisland.com. The adventure park features waterslides, bowling, black-light miniature golf, go-karts and more. —M.B.

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border the lake. One of the area’s best is Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, a George Fazio design on the southeastern shore. The Edgewood offers a picture-perfect setting, great golf and beautiful lake views. It is also the annual host of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, with this year’s tournament taking place July 16–21. Celebrities expected to tee it up at the televised event include Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps and Ray Romano, to name just a few. Other summer events that have become increasingly popular include the Red, White and Tahoe Blue, a weekend-long July Fourth celebration that culminates with a ﬁreworks show over the lake. There is also the Lake Tahoe SummerFest, a three-week festival in August that combines classical music with ﬁne arts and theater productions. One of the most unique arts settings in the area belongs to the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, where audiences watch the Bard’s plays on an outdoor stage located on the shores of the lake. Now in its 41st year, the acclaimed festival will perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream from July 12 to August 25 at Sand Harbor State Park in the North Shore’s Incline Village. From the scenic surroundings of Lake Tahoe, I drive out of the Sierra Nevada and back down to Reno. The beauty of the trip reminds me, once again, how lucky I am to live in this area. From the breathtaking scenery to the exciting special events involving everything from classic cars to camels, there’s something for everyone in the northern Nevada region. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” In Reno and Lake Tahoe, both the journey and the destination reveal a splendor all their own. Mikalee Byerman is a Reno-based freelance writer.

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Planners can choose from a plethora of attractive options Visit the old Basque country! Cruise the canals of Venice! Climb the Eiffel Tower! Stroll along the Ponte Vecchio bridge! That may sound like a travel brochure for a European vacation, but all these experiences are available in the great state of Nevada. The Silver State will celebrate its 150th year of statehood in 2014, and Gov. Brian Sandoval recently announced a new slogan, "A world within. A state apart," which seeks to capture the state's one-of-a-kind appeal. "The slogan comes close to conveying Nevada's natural, cultural and human resources," explains Chris Moran, public relations specialist for the Nevada Commission on Tourism. "We're a little bit different, but just about everything you might want can be found here. If you're trying to create a fun meeting where people have a lot of options, you can't go wrong with Nevada." The idea of a "world within" seems fitting for Nevada, as the state's modern history was forged by a confluence of settlers from Europe, Asia and Latin America.Nevada now has a sizable Basque population, particularly in the northern part of the state; many residents in Douglas, Mineral and Pershing counties are of Mexican ancestry; Washoe County has many Irish Americans; Americans of English descent form pluralities in Churchill, Eureka, Lincoln, Lyon and White Pine counties; and Germans form a majority in Humboldt County. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities such as Scandinavians, Italians, Poles, Spaniards, Greeks and Armenians. Largely African American neighborhoods now are found in Las Vegas and Reno. Las Vegas also has one of America's most prolific Asian American communities, and has a Chinatown area consisting mostly of Chinese and Taiwanese residents. During the past 20 years, many immigrants from South Asia and Latin America came to Las Vegas seeking employment in the gaming and hospitality industries, but farming and construction are the city's biggest employers of immigrant labor. While Nevada has quite an ethnic diversity, over the past two decades, the state has become worldly in another wayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;by transforming from a kitschy gambling mecca into a vibrant, busy hub for worldclass restaurants and hotels.

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For meeting and convention planners, Nevada is a practical choice because it has a mystique and accessibility that few other states can match. Just ask Deborah Washington, convention chair for the International Perfume Bottle Association, a group of collectors from around the world. For her latest meeting in Las Vegas, about 20 percent of her attendees came from other countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more than usual, Washington says, thanks to a high number of direct flights from Europe. "The fact that this event was in Las Vegas was obviously a reason a lot of people came," she says. "The international visitors loved getting to go to places like Hoover Dam, and going to shows by Elton John and David Copperfield. These are people they've heard about, and they can actually see them here." It's no accident that there are so many international flights to Las Vegas. "Global is the growth area for us, so we keep stimulating the attraction of Las Vegas by the branding we do around the world," says Chris Meyer, CEM, CMP and vice president of sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). "We have offices in 13 countries, and our in-house staff speaks a total of 36 languages.We keep meeting with airline partners to increase our international lift as a destination, to make it as easy as possible for people to travel one-stop or nonstop to Las Vegas." Nevada offers all sorts of options and attractions, from the peaks around Lake Tahoe to the pool parties along the Las Vegas Strip, not to mention plenty of ghost towns, dude ranches, nightclubs, ski slopes and other highlights in between. The following is an overview of some of the options available for all groups, foreign and domestic.

RENO While it isn't on the same massive scale as Las Vegas, Reno has evolved into a thriving city in its own right. It is relatively affordable, not to mention accessible by car from the San Francisco Bay Areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and just a half-hour drive from the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. "People often don't understand that we are a four-season resort destination," says John Leinen, vice president of convention and tourism sales for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA). "People look at us as a small Las Vegas, and don't realize we are sitting in the high desert in the Sierra Nevadas. You can ski at any of our 18 ski resorts or golf at any of our 50 courses, and you can see concerts by performers such as The Who, Elton John and Maroon 5, all in one day."

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Reno offers several features not found in Las Vegas, including Truckee River Whitewater Park, a white-water rafting and kayaking center in the heart of downtown. The city is also home to the world's tallest outdoor climbing wall (164 feet), which is the centerpiece of a new hotel. The stylish Whitney Peak Hotel has more than 200 guest rooms, an 800-plus capacity concert venue called Cargo, and meeting and banquet facilities. A meeting in Reno could include an outing to a Reno Aces AAA baseball game or an evening reception at the Nevada Museum of Art. For outdoor activities, "within a day you can go fly fishing, whitewater rafting and mountain climbing," Leinen says."Other options are horseback riding, golfing, hot-air ballooning and helicopter rides. You can arrange a trip to Lake Tahoe and ride on the MS Dixie. You can go on adventurous excursions just a half-hour from downtown. The cool thing is that we've got such a wide variety." Reno-Tahoe properties have invested more than $500 million in recent years, much of that going to meetings and room infrastructure at properties including Grand Sierra Resort, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino and Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. "Our products are really in excellent shape and there have been some great investments through challenging times," Leinen says. "We have nine hotels with between 800 and 2,000 guest rooms." The RSCVA manages an array of facilities that can be used for events, including the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno Events Center, Reno- Sparks Livestock Events Center, Wildcreek Golf Course and National Bowling Stadium, the "Taj Mahal of Tenpins." And some of the bestknown restaurants in the city carry on the heritage of the earliest European settlers, including Louis' Basque Corner, a stalwart establishment where the servers wear authentic Basque costumes. Diners, seated family-style at long tables, feast on dishes such as oxtail and tripe while drinking picon punch, a Basque specialty. For a higher-end option, there's Campo, which features organic, local and seasonal ingredients and recently was dubbed one of the best new restaurants in America by Esquire. In case you need another incentive, the RSCVA has an offer called "Good Value/Good Values."Qualified planners who submit an RFP, book a nocost site inspection or book a meeting in the destination receive a donation in their group's name to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, ASPCA or American Red Cross, with values ranging from $50-$1,000.

LAKE TAHOE In 2012, USA Today readers voted Lake Tahoe "America's Best Lake." It's easy to see why: Located about 60 miles southwest of Reno, it is North America's largest alpine lake and is surrounded by snowcapped peaks. The lake's shores are accessible for gatherings of all kinds, from a conference in a hotel-casino to a winter board meeting or summer team-building retreat.

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The hotels around Lake Tahoe are centered in two primary areas, commonly referred to as North Tahoe and South Tahoe. The north shore includes Incline Village/Crystal Bay and is located only about 30 minutes from Reno. The south shore (centered around the town of Stateline, home to the largest casino hotels) is located about 90 minutes away, on the other end of the lake. Both towns straddle the state border between Nevada and California; most hotels and all casinos are on the Nevada side. Hotel options run the gamut, from the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Incline Village, an elegant property with more than 50,000 sq. ft. Of meeting space, to Harrah's Lake Tahoe in Stateline, an 18-story hotel tower that welcomes performers such as Vanilla Ice and Jefferson Starship. Around the lake are some unique properties open to groups, including Thunderbird Lodge, a historic estate with more than 3,000 sq. ft. Of meeting space.You can also arrange team building through resources including Tahoe Adventure Learning Institute, which offers training, consulting and outdoor adventures such as ropes courses. Tahoe is a world-class destination for skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, so if you are planning a winter meeting, be sure to carve out time for people to hit the slopes and ask ski area employees about discounts on lift tickets.

As local farmers market managers might put it colloquially: cheese, please. Please? Please? “Artisan cheese is what every farmers market aspires to, but it’s the toughest producer to get,” said Ann Louhela, project director of the Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute and a longtime farmers market organizer and advocate. “There are fewer artisan cheese makers because it’s expensive to get into, and there are a lot of government hoops as far as food safety. I’ve made calls to artisan cheese makers to get them to our farmers markets, but they always say they rarely do markets because demand for their cheese so high.” That’s something Isidro Alves of Sand Hill Farmstead Cheese of Fallon is discovering. Cheese making forms a minuscule part of his family’s larger Sand Hill Dairy operation, but since receiving final government approval in April 2012, Alves already

has placed his queso fresco and cream cheese with Marketon (where it’s delivered in 16-pound wheels and sliced fresh to order), 15 smaller Latino markets, Sak ‘N Save and the Fallon and Carson City farmers markets. Alves acknowledged there was unmet demand for his cheeses, especially from other local farmers markets, but he said he wasn’t willing to undertake significant expansion — expensive, highly regulated — simply for its own sake. “I told myself, ‘We’re going to do this cheese, but we’re not going to leverage our main business,’ ” which produces about 5,000 gallons of cow’s milk daily that’s sold in bulk through a dairy cooperative. But Sand Hill Farmstead, Northern Nevada’s only approved artisan cheese maker, isn’t just the story of how family farmers must balance demand and meeting demand. It’s also the story of how these farmers are diversifying from their traditional products and how such new products travel from — in this case — cow to market. Jersey girls It’s 9 a.m. the other morning at Sand Hill Dairy, and already, the temperature is in the 80s. The air brims with a medley of soil, grass, cow, manure. The aroma is powerful, yes, but in no way noisome or rank. It is, somehow, pure. “That’s the smell of the dairy,” said Alves, son of California dairy workers, who sold potential bovine fecundity — bull semen, that is — before buying the Fallon dairy a decade ago. “I don’t notice the smell of cows, but if I’m around a different type of animal like goats or chickens, I notice right away.” Alves’ milking herd encompasses a total of 500 Holsteins, Jerseys and cross-breeds that are milked twice a day. The milk of 50 Jersey cows is dedicated to cheese making four days a week; when the Jerseys aren’t contributing to queso fresco (a soft, fresh, mild white cheese) or thick, textural-style cream cheese, they’re back on general milking duty. “Jerseys produce a smaller volume of milk, but the milk has more fat and protein, so it’s better for cheese,” Alves said, adding that Sand Hill Farmstead’s cheese production is about 1,000 pounds a week, “enough to cover equipment and labor.” Curds and whey Andres Gomez, Sand Hill’s milker, uses an iodine solution to moisten the teats of cows about to be milked. He attaches a milking cup to the teats, and the milk begins to flow — first through a filter, then into pipes that lead either to a 6,000-gallon bulk tank or one of two tanks in the cheese room. The tanks each produce about 250 pounds of cheese per batch. In the tank, the milk is pasteurized at 145 F for 30 minutes — “enough to kill bad pathogens but keep the qualities of the milk,” Alves said — then rennet (the acid agent) is added to cause the milk to separate into curds and whey. The other morning, cheese maker Gabriel Hernandez shovels curds and whey before placing them in cheesecloth bags, which sag from rods as the liquid whey drains off. “In winter, we capture the whey and feed it to the animals,” Alves said. “It has lots of nutrient value.” Once drained, the cheese curds are gently salted but still large and chunky, so Hernandez and his assistant, Gerardo Duenas, feed them through a grinder. “It gives them the right texture and makes them easier to smash with the hands,” Hernandez said. The curds, now smaller and smoother, are worked by hand, then pressed into round 16-pound molds lined with cheesecloth. The molds are stacked five high and rest several hours so their weight helps press out more moisture.

“That cheese they are working on was in the cow at 2 a.m.,” Alves said. The molds chill overnight to firm up, then the cheese is removed, packaged and delivered. Make today, sell tomorrow Farming is rarely easy, but Alves’ family makes a living selling bulk cow’s milk. Why branch out to cheese? “Every dairyman always has in his head, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to make at least one product of your own? Wouldn’t it be nice to see your own label on something?’ ” Alves said. “With the changes in the economy, it’s important to diversify.” The decision to craft queso fresco was a considered one. “There’s no aging room, no cheese tied up in inventory,” Alves said. “The queso fresco we make today, we sell tomorrow,” he continued, gesturing around the cheese room. That freshness has attracted not only retailers and hopeful farmers market managers, but also a handful of local restaurateurs. One of them, chef-owner Mark Estee of Campo, was introduced to Alves and his cheeses at the 2012 Tractors & Truffles, a farm-to-table dinner held annually in Oats Park in Fallon. These days, Estee is sending out roasted beets spattered with Sand Hill cream cheese purée and sprinkled with Sand Hill queso fresco. “Dairy production is increasing in Nevada, but cheese making is not,” Estee said. “He’s a pioneer in the level he’s already taken his business to. He’s passionate.” Job security Sand Hill’s queso fresco, in fact, could soon be entering heavy rotation at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. Last week, Alves brought samples for several chefs and department heads to try. They decided to use the queso fresco at an upcoming farm-to-table dinner in Bistro Napa and are negotiating with Alves to supply the whole property with the cheese. “This is so clean, so fresh,” said chef Clay Slieff of Bistro Napa, slicing off piece after piece. “It has a beautiful texture, and it’s not too salty.” The Jersey cows at Sand Hill, it seems, needn’t worry about job security.

According to the Nevada Department of Agriculture, 68 cents spent a week by each adult on locally produced food would add 100 MILLION a year to the Northern Nevada economy! The Cheri Hill show serves up a roundtable of local industry leaders who are actively developing a collaborative movement right here in Northern Nevada. Learn what you can do to get involved, where you can shop, and dine to show your support with: Clint Jolly, Reno Public Market & Great Thyme Catering Mark Estee, Restaurateur /Chef Campo & Burger Me Amber Sallaberry, General Director with Great Basin Food Co-op Ann Louhela, Project Director with Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great presentation from a young member of the Local Sustainable & Organic Food Movement! 11-year-old Birke Baehr presents his take on a major source of our food â&#x20AC;&#x201D; far-away and less-thanpicturesque industrial farms. Keeping farms out of sight promotes a rosy, unreal picture of big-box agriculture, he argues, as he outlines the case to green and localize food production. (Filmed at TEDxNextGenerationAshevillen.)

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Wild Salmon with Grilled Vegetable Succotash Campo, Reno, Nev., and Campo Mammoth, Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Not all chefs are fortunate enough to have their own dedicated fisherman. But among the lucky ones is Mark Estee, chef and proprietor of Campo (50 N. Sierra St., Reno, 775-737-9555, camporeno.com) and Campo Mammoth (6201 Minaret Rd., Ste. 240, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 760934-0669, campomammoth.com). Estee’s coveted source is a Reno friend, a firefighter who regularly steers his boat to Bodega Bay during Northern California’s salmon season. “He’ll call me and say ‘They’re biting—how many do you want?’ I tell him I’ll take 12,” Estee says. “When I get them, they are super fresh, barely 24 hours out of the water.” At Campo—the name means “gathering spot’’ in Italian— Estee practices sea-to-table, nose-to-tail, and root-to-stalk cooking. The restaurant makes its own pastas by hand and butchers its own animals. Salmon, with its high oil content, is ideal for the grill because it can stand up to the heat. Estee thinks grilling is a perfect way to prepare the fish at home, too, because nothing says summer like cooking outdoors. The corn, tomatoes, green beans, and zucchini for the succotash also get a turn on the grill, which imparts a wonderful smokiness. Even if you don’t have a fisherman at your beck and call, this dish might make you feel as if you do. Want to suggest a recipe that VIA could track down from a restaurant in the West? Email us at viamail@viamagazine.com. Wild Salmon with Grilled Vegetable Succotash Serves 4 Adapted from the recipe by Mark Estee at Campo For the salmon: 4 (5-ounce) wild salmon fillets, pin bones removed

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2 tablespoons grapeseed oil Kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper For the succotash: 2 ears of corn, shucked ½ cup green beans, stems removed ½ cup cherry tomatoes, stems removed ½ cup zucchini coins, cut ½ inch thick 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 sprig fresh basil 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Juice of 2 lemons Kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper 1 cup pea sprouts or other small, fresh greens 1) Heat an outdoor grill to high. 2) Brush the ears of corn with a light layer of grapeseed oil, then season them with salt and pepper. Toss the green beans with a little grapeseed oil, season them with salt and pepper, then proceed to do the same with the tomatoes and zucchini. 3) Place the corn on the grill and char the ears all over. Transfer them to a platter. 4) In a grill basket set on the hot grill, cook the beans until tender and lightly charred, then transfer them to a platter. Repeat those steps with the tomatoes and zucchini. 5) Pull the leaves from the thyme and basil sprigs and chop them coarsely. 6) With a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels from the cobs and transfer them to a bowl. Dice the beans, tomatoes, and zucchini; add them to the bowl. Add the chopped herbs, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice to taste, salt, and pepper. Stir the ingredients well. 7) Brush the salmon fillets with grapeseed oil, then season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Place salmon fillets on the grill, skin-side up, and cook for three to four minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for another three to four minutes. The salmon should remain slightly pink in the center. 8) Place the fillets on a large serving platter and spoon the succotash over the top. Garnish with the pea sprouts.

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Top Underestimated Food Cities | Shine Food - Yahoo! Shine

YAHOO! SHINE Top Underestimated Food Cities By The Daily Meal | Shine Food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fri, Jun 7, 2013 11:41 AM EDT

These cities will surprise your taste buds and travel itinerary. THE DAILY MEAL We all know where to find good food in this country, with culinary hot spots continuously popping up in cities like New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Chicago; the bar is set high for good eats. But what about the cities and towns in between the big time culinary hubs? If you love quaint small towns, tropical islands, student-run establishments, or are just looking to indulge your palate while in town on business, there is plenty of good food to be found in places where you'd least expect it. RELATED: 24 Best Boardwalks in the US Food Network star Paula Deen's landmark restaurant, The Lady & Sons

The places on this list represent the underdogs of America's culinary scene, each bringing something special to the table, be it local art for ambiance, farm-to-table fare, Neapolitan pizza, or Southern staples served with historic charm. We've ranked our choices based on critical

acclaim as well as the town's number of restaurants per capita. We've also highlighted at least one restaurant in each spot that showcases the best of the town's culinary offerings. RELATED: 25 Best Ice Cream Parlors Around the World Whether you find yourself traveling for business, for pleasure, or just happen to be passing through, these cities are sure to surprise you both for their food and their local attractions.

Gualala, Calif. shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/top-underestimated-food-cities-154100308.html

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You've probably never heard of the small town of Gualala, but it is truly one of California's best-kept secrets. Gualala is located in Northern California's Mendocino County, north of The Sea Ranch on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Gualala River. While the whales linger for lunch during their yearly migrations, food lovers should visit Surf Market, where owner Steve May's passion for sustainable fish is only matched by his enthusiasm for sailing. Buy the cedar planked verlasso salmon; chef Rich Fesler seasons it with lemon and rosemary and grills it to pure perfection. Stay at the Sea Ranch Lodge or the rustic cabins at St. Orres, where you can dine on California cuisine like garlic flan with locally foraged black chanterelles or rack of venison with wild huckleberries.

Savannah, Ga. Savannah, Ga. has a charm that extends from the plates into the streets, and anyone who has seen the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil won't be disappointed when visiting the real setting. Take a walk through the four open squares laid out in 1769 and originally intended to provide colonists with space for military exercises, then make your way over to The Lady and Sons. Food Network star Paula Deen's landmark restaurant, The Lady & Sons, began back in June 1989, when Deen started The Bag Lady out of her home, and since then it has grown into a world-renowned restaurant and full-service catering venue. No one does fried green tomatoes like the South, and Deen's cornmeal-crusted and fried version is unbelievable.

Santa Fe, N.M. If you're an art lover, you won't want to miss a trip to Georgia O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu, N.M. Now owned by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, her Abiquiu home is open for tours to the public daily. Try to take a tour on a Thursday; you'll get the chance to be guided by the Historic Properties manager, who spent more than 10 years working with O'Keeffe. You'll get insights into her daily life unlike any other. Before you embark on the journey to Abiquiu, though, make a food fueling stop at the famous Coyote CafĂŠ. The restaurant was founded by Mark Miller; the chef and iconic restaurateur who brought Southwestern cuisine to the forefront. You cannot go wrong ordering on this menu, with a house margarita in hand, but don't miss the chance to order the tamales. Whether you order a smoked duck, mushroom, or a more conventional chicken green chile, you will think you are in heaven.

Hyde Park, N.Y. Just a short train ride from New York City, Hyde Park is a beautiful, quaint town dotted with interesting sites like the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/top-underestimated-food-cities-154100308.html

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and the CIA - no, not that CIA, the main campus of the Culinary Institute of America. If you love food, you cannot miss American Bounty Restaurant. This restaurant, run by CIA students, features mouthwatering, traditional American foods made with only the best local ingredients. Make sure to try the Hudson Valley Moulard duck breast with creamy sweet potatoes; it will leave you craving more. If you're in the mood for something sweet, make sure you stop at another CIA favorite, the Apple Pie Bakery CafĂŠ, to try the apple pie; it is, after all, the reason the bakery exists.

Reno, Nevada Tucked away near the Truckee River is an unexpected culinary hot spot. Yes, believe it or not, a renowned, award-winning chef calls "The Biggest Little City in the World" home. Mark Estee and his neighborhood restaurant Campo have taken the town by storm. Campo is a place where locals mix and mingle while feasting on dishes, like house-made Napoletana pizzas, pastas, and salumi. For some of the best bites in the city, try their kale salad or caramel budino for dessert. And we're not the only ones singing this local spot's praises; Campo was named one of the Best New Restaurants of 2012 by Esquire magazine. Before Campo, Estee started a casual burger joint, Burger Me, in nearby Truckee, Calif., which then expanded to Reno, and recently launched a food truck. Burger Me turns the American staple into an art form without pretension or complication, simply by working with fresh, natural ingredients. The burgers start with local, all-natural ground chuck, and are finished however the customer likes it (if you're feeling ambitious, try the Train Wreck, a burger topped with an onion ring, chili, Cheddar, and a fried egg). For another delicious food truck bite, stop by GourMelt, from grilled cheese goddesses Jessie Watnes and Haley Wood. We like The Bumble Brie (sliced green apples, ham, honey, and melted Brie on cinnamon-apple bread). And of course, no trip to Reno would be complete without popping into one of the city's many casinos for a shot of tequila. Hussong's CantinaTaqueria recently opened in the Silver Legacy and boasts authentic, fresh Baja street fare. Quench your thirst by trying the original margarita or spice things up with the El Pepino variation (made with muddled jalapeĂąos). To round out your trip to Reno, be sure to snap a picture under the famous arch and cruise by the National Automobile Museum, featuring more than 220 antique, vintage, classic, and special interest cars. And don't miss the 45-minute drive to Lake Tahoe to hit the slopes or take a dip in the lake. Reno as a food lover's destination - who knew? Click to see MORE Underestimated Cities for Food

- Jennifer Bushman, The Daily Meal

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More from The Daily Meal: Top 10 Music Festivals for Food 101 Best Restaurants in Asia for 2013

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MARK ESTEE, OWNER & CHEF, CAMPO, RENO, NEVADA, TALKS PIZZA QUALITY CONTROL & AUTHENTICITY

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By Mark Estee / Owner Campo As a restaurant operator and chef, I want to make people happy by cooking great food and serving it to them in a relaxed, neighborhood environment. That’s why we created Campo here in Reno, Nevada. Pasta, pigs, produce and pizza are my passions, so when I looked at the market here in Reno, I saw the opportunity to create an authentic Neopolitan Pizza. A few years ago I tasted and learned about Vera Pizza Napoletana, or VPN. I went to Italy and was amazed at all the little www.pizzatoday.com/magazine/mark-estee-owner-chef-campo-reno-nevada-talks-pizza-quality-control-authenticity#.UcDIQPm1F9h

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nuances in the pizza, but true to VPN, the basics were cast in stone. I like that. I like the fact we can rely on a recipe from 1868, with all its history and traceable roots. In the world of pizza, we all know everyone has his or her favorite recipe or style. I can appreciate that. The thing I love about this style of pizza is that it lends itself to age-old techniques and artisan production.Pasta, pigs, produce and pizza are my passions, so when I looked at the market here in Reno, I saw the opportunity to create an authentic Neopolitan Pizza. A few years ago I tasted and learned about Vera Pizza Napoletana, or VPN. I went to Italy and was amazed at all the little nuances in the pizza, but true to VPN, the basics were cast in stone. I like that. I like the fact we can rely on a recipe from 1868, with all its history and traceable roots. In the world of pizza, we all know everyone has his or her favorite recipe or style. I can appreciate that. The thing I love about this style of pizza is that it lends itself to age-old techniques and artisan production. To me, you can taste it all in the dough — the look, the smell, the taste. Not everyone agrees, and critics may rant and rave about the best way or the better way, but I say fuuuuugeettaabooouuttt it! I love our pizza, but it’s not beyond reproach. I recently invited the VPN to take a look at my pizza operation. As a result, we made some slight tweaks to the dough — and, I have to say, it is even better than before! So, even as people wanted me to change the pizza, or try a different style, I did not waver. Instead I looked deeply at what we were doing and made changes based on the traditions we are rooted in. Not everybody will notice the changes we’ve made. But that is OK, it is like a great haircut — you are not supposed to be able to tell. The lesson to me is, while I always listen to my customers, I have to stand by what I love and what I believe to be true and taste DELICIOUS!

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Chef Ivano Centemeri of La Strada in the Eldorado bested chef-owner Mark Estee of Campo in the cook-off at Chefs & Arias, a recent fundraiser for the Nevada Opera held in the Eldorado. Mark won the competition last year. Goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano were the secret ingredients this year. Hmm. In our experience, chef duels typically feature ingredients that are more unfamiliar or more challenging, but we get it. Durian and sea cucumber would have provided high drama — though far less pleasure, we presume, for the judges. Ty Martin of Craft Wine & Beer and Joey Trujillo of Hub Coffee Roasters offered culinary commentary during the duel. The evening began with a VIP wine reception in Cin Cin Lounge featuring Van Der Vijver Estate wines from El Dorado County, Calif. Mexican original Enchiladas Suizas topped with tomatillo cream sauce, fancy flautas (not the dry, forlorn specimens you see everywhere), cotija and queso fresco nachos, and plazero grilled corn sprinkled with cotija and chili flakes issued from the kitchen — and margaritas flowed from the bar — at the opening last week of Hussong’s Cantina in the Silver Legacy. The restaurant (there’s also one in Vegas) comes courtesy of Titan Brands, co-founded and led by Scott Frost, a Reno boy made good. Titan is the U.S. licensee of the Hussong’s name; the original restaurant, one of the most famous in Mexico, is in Ensenada. Though Hussong’s sounds Asian, the restaurants actually take their name from John Hussong, a German immigrant to Mexico who opened the first Hussong’s in 1892. We sat at the bar for most of the party — so much more convenient that way — and chatted up the likes of Samantha Grimes (Hussong’s Vegas publicist), Amanda Horn, Natasha Bourlin, Mel Shields, chef Clint Jolly, Angie Brown and Jennifer Cunningham of the RSCVA who, we discovered, is a fun lady to have at a party. Let’s have another margarita (OK, margarita for you, martini for us) soon, Jennifer. In other food doings . . . Per owner Joel Giandalia, SoDo is adding a banquet room. Right now, Joel can draw the drapes across the back area of SoDo’s dining room, but with the restaurant so consistently busy, it will be nice to have a formal banquet space. Feeding America, a network of more than 200 U.S. food banks, recently named the Food Bank of Northern Nevada as its 2013 Member of the Year. The Food Bank ranks among the top 10 percent in the nation in benchmarks like the amount of nutritious food it distributes and its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps) outreach. The organization also increased its volunteers fourfold in the last four years and established a system of mobile pantries. The Food Bank celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and its 25th being led by president and CEO Cherie Jamason. Cherie and her team do some of the most important work in Northern Nevada. For more information, including how to volunteer and donate, visit www.fbnn.org.

Every day, we marvel at the beauty of our gorgeous area. During a recent performance at MontBleu Casino Resort, Comedian Daniel Tosh joked that “Tahoe is a snow globe”. He might not be too far off. The hills and mountains surrounding the area provide the perfect perch on which to sit, relax and take in the panoramic views. Of course, the restaurants in Reno/Tahoe would be amiss if they didn’t buy some of that land and open restaurants. After all, a view just makes a delicious meal that much better. There’s the Queen of Views—Lake Tahoe. No one can dispute that views of the Lake of the Sky, our beautiful Lake Tahoe, can’t be beat. There’s something simply calming about watching the sun glisten off the water or watching boat lights dance across the water as the night cruises of the Tahoe Queen and MS Dixie II make their final rounds. Few restaurants capture this view better than Friday’s Station inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Edgewood Tahoe and Chart House on the South Shore and Jake’s on the Lake on the North. Want to be near the sandy shore and water’s edge? The Beacon Bar & Grill at Camp Richardson Resort serves just that, don’t miss their famous Run Runner too. Friday’s Station offers succulent steaks and seafood with a high-roller view. Catch an early dinner for a sunset you will never forget. Edgewood Tahoe Restaurant provides panoramic views close to the lake’s shore. In fact, the 18th hole of Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course skirts the shore line, and on a day with a little wind, you can hear the waves lapping at the shoreline. Chart House perches higher on the mountainside, up Route 207 (Kingsbury Grade). Take a relaxing drive up from South Lake Tahoe, and you will find the popular fine dining seafood restaurant on your left, with a sweeping lake view and delicious cuisine waiting for you inside. See what it’s like – What a video of the Getaway Crew dining aboard the M.S. Dixie II On the north side of Tahoe, in Tahoe City, you’ll get even closer to the water. Jake’s on the Lake is located right on the waterfront. Enjoy views of the boats, the people heading out to enjoy the lake, the mountains and the beautiful blue sky while you dine on steak, seafood or one of the items in their variety of vegetarian options. Valley Views Offer a Certain Charm. Climb Route 207 (Kingsbury Grade) just to the summit, and take a quick right to Fox and Hound. Our favorite view here is from the patio, where occasionally you can spot

bears frolicking in the woods after the weather breaks and they come out of hibernation. At an elevation of 7,380 feet, you can also get peeks of Carson Valley and its twinkling lights at night. It’s a really great pairing with Fox and Hound’s delicious slow- and low-cooked barbecue, the challenging Menu Burger or a really delicious sandwich. See what’s it’s like – Watch a video of the Getaway Crew enjoying Fox and Hound Continue down Kingsbury Grade into Carson Valley, and enjoy delicious fine cuisine, with a view of natural wetlands, at 1862 David Walley’s Restaurant. Be sure to start with their French Onion Soup, steamed Clams and finish with their more traditional 10-ounce NY Strip Steak. The restaurant has an extensive wine list, with unique wines from every corner of the world to pair with your food. Don’t just go for lunch or dinner, though. The breakfast restaurant at 1862 David Walley’s Resort, Harriet’s Café, is now open as well. Have breakfast there, enjoy the spa for several hours, and then have dinner with a view. Now that’s a perfect day! See what it’s like – What a video of the Getaway Crew dining in style at 1862 David Walley’s Resort and Hot Springs Of Course, You Can Never Pass Up a View of the Truckee River. If water and the electric buzz of an active downtown is your idea of a great scene, check out one of the Reno Riverwalk’s riverside restaurants. Our two favorites are CAMPO and Wild River Grille. The two restaurants are on opposite sides of the river and have cuisine that is just as different. Although it features an extensive menu, CAMPO is famous for its brick-oven pizzas. We would tell you more than that, but the staff literally changes the menu every day so they can use fresh, delicious local food. They always “go local” first, and keep an eye toward organic foods. Likewise, Wild River Grille is creative and classically delicious. While both CAMPO and Wild River Grille have patios, the one at Wild River Grille has to be our favorite. First, it’s pet-friendly! If you are traveling with furry friends, you can bring them along. Second, the eatery opens the patio the moment that weather gets warm and fills it with music and entertainment. During the Summer Dinner Concert Series, the restaurant offers live music every night on the patio. Fun with a view! See what it’s like – Watch a video of the Getaway Crew having a delicious meal at Wild River Grille

This past weekend I decided last minute I wanted to get out of town, but didn’t want to deal with an expensive or long drive anywhere. So where could I go? Then it dawned on me, time to take advantage of what’s right in my backyard. The solution was a “staycation” trip to the nearby city of Reno, Nevada known as the “Biggest Little City in the World”. Tourism professionals in the area strongly promote the activities and events in Lake Tahoe to visitors in Reno, but what about experiencing it the other way around? Located only 29 miles away from Lake Tahoe’s North Shore, the short but gorgeous ride to Reno only takes 45 minutes. So, I packed my bags, jumped in the car and within an hour was beginning my biggest little adventure! First stop, the 2013 Reno-Tahoe WordCamp event held at the University of Nevada, Reno. Hundreds of developers, designers, social media gurus, speakers and blogger enthusiasts joined together for an exciting day of seminars, lectures and networking. This was my first time attending a WordCamp event and it was amazing. I learned so much and even more importantly, met some amazing new people. This got me to thinking about all of the AWESOME events that Reno hosts year-round that may visitors to Lake Tahoe are completely unaware of! Top events include: Reno Rodeo, Rib Cook-Off, Hot Air Balloon Races, Air Races, Reno River Festival, Hot August Nights, US Bowling Championships and Ace’s Baseball games. Any night visit downtown for dinner along the riverfront followed by some gambling or catch a show or concert at one of the casinos. To keep up on events occurring in Reno, follow the Reno-Tahoe Blog. What particularly impresses me about events held in Reno is how approachable and accessible they are. Growing up near a big city, events of this sort are often challenged by overwhelming crowds, expensive fees and lots of traffic! Instead, events in Reno are intimate, approachable, inexpensive and much less hassle.

Where to eat? Reno has hundreds of fantastic restaurants and a rich diversity of cuisines which I particularly enjoy when visiting from Lake Tahoe. I could write hundreds of posts on the best places to eat in Reno, so instead I will only mention the two that I visited this past weekend – Hiroba Sushi and Campo. I was craving sushi and feeling lucky to be in town so I could visit my favorite place, Hiroba Sushi. They have a fantastic all-you-can-eat sushi which is hassle-free, delicious sushi creations and a personal, engaging waitstaff. The only downside, they are always packed! I was especially appreciative this past visit when a gracious hostess slipped me into a spot at the sushi bar and I walked right in without waiting. The next day, it was gorgeous outside and I was able to join friends and visit a restaurant I have been anxious to try, Marke Estee’s Campo. Located in the hub of downtown along the Truckee River, its indoor/outdoor scene was perfect for this gorgeous day. We grabbed a table outside and enjoyed Sunday brunch. The selection was fantastic and proud of my italian heritage I was particularly pleased with the authentic Italian dishes and ingredients on the menu. I will definitely be back for seconds. To decide what to eat during your next trip to Reno, check out Chris Cook’s Sincerer Love and learn about dozens of restaurants and cuisines to enjoy while in town. Shop ’till you drop! Reno also offers a fantastic variety of shopping venues to visitors ranging from small boutiques, vintage stores, discount outlet plazas and malls to full-service department stores. Whatever you are looking for, Reno has it. This past weekend I was able to find one-of-a-kind items while boutique shopping on South Virginia Street, conventional pieces at Macy’s in the Meadowood Mall and hot sale items at the Summit outlet stores in South Reno all in the matter of hours. Not very many big cities afford the variety, ease of navigation and close distance as Reno shopping does. To learn more about Reno fashion along with great tips on where to shop local visit Reno Has Style. After learning more about Reno, I hope during your next visit to Lake Tahoe you drive down the mountain to witness the rebirth in Reno and experience the “biggest little city in the world” for yourself. Share in the comments if you have visited Reno before during a trip to Lake Tahoe and if so, what did you do? If you enjoying learning about Lake Tahoe follow my blog and me at @robinpenning to receive information on tips, news, activities and special events in Lake Tahoe.

Pies with a Purpose, a fundraiser to help Eddy House assist youth aging out of foster care, runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday indoors at West Street Market, 148 West. St. The event features pot pies from Z-Pie Gourmet Pot Pies, Beaujolais Bistro, Bowl, Campo, Homage bakery and Niko’s Greek Kitchen, plus beverages, raffle, auction and music. Cost: $50. Tickets: www.eddyhouse.org. EXPRESS DINING AT GOLD 'N SILVER From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, Gold ‘N Silver Inn, 790 W. Fourth St., is offering about two dozen dishes that can be served in 10 minutes or less at the lunch counter and certain tables. Details: 775-323-2696. RESTAURANTS DONATE TO FIGHT HIV On Thursday, about two dozen local restaurants are donating a percentage of food sales to Northern Nevada Hopes, a nonprofit HIV service organization. The donations are part of the Dining Out for Life campaign to raise money for such organizations in the United States and Canada. Visit www.diningoutforlife.com/northernnevada for a list of participants. 'A VIEW TO A CURE' JDRF FUNDRAISER The 2013 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation gala begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Reno Ballroom, 401 N. Center St., with a James Bond theme. The event features cocktails, silent auction and live auctions, dinner and entertainment. Tickets: $325; tables begin at $2,500. Call 775-786-1881. ACTOR DINNER AT COMPOSITION CAFÉ Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Composition Café in the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., is hosting a dinner with actor and former child star Corey Feldman. Proceeds benefit the local Jack Davis Integrity Food Pantry. Cost: $75. Reservations: toni@integritycasting.com or 775-322-1515. HELP FOOD BANK LAND KEY GRANT The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is asking folks to vote for the organization in Walmart’s Fighting Hunger Together. The more votes the Food Bank receives , the better its chances of winning a $45,000 grant to help fund meals for children when school is out. Vote by 8:59 p.m. April 30 at www.facebook.com/walmart or www.facebook.com/foodbanknn. One vote per day. JUNIOR LEAGUE DERBY DAY FUNDRAISER The Junior League of Reno holds its Juleps, Jockeys and Jazz Derby Day fundraiser beginning at 1 p.m. May 4 at Hidden Valley Country Club, 3575 E. Hidden Valley Dr. The event features Southern food and drink, silent and hat auctions, and a hat contest. Tickets: $65; tables begin at $500. Tickets: www.jlreno.org, email jlr@jlreno.org or 775-826-0445.

After eight months of construction and growing, the startup Which Came First Farm between Reno and Pyramid Lake just sold its first crop of herbs and leafy green vegetables. They were grown indoors. “We built it specifically for the quality of food for our own families, and it’s grown to fill a gap in availability of local food year-round,” said the farm’s manager, Greg Jones. Restaurants, food distributors and residents want more locally grown food, but one problem is the harsh conditions in Northern Nevada that leave a limited window for growing traditional crops, as well as a limited variety of crops. Enter a solution: indoor agriculture. A few farmers are giving it a go in Northern Nevada, and a conference co-sponsored by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development in Las Vegas hopes to bring it to the forefront of discussions. Aquaponics “Our first really good crops were herbs: chives, flat-leaf parsley, basil, cilantro,” Jones said.

They were sold through the Great Basin Food Co-op’s DROPP program. The acronym doesn’t quite match, but it stands for Distributors of Organic & Local Produce & Products. It aims to connect Northern Nevada farmers with restaurants and institutions. The Which Came First Farm has an aquaponics system where the plants are grown in water with zero soil. Basically, there is water containing a hardy fish called tilapia. The fish waste puts nutrients into the water, which is circulated to plants in grow beds. There’s a filter in the process that removes the solids, and the water is recirculated. Mark O’Farrell has a similar system at his Hungry Mother Organics farm in Douglas County. “With aquaponics, we’re trying to create essentially a wetland ecosystem,” he said. “Plants have symbiotic relationships with other organisms just like we do. Plants depend on other microorganisms to feed effectively, so we’re trying to ensure beneficial microbiology is thriving all the time.” Not only will the plant crops be sold for food, but when the fish get big enough, they’ll be sold for meat. According to the New York Times, Americans ate 475 million pounds of tilapia in 2010, four times the amount a decade earlier. “Known in the food business as ‘aquatic chicken’ because it breeds easily and tastes bland (not fishy), tilapia is the perfect factory fish; it happily eats pellets made largely of corn and soy and gains weight rapidly, easily converting a diet that resembles cheap chicken feed into low-cost seafood,” the Times wrote. Jones said another advantage of the system is that most crops go from seed to harvest in 52 to 55 days. This gets a quicker return on investment, but it also allows the farm to switch quickly to more arugula or kale if needed. “Because we’re year-round and can change easily,” he said, “we’ll change to whatever the demand is monthly.” Jones said this system works great in the desert. “Water is not lost into the ground,” he said. “It’s simply circulated through the system, so the only water you lose is to the plants and a small amount of evaporation.” O’Farrell said this recirculation system means “we will reduce our water usage by at least 75 percent and possibly as much as 90 percent.” Indoor agriculture “won’t solve all our problems, but it’s a very good opportunity for small-scale entrepreneurial farming and does address one of the challenges in maintaining farmland with water rights and water requirements in the desert,” he said. “Indoor agriculture offers the opportunity to maximize space and natural resources.” He said so far, it’s limited to specialty crops. “But that’s still a multimillion-dollar economy in Northern Nevada, so capturing any part of that market keeps those dollars in the community,” O’Farrell said. Ripe for growth Mark Estee of Campo in downtown Reno — one of America’s best new restaurants, according to Esquire magazine — is excited about the prospect of indoor agriculture.

“I think, or I should say I know, here in Northern Nevada specifically that people care about where their food comes from,” he said. “They want local, organic (non-genetically modified), healthy food. And with indoor agriculture, we can control our food sources more — and a byproduct is that we know where it comes from. It keeps money here. And it puts us in a position to control our destiny as we look for produce and products.” That said, indoor agriculture and local foods won’t work for everything. “I’m a restaurant guy,” he said. “I buy prosciutto from Parma, Italy, and I only buy it from there because that’s where the best comes from. I could make my own, and there’s a place in the Midwest that makes excellent prosciutto, but I want Parma prosciutto.” That’s why he thinks it’s crucial for indoor agriculture’s success that the crops taste good. Estee doesn’t want to use indoor farms for out-of-season produce. Instead, he would want seasonal vegetables grown indoors, but ones that come from Nevada instead of out of state. “I want the money to stay here,” he said. “It makes business sense, it makes community sense, and it promotes Northern Nevada because we have a great food community.” Distributor perspective Even if Estee doesn’t want tomatoes in winter because he prefers to cook with in-season produce, Mike Catalano does get such requests. He works for US Foods’ Reno branch. It’s a distributor that delivers food — local and national — to restaurants and health service centers such as hospitals and senior living facilities. “I get calls in the dead of winter saying, ‘I wish we had local produce here now,’” he said. “If you could grow in the winter months, you would put people to work doing planting, growing, picking, maintenance. I think it would definitely be good for Northern Nevada. The local-food movement — it’s not a trend anymore, it’s pretty much the norm now.” Southern meeting O’Farrell and Estee will be panelists at the Nevada Indoor Agriculture Conference later this month in Las Vegas (and Estee will provide lunch). Nicola Kerslake is one of the people behind the conference, which aims to provide a practical guide to educate people how to do indoor agriculture on whatever scale they want. “In this state, we have ideal conditions for this kind of thing to expand,” she said. “It uses 10 percent of the water of traditional farming. “And we have premium products that are already used and that lend themselves to hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics. Basically, five products make up 80 percent of our diet, but in Las Vegas — and Reno has the same situation as well — we have casino visitors from all over world who think their local diet will be met in the city, from saffron to very specialized kinds of microgreens and all kinds of different products considered exotic.” All of that is currently imported, but much of it can be grown here indoors. “It’s a great opportunity for farmers to substitute for imports,” she said. Kerslake gave the example of hydroponic basil grown by Hydro Greens in Pahrump. She said it’s so fresh and flavorful that chefs on the Las Vegas Strip use only a third as much basil as they’re used to.

A microloan project will be announced at the conference to help farmers pursue indoor agriculture. Even five years ago, Kerslake said, the required equipment was cumbersome and expensive, but it’s much easier to take a chance on it now as solar energy and lighting costs have come down. She emphasizes that indoor agriculture is not intended to replace traditional farming. Instead, she thinks it will relieve stress for Nevada farms by allowing them to grow at additional times of the year. “From folks we talk to, 50 percent are farmers looking to supplement their own income,” Kerslake said. For Estee, it’s an obvious thing to pursue. “Nevada is looking to diversify its economy, and this is a great idea,” he said. “Fallon and Reno are great growing areas. Think of all the restaurants in Vegas and Reno that could use this. If (farmers) could make this (produce) affordable and the operations energy renewable and not have to worry about water as much as normal, it makes sense to me.”

Founder Pat Wetzel shares her cancer experience and discusses anti-cancer living with host Cheri Hill and guests Mark Estee, owner of Campo; Margaret Van Meter, M.D. from Alpine Hematolgy-Oncology; and Leslie Katich from the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation. Reno, NV (PRWEB) April 12, 2013 Pat Wetzel, founder of the Anti-Cancer Club™ (http://www.anticancerclub.com), will be the special guest on The Cheri Hill Show this weekend. The program can be heard on 99.1FM in Reno on Saturday, April 13, at 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 14, at 8 a.m. There will be also a live webcast at 991Talk.com. Every week, Cheri Hill features a successful business owner who shares his or her challenges, insights and advice. She also invites a panel of business experts to discuss what the featured business owner shares. Wetzel will relate her experience in founding the Anti-Cancer Club™. The Club provides a proactive approach to dealing with cancer, during diagnosis and beyond. Weekly online classes, including a Nutritional Boot Camp, provide education and a roadmap for creating a personalized plan for health. The membership base is growing, with much of the growth in the continental U.S. “The Reno Club has more than 80 business partners that provide healthy, helpful and fun products for families dealing with cancer,” Wetzel explains. Private chefs, cancer certified personal trainers and even flying lessons are available to be given as gifts. “We’re currently adding products and services, such as online cancer coaches and meditation classes, to serve people regardless of where they are located.” Guests on the Cheri Hill Show also include Reno restaurateur Mark Estee of Campo (http://www.camporeno.com); Leslie Katich from the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (http://www.nvchildrenscancer.org) ; and Margaret Van Meter, MD from Alpine Hematology and Oncology (http://www.alpinedoctors.com). The Anti-Cancer Club™ offers a kick-ass take charge approach to creating a personalized plan for health, even in the face of a cancer diagnosis. Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, and founded in 2011, the Club provides free, on-line anti-cancer education focusing on nutrition, exercise, stress management and connection. For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/4/prweb10626992.htm

They are not ski celebrities or terrain park badasses. They don’t have a pair of fat skis named after them or star in their own ski movies. Jacob Burton, Mark Estee, and John Weatherson may not be famous athletes, but they are doing something that is normally the domain of extreme sports stars — they are putting the Reno-Tahoe area on the map. Burton, Estee, and Weatherson are chefs who either have been bringing national attention to the RenoTahoe region or are the first to bring a new type of culinary experience to the area. Either way, these three men are changing the way the rest of California and the country views Reno-Tahoe, from a backwoods burger depot to a foodie hub with big talent on par with culinary cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Jacob Burton The Cedar House Sport Hotel’s Stella has only been open for three years, but in that short time, Executive Chef Jacob Burton has created a name for himself and the restaurant. Burton, who is only 29, was one of 100 chefs nominated in March for Food & Wine Magazine’s People’s Best New Chef award. “It was a big honor,” said Patty Baird, Cedar House co-owner. “Truckee never gets recognized; it’s always San Francisco, always Los Angeles.”

The contest was divided into 10 regional divisions. Burton was matched up against nine other chefs in California, all of whom (except for Burton and a chef from Carmel) were from the Bay Area or L.A. There were big names in the food world like Matthew Accarrino of SPQR in San Francisco and Jordan Kahn of L.A.’s Red Medicine. When online voting opened on March 11, Burton was out front for a few days, attracting notice from SFGate food blogger Paolo Lucchesi, who wrote, “In a huge upset over the city folk so far, the guy from Truckee is winning the vote in the early going.” Alas, Burton was not able to maintain his lead, and by the time voting closed a week later, Accarrino had received the most votes (the overall winner was Chef Brendan McGill of Washington’s Hitchcock restaurant). But winning was beside the point, said both Burton and Baird. “Just to be a part of that, that’s what’s important to me,” said Jacob. “I believe a lot in the Reno-Tahoe area and what we are doing. Just the fact that a national publication has Truckee on their radar is really rewarding.” What Burton and Stella are doing is laid-back, upscale international cuisine. Dishes like Burton’s duck paté, which took him three years to develop, fire roasted bone marrow (which guests demanded he put back on the menu after taking it off), and citrus terrine are making food lovers sit up and take notice. Burton’s online cooking classes — he has 140 technique videos and 20 basic skills lectures on sauces, baking, and knives, among others — at stellaculinary.com, as well as his farmer’s market cooking classes and five-day culinary boot camp have only helped spread the word about his culinary prowess. Stella’s November boot camp, which sold out in three days last year, already has a 150-person waiting list for the 12 spots. “Overall this was great recognition that Truckee does attract this level of talent,” Baird said. “We attracted the eyes of the foodie world and showcased our talents. For little Truckee, we did very well.” Mark Estee The Food & Wine award is a big deal, but the height of culinary recognition is the James Beard Award, the “Oscars of food.” This year, Chef Mark Estee, chef-owner of Reno’s Campo, became the first person in Tahoe, Truckee, and Reno to make the semi-finalist list for Best Chef of the West. “I am psyched to have Reno on the map,” said Estee, a former owner of Moody’s Bistro in Truckee and owner of Burger Me in both Truckee and Reno. “It’s not about me; it’s about Campo, about putting Reno-Tahoe on the map as a great food city.” Estee was up against 19 other chefs, many of them from San Francisco and Los Angeles, including Food & Wine California winner Matthew Accarrino. Although Estee did not make the James Beard final list (neither did Accarrino), which was announced March 19, like Burton, Estee is just happy to be getting national attention for his restaurant. “Campo is kickin’ ass,” he said. “We are a national player. We are producing food unlike anything anyone else is doing.” Campo, which serves up rustic Italian fare, has made its mark with Napolitano-style, wood-oven baked pizza, fresh pasta, and homemade charcuterie. The menu changes daily. Since opening Moody’s more than a decade ago, Estee has had a commitment to using local and seasonal food. This is not the first time that Campo, which only opened a year and a half ago, has been recognized on the national level. In 2012, it was named one of Esquire Magazine’s 20 Best New Restaurants in the country. Estee opened a second Campo in Mammoth in December. “We are really pushing the region,” Estee said.

John Weatherson John Weatherson and his wife Nyna, both chef-owners at Trokay, haven’t won any awards yet, but they might soon with the new kind of cuisine they are cooking up in Truckee — modern gastronomy. John didn’t invent modern gastronomy, what he prefers to call a cooking style commonly known as molecular gastronomy, which turns to science to transform and manipulate food, but he is the first chef to bring it to the Reno-Tahoe area. “No one else is doing it,” said John, 30. “What we are doing without a doubt is special.” An example of the Weathersons’ modern cooking is their take on the French classic, tuna Niçoise. The key ingredients are cooked with modern equipment and science that alters them, so an egg, cooked at 165 degrees in a Rational combi oven that coagulates the protein and separates the yolk from the white, becomes perfectly white cubes and yellow discs instead of just a plain hardboiled egg. The olives are cooked at 30 degrees Fahrenheit on an anti-griddle, resulting in an olive puree that is then frozen in the shape of an olive and dipped in Kappa-carrageenan liquid, a gelling agent. The liquid inside the “olive” then thaws, while the outside becomes a semi-permeable membrane. “It looks like an olive, but it’s not,” John said. “It’s a faux olive. But the goal at the end of the day is not science; it is the customer experience and food.” John is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, and in 2008 won the Katherine T. Angell Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, awarded to the top-ranked student in each graduating class. He went on to work for some of the top chefs in New York City, such as David Bouley and Christian Delouvrier, and one of the top restaurants in the world, Daniel. Nyna is former head cheesemonger of the famous Murray’s Cheese in New York City. In 2010, the couple moved to Truckee to open Trokay Café, named after the Paiute word for “peaceful greeting,” trokay, which morphed into the name of Truckee. Trokay Café, originally located in the old Elijah Blue’s space, closed last September after its lease was up. The Weathersons spent the next five months remodeling the old O.B.’s Pub, and in February Trokay opened in its new and much bigger location. The new restaurant has tripled its staff and quadrupled in size; the kitchen alone is the same size as the entire earlier café was. “Our goal is a fantastic customer experience that challenges people’s notions of what dining could be like in Truckee,” said John, who is not surprised by all the talented chefs in the area. “There has been an American food renaissance over the last 10 years that has been incredible, and Truckee is no exception.”

Consider of all the household names you can think of, in regards to grocery stores: Safeway, Nob-Hill, Wal-Mart. Now what would you say if I told you that the average distance your food travels to get to you is 1,500 miles? And what would you say if I told you there was a way to shop for your fruits, vegetables, meats and breads that made it so your food traveled no further than the Carson River, AND kept your money local? The Great-Basin Community Food Cooperative is the only incorporated Food Co-Op in the whole state of Nevada. Buying local keeps your money local. Over 50% of your money leaves the area when you aren’t specifically buying local. According to Amber Sallaberry, the co-founder and general manager of the GBCFCO, 82 local farmers are now selling their products at the GBCFCO; this number is quite impressive considering that, when the GBCFCO began, there were only three local producers. In addition to the economic benefits, there are unbelievable health benefits as well. By buying local, you are ensuring that your products are exactly what you are looking for. Your grocer most likely knows the producer by name, and can tell you exactly where that head of cauliflower came from. “The bottom line is,” says Sallaberry, “these farmers are feeding this stuff to their own families.” That in and of itself says a lot about the food. The Great Basin Community Food Co-Op isn’t the only business in town committed to buying local. Sallaberry says places like the 4th Street Bistro, Sup, Gino’s Soup Kitchen and Campo Reno are four local businesses that have been committed to buying local from the start. Mark Estee, the owner of Campo Reno, says it was never a question in his mind. “I was working up at the lake and Alice Waters came in, and asked where we got our food from. I said, ‘The grocer, I don’t know, Sacramento, I think.’ She wanted to know why we weren’t buying local. And that really planted the idea in my head,” says Estee. “So I found Gary Romano [a local farmer], and I said to him, ‘Let’s grow some stuff.’” Estee, who came to Reno because his was from the area, says he “tries to buy everything local.” Estee says the only thing he doesn’t buy local regularly are the ingredients for his pizzas, which are imported from Italy. “We just need to teach our bodies to eat seasonally,” Estee says. “I may want asparagus in December, but if the only place I can get it from is Peru, then I don’t have asparagus that month.” One of the most influential programs that the city of Reno is participating in is called DROPP, or Distributors of Regional & Organic Produce & Products. DROPP is basically the “middle man” of local produce distribution. The farmers and buyers/restaurants go through the DROPP website, the farmers drop off products at the GBCFCO, and they distribute it to the buyer/restaurant.

“Its better for the grower,” says Estee. “Yes, it might be slightly more expensive. But it’s worth it to make their lives easier. I don’t haggle with them, and they bring me their best stuff. Everybody wins.” The DROPP program is relatively new, but it seems to be working. The GBCFCO has been receiving positive feedback, according to Sallaberry. So what can we, as normal citizens without businesses or restaurants, do to help the local movement? “Buy local whenever you can,” says Sallaberry. “And I don’t mean just the [GBCFCO]. Farmer’s markets are another great way to buy local, boost the economy, and get to know your local farmers.” “I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do,” explains Estee. “I am just trying to do my part, and set an example.” Estee believes in both the health benefits and the economic benefits. But Estee believes it is up to us, the consumers, to make a difference. “If everyone in Reno started asking, ‘Hey, where is this from? Who grows this? Where did you get this bacon?’ a movement would start. People would feel the push to start thinking on a local level, and everyone would benefit.”

After eight different events, dishes from almost 50 chefs, umpteen glasses of champagne, wine and cocktails, we won't bore you with every minute detail from the rousing Pebble Beach Food & Wine weekend. There was Anne Burrell and her Anneisms. Guy Fieri and his jungle juice. Drew Barrymore and her wines (and Zagat book hoarding). Let's just say there was a lot of astonishingly good food and drink - from the opening reception (and dinner-party crashing with Daniel Boulud and Paul Bartolotta) to the Pierre Gagnaire and Christopher Kostow Grand Finale Dinner, the Food & Wine Best New Chefs Alumni Dinner, the Grand Tasting tents and the after-hour parties - all weekend long. Sampling dishes from some of the top chefs in the country makes us want to go to all their restaurants. Just not right now. Right now we're full. Here's a look at some of the best bites we savored at PBFW 2013, and although we're sipping nothing but juice today, we already can't wait for next year.

Open Table's top 100 list of restaurants was released yesterday (March 27). The Diner's Choice Awards list was chosen from 5 million Open Table reviews by diners, for more than 15 million restaurants in the United States. Twenty one states made the Open Table top 100 list with California, Florida and New York sharing the most accolades from diners with 26, 18 and 14 restaurants, respectively. Chicago diners helped boost Illinois to the 4th spot, while Las Vegas put Nevada on the list with seven restaurants. Other states, like Colorado's Linger in Denver (pictured), had one or two restaurants on the list. Open Table reports the winning restaurants were as "eclectic as the list itself," with American, Asian, Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Mexican fare represented. The winners are chosen from diner reviews from March 2012 to Feb. 2013, only those with an overall minimum score are selected for the first cut and they are scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews. 2013 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. Ada Street – Chicago, Illinois B.B. King’s Blues Club – Memphis, Tennessee Baoli Miami – Miami Beach, Florida Bavettes – Chicago, Illinois

The Bazaar by Jose Andres – Los Angeles, California The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS Hotel South Beach – Miami Beach, Florida Beauty and Essex – New York, New York Bestia – Los Angeles, California BOA Steakhouse – West Hollywood, California The Boarding House – Chicago, Illinois Buccan – Palm Beach, Florida Buddakan – New York, New York Buddah Sky Bar – Delray Beach, Florida Campo – Reno, Nevada Catch – New York, New York Cavo – Astoria, New York Chambers Eat + Drink – San Francisco, California Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota Cleo-SBE – Los Angeles, California Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House – Chicago, Illinois Del Frisco’s Grille – Dallas, Texas Departure Restaurant and Lounge – Portland, Oregon do Restaurant at the View – Atlanta, Georgia El Vez – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Firefly Tapas Kitchen Bar – Henderson, Nevada Fly Bar & Restaurant – Tampa, Florida The Food Market – Baltimore, Maryland FT33 – Dallas, Texas Gilt Bar – Chicago, Illinois Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois Grille One Sixteen – Tampa, Florida Hakkasan – San Francisco, California Hendrick’s Tavern – Roslyn, New York Herringbone – La Jolla, California Hip Kitty Jazz & Fondue – Claremont, California Honu Kitchen and Cocktails – Huntington, New York HUB 51 – Chicago, Illinois The Hurricane Club – New York, New York ink. – Los Angeles, California Juvia – Miami, Florida Katana – West Hollywood, California Katsuya-Brentwood-SBE – Brentwood, California Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE – Los Angeles, California Lavo – Las Vegas, Nevada Linger – Denver, Colorado Lulu California Bistro – Palm Springs, California The Macintosh – Charleston, South Carolina Manhattan Beach Post – Manhattan Beach, California Mateo – Durham, North Carolina Mercato di Vetro – West Hollywood, California Miss Lily’s – New York, New York Monsoon Asian Kitchen & Lounge – Babylon, New York

MUA – Oakland, California N9NE Steakhouse – Las Vegas, Nevada Nada – Cincinnati, Ohio nopa – San Francisco, California Ouzo Bay – Baltimore, Maryland Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila – Hermosa Beach, California Paris Club – Chicago, Illinois Picca – Los Angeles, California Playground – Santa Ana, California Prato – Winter Park, Florida Provisions – Houston, Texas Red Ginger – Traverse City, Michigan Red Lantern – Boston, Massachusetts Restaurant IPO – Baton Rouge, Louisiana Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar – Fort Lauderdale, Florida Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar – West Palm Beach, Florida RPM Italian – Chicago, Illinois Searsucker – San Diego, California Searsucker – Scottsdale, Arizona Soco – Brooklyn, New York The Spence – Atlanta, Georgia The Stanton Social – New York, New York STK-Los Angeles – West Hollywood, California STK-Miami – Miami, Florida STK-NYC-Meatpacking – New York, New York STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada Sub Zero Vodka Bar – St. Louis, Missouri SUGARCANE raw bar grill – Miami, Florida Sunda – Chicago, Illinois Sushi POP – Oviedo, Florida Sushi Roku – Scottsdale, Arizona SUSHISAMBA dromo – Miami Beach, Florida SUSHISAMBA strip – Las Vegas, Nevada Tao – New York, New York Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada The Tasting Kitchen – Venice, California Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York Trio Restaurant – Palm Springs, California The Tropicale – Palm Springs, California Tsunani Shaw Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana TWO urban licks – Atlanta, Georgia Untitled – Chicago, Illinois Virago – Nashville, Tennessee Wang’s in the Desert – Palm Springs, California Wynwood Kitchen and Bar – Miami, Florida Yardbird Southern Table & Bar – Miami Beach, Florida YOLO – Fort Lauderdale, Florida Zuma Japanese Restaurant – Miami, Florida

SAN FRANCISCO, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- As we anticipate the warm days and cool spring nights, OpenTable OPEN -2.10% , the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, is pleased to announce the 2013 Diners' Choice Award winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Winning restaurants are scattered throughout 21 states. California topped the list, taking 26 places on the list of winners. Florida follows with 18 winning restaurants. New York has its share of fashionable honorees, claiming 14 spots on the list. For the second year in a row, Illinois accounts for 11 winners, followed again by Nevada with seven standouts. Georgia and Texas restaurants earned three places apiece, while Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee each boast two. Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina are also represented. Cuisines at the winning restaurants are as eclectic as the list itself. American, Asian, Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Mexican fares are represented, as are pizza, sushi, and tapas, among others. "This year's winning restaurants have all the ingredients diners need to spice up any evening, whether it's a midweek meal or a destination celebration," said Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer. "Beyond cool crowds, daring drink lists, and inventive menus, these hot spots are cultivating a sexy see-and-be-seen ambience that will make for a night to remember." The Diners' Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants is generated from more than 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013. All restaurants with a minimum "overall" score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which "hot spot" was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the top 100 hot spot restaurants in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/hotspots. 2013 Diners' Choice Award Winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. Ada Street - Chicago, Illinois B.B. King's Blues Club - Memphis, Tennessee Baoli Miami - Miami Beach, Florida Bavettes - Chicago, Illinois The Bazaar by Jose Andres - Los Angeles, California The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS Hotel South Beach - Miami Beach, Florida Beauty and Essex - New York, New York Bestia - Los Angeles, California BOA Steakhouse - West Hollywood, California The Boarding House - Chicago, Illinois Buccan - Palm Beach, Florida Buddakan - New York, New York Buddah Sky Bar - Delray Beach, Florida

Campo - Reno, Nevada Catch - New York, New York Cavo - Astoria, New York Chambers Eat + Drink - San Francisco, California Chino Latino - Minneapolis, Minnesota Cleo-SBE - Los Angeles, California Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House - Chicago, Illinois Del Frisco's Grille - Dallas, Texas Departure Restaurant and Lounge - Portland, Oregon do Restaurant at the View - Atlanta, Georgia El Vez - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Firefly Tapas Kitchen Bar - Henderson, Nevada Fly Bar & Restaurant - Tampa, Florida The Food Market - Baltimore, Maryland FT33 - Dallas, Texas Gilt Bar - Chicago, Illinois Girl & the Goat - Chicago, Illinois Grille One Sixteen - Tampa, Florida Hakkasan - San Francisco, California Hendrick's Tavern - Roslyn, New York Herringbone - La Jolla, California Hip Kitty Jazz & Fondue - Claremont, California Honu Kitchen and Cocktails - Huntington, New York HUB 51 - Chicago, Illinois The Hurricane Club - New York, New York ink. - Los Angeles, California Juvia - Miami, Florida Katana - West Hollywood, California Katsuya-Brentwood-SBE - Brentwood, California Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE - Los Angeles, California Lavo - Las Vegas, Nevada Linger - Denver, Colorado Lulu California Bistro - Palm Springs, California

Mark Estee, 12-months Revisited “Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist the more likely your success.” — Jack Canfield I will NEVER get tired of hearing about people overcoming challenges, and stepping into their own. My life has been a beautiful roller coaster, specifically in the past 12 months. I wanted to take a minute to revisit one of my posts, which really kicked things off for me in 2012. There’s this guy, named Mark Estee, who took the time out of his extremely busy life to give a graduate student (me) an interview late one evening as his newly opened restaurant was locking it’s doors for the night. I met Mark Estee during his 4th month in business with Campo, this month marks the 16th month that Campo has graced Reno with its presence. And oh, what a year it has been. This place is great. Ok… But, in the words of Mark Estee: “Restaurants are supposed to have great food. That should be expected. There’s so much more to a great restaurant than just the food.” This place is so much more than the food. I can go on and on about the accolades, the awards, Campo Mammoth, Top 10 this, Best of that… This guy and his restaurant have achieved the unexpected in the past year. BUT, I am not going there. I am going to stray away from the obvious. There are 2 things that inspire me most about Mark: 1. He is the self-made-comeback-kid 2. He LOVES Reno. Mark says, “No matter what you do, you are bound to make mistakes. That’s the best part.” I have listened to Mark give a handful of speeches about his journey, and I pick up on something new each time. Rock bottom means different things to each of us. But, I have a feeling that this guy stared rock bottom straight in its ugly face. He climbed out of it. He made the choice one-day to “put on a new self” and has been choosing to put on that new self-everyday since. No one made Mark a successful entrepreneur, no one told him he should be a chef, no one protected him from all the mistakes he has

made personally and professionally, no one told him he should create this beautiful concept known today as Campo. No one. He did it- the good, the bad, the ugly, the brilliant, the beautiful, the delicious. On his own. Mark has put in the hours. But, as much as he is doing it for Campo, he is doing it for Reno. He wants to help define our community and put Reno on the map- and not for our casinos or Reno 911. Mark is so passionate about the Biggest Little City, buying local, and helping people out. He has transformed the look of a section in downtown Reno and he has set the bar for restaurants in this area to a whole new level. I’ve been on this mission recently trying to figure out what makes Reno. This town doesn’t get as much positive recognition as it deserves, quite frankly I am tired of it and I know I am not alone in making that statement. We have so many cool people doing really cool things, and our town is embracing the small businesses that are popping up all around Reno. You know what’s even better? Mark isn’t from here, he’s from Boston. He came to Reno from California to follow his dream of opening Campo. He left California, to come here. Small business owners like Mark Estee, in my opinion paint a beautiful picture of the opportunities that this town has to offer. AND I don’t mind making the claim that when I think of the people that make this town so communal and inspiring-people like Mark come to mind. Cause Reno, in a way, is a comeback kid. Oh, what a year it has been. Thank you Mark for continuing to share your story, and letting Reno be a part of it.

Things I Love That Make My Business Successful is the fourth video installation of This Is Reno’s TEDx University profile, description provided by Kendra Fleming. In this TEDx Talks video, Mark Estee, owner of the restaurant “Campo” in Reno, Nevada, talks about business and entrepreneurship, centering this talk with the subject of how he builds his business from the relationships he has with people. To have a meaningful relationship with someone, you have to spend time with them. In order to maintain that relationship, it must also be built on reciprocity. There are plenty of businesses that haven’t lasted because they failed to sustain their relationships with their customers. Estee decided to build his business in Reno because of the needs of his customers – knowing where their food comes from. Farmer’s markets and food co-ops are making a large comeback, and consumers feel more comfortable when they know where their food comes from, and also when they know who produces what they eat. Estee only buys produce for his company when it is in season. Building his business off of relationships, Estee helps the farmers while they help him while he also listens to his customers by using websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. On websites such as Twitter and Facebook, people will post their thoughts about their hatred for a certain restaurant’s food without knowing that a restaurant owner could be looking. For Estee, instead of seeing these comments as attacks, he sees them as ways to improve. He says, “The customer is always right.” From his mistakes, he learns to do better in the future, and he learns “from what’s going on.” By that, he learns from trends. If serving aloe-vera juice at a restaurant is the new trend, the smart thing for any business owner to do is to pay attention, and incorporate that in their menu. This is just an example, but trends attract crowds. By maintaining these relationships, his business is doing well and he is enjoying himself. He embraces change as opportunity, new things to learn and to incorporate in his business. Relationships are a two-way street; they are based off of giving and receiving. The farmers are getting business, the customers return, and Campo thrives.

BACKGROUND

I am a third-generation, row crop farmer from Sacramento. In the last economic downturn of the 1980s, I made the difficult decision to leave farming. I found myself in my mid-30s divorced, with no job, no money and two small children to raise. I soon started an agricultural consulting business called Westec Inc. that has grown into an international non-GMO seed company for the Middle East and Africa. When the opportunity of a candy business presented itself, I was intrigued and decided to go full speed ahead. WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO

The truly great candy businesses are primarily family-run, and I liked the idea of having a company to build into as a family and pass on to my kids eventually. Together, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thrilled about continuing to create jobs here in Reno and producing a delicious product that people can get excited about.

WHAT BROUGHT ME TO RENO OR WHY I STAY IN RENO

Reno was the perfect combination for my family and my businesses. It has the right climate, the right tax structure for fast-growing small businesses to thrive and the small town feel that I was brought up in. WHAT I DO TO LEAVE WORK AT THE OFFICE

I make sure to stay active with a normal workout routine, love to take my beautiful wife out or meet good friends at our favorite restaurants around town and regularly go out to local events, but when you own a company, your mind never fully leaves the office. HOW I GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY

I enjoy being able to be at a point in my professional life where I can support the community around me by donating to numerous local organizations and special events. I also enjoyed the opportunity to engage with our local government, such as inviting congressmen to tour our facilities and donating our candy to the Governor’s Mansion for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. BEST BUSINESS BOOK I'VE READ LATELY

“The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century” by Thomas L. Friedman, a timely, indispensable update on globalization, its successes and shortcomings. BEST PLACE IN RENO TO MEET WITH CLIENTS OR COLLEAGUES

I have really come to like Campo downtown. The atmosphere is relaxed, the food is divine and the background and noise of the Truckee River just adds to the experience. MY LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

I have always had an attitude of not being afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty and also to keep my finger on the pulse of what is going on at every level of business operations. NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

I survived! And, I have built Kimmie Candy Co. from one bag of candy-coated sunflower kernels on our farm outside of Sacramento to a national confectionary manufacturer, with our product in numerous high-profile stores such as Cost Plus World Market and Whole Foods Market. IF I COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD …

Travel the world with my lovely wife, Marina, and keep our eyes open for our next great adventure or business opportunity.

3/1/2013

Reno, Nevada Photograph by Grant Gunderson, Tandem

3/1/2013 Best For: Mixed groups of hard chargers, beginners, and nonskiers who’d rather do their gambling off the slopes This historic gold-mining town at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains became one of America’s 20th-century gambling meccas before its current reinvention as a hip, outdoorsy city of university students, artists, and, yes, skiers. We know what you’re thinking, but Reno actually is a ski town. Not only is the better-than-you-think Mount Rose 25 miles from downtown, but Reno sits at the northern tip of Lake Tahoe’s constellation of ski areas as well—the densest concentration of ski resorts in North America. There are 18 resorts within a hundred miles of Reno’s international airport. Sure, Reno, population 225,221, still has plenty of casinos and nightclubs that party all night, but think of it as a smaller, more family-oriented Vegas. Set on the banks of the Truckee River, the pedestrianfriendly downtown has seen a much needed revamp worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s now filled with cafes, galleries, and artist’s lofts overlooking the river walk. A-list musicians routinely play at various venues, while those seeking a more classical experience can check out the nearby Reno Philharmonic or Nevada Shakespeare Company. Mount Rose, a 20-minute drive from downtown, isn’t the biggest or flashiest ski area in the region, but it’s less expensive than most, has an excellent beginner program, and its expert area, the Chutes, opened in 2004, serves up a buffet of 1,200-plus-feet, 45-degree, north-facing pitches. It also features the highest base elevation in the Tahoe region at 8,260 feet, helping it escape the rains that can despoil the region’s snowpack. Ask a Local Luke Jacobson is vice president and an engineer at Reno-based Moment Skis. He has lived in Reno for nine years and praises the “young entrepreneurial spirit in the area.” Here are his recommendations. Best Digs Budget: Sands Regency Casino Swank: Grand Sierra Resort Best Eats Cheap: Noble Pie Parlor Gourmet: Campo Best Aprés Spot Lincoln Lounge Best Rest-Day Activity Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake are always must-sees. Favorite Ski Run at Mount Rose When the Chutes is open on a powder day it can't be beat.

Community briefs TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Content for briefs is selected from e-mail submissions to Community Editor Amy Edgett at aedgett@sierrasun.com. Visit www.sierrasun.com to submit events for the online calendar. Please limit descriptions to 50 words. E-mail for print submissions may be 150-300 words. Items published in the print edition news space permitting. Toastmasters in Tahoe City Fridays, 7 a.m., 380 N. Lake Blvd., North Tahoe Arts building, Tahoe City. Learn how to think on your feet and express yourself in front of group and get those butterflies in your stomach to fly in formation. Visit www.bluetahoetoastmasters.com. Truckee Gymnastics announces Open Gym Truckee Gymnastics is pleased to offer Open Gym Friday, March 1, 4-6 p.m. for ages 6-teen, co-ed. All ability levels welcome, no experience necessary. Coaches will be on hand for skill advice and safety. Cost is $20 at the door. Payment holds your spot, you may pay either online or at the gym. Check, cash or echeck welcome. Paid reservations highly recommended. For more information contact Truckee Gymnastics located at 11410 Deerfield Drive, Bldg. A-1, Truckee by calling 530-587-7404 or visit www.truckeegymnastics.com. Tom Beebe's woodwork featured at Riverside Studios You re invited to the opening reception for Master Woodworker Tom Beebe's month-long exhibit at Riverside Studios. The Reception is scheduled for March 1, 4-8 p.m. at 10060 Donner Pass Road, Truckee. This First Friday event will feature a live performance from soul vocalist Kelly Ann Miller. Riverside Studios will provide refreshments and tasty snacks. Coinciding with the opening of SnowFest!, history buffs can tune in for SnowFest! facts and there will be a “Snowman Surprise” for the kids. Positive Psychology: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Well-Being

With Christopher Old, MFT, LPCC, NCC, Friday, March 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at For Goodness Sake, 10157 Donner Pass Road, Truckee. Learn practical tools to generate optimal well-being in your life. Positive psychology is the scientific study of what goes right with people. For many years, the field of psychology was focused primarily on what goes wrong and how to alleviate these negative symptoms. Positive psychology sees symptom relief as only half of the equation. To really flourish in life we need to also know what generates well-being and creates vitality. In this introductory workshop, look at key ways to use what science is teaching in order to go beyond just “not feeling bad.” Topics such as resilience, character strengths, positive emotion, flow, mindsets, meaning and positive relationships all play a role. Leave with concrete tools to generate optimal wellbeing and thrive. This event is free. Please call 530-550-8981 to register. First Friday at Dragonfly with Live Robot Dragonfly Restaurant and Sushi Bar is excited to announce the kickoff of its First Friday Music Series on March 1, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. featuring a live set by local duo Live Robot. Influenced by jazz, funk and soul, musicians Brian Hess and Steve Saturno of Live Robot create one-of-akind beats with Hess on saxophone and keyboard, Saturno on the drums, enhanced with electronics, loops and samples. With influence from musical greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and even Snoop Dogg, the product is a healthy dose of hip-hop and house-esque jams that get the body moving. Visit LiveRobotMusic.com. Dragonfly Restaurant and Sushi Bar is located upstairs at 10118 Donner Pass Road. Call 530-587-0557 for information and reservations, visit www.dragonflycuisine.com or “like” them on Facebook. T Pots Pottery to hold open house March 2, 4-8 p.m. A free experience that will introduce you to all T Pots has to offer. Go on in and get 10 percent off craft supplies and 10 percent off wheel lessons if you sign up at the open house. Have fun with small craft projects, gather information on classes, workshops, projects and more. Food and beverages served by the friendly staff at 11012 Donner Pass Road, (old Gateway Deli location). Call 530550-7822. Pancake Breakfast to benefit seniors March 3, 8-11 a.m., Truckee Donner Senior Apartments at 10040 Estates Drive in Truckee. The monthly Pancake Breakfast fundraiser benefits the Senior Meals program and the Meals on Wheels in the dining

room of the Truckee Donner Senior Apartments at 10040 Estates Drive in Truckee. The sponsor is the Truckee Sunrise Rotary. Open to everyone! Adults $7, children $3. Arrive early. Strategic Planning for your Nonprofit meeting announced Presented by Paquita Bath, Aligning Visions. Learn how to guide your organization through a strategic planning process, March 6, 9 a.m.-noon, Truckee Town Hall. Specifically the workshop will cover: Why plan?; tools for strategic planning; writing up a strategic plan; how to implement a strategic plan. Fee: $10 (take a check made out to TTCF). RSVP to coordinator@communitycollaborative.org. Mark Estee named James Beard Award semifinalist, Best Chef in the West Campo's chef/owner Mark Estee is a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef: West. Estee's company for the nomination includes 19 other noted chefs from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, including Top Chef Masters' contestant John Rivera Sedlar and renowned chef-owner Corey Lee. The James Beard Awards recognize excellence across the food industry, including chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors and food journalists across North America. They are considered the highest honor for food and beverage professionals. Estee credits his continued success to his superb Campo team, including Chef Arturo Moscoso. The list will be narrowed down to finalists and winners will be announced at the James Beard Awards dinner on Friday, May 3 in New York City. Tickets are available to the public and go on sale March 18. For more visit www.jamesbeard.org. Alpenglow Sports named Snow Sports Retailer of the Year During the SIA Snow Show in Denver SnowSports Industries America (SIA) honored retailers and reps from around the United States and Canada with the 2012 SIA SnowSports Retailer and Rep of the Year Awards, including Tahoe City's own Alpenglow Sports. Reps and retailers were acknowledged for consistently making an impact in the snow sports industry, including contributions to its growth, their promotional and marketing techniques and success in the ski, snowboard, tele, cross country and/or snowshoe categories. Alpenglow Sports, established in 1979, specializes in backcountry and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, trail

running, backpacking, hiking, camping, and the mountain lifestyle. After working at Alpenglow for nearly 10 years under the original owner Don Fyfe's tutelage, Madigan took over the reins of one of California's most core mountain shops. Paint the Bear The BEAR League, a nonprofit organization which helps to educate how to live with bears, will again going to host the “Paint the Bear” event for SnowFest! in the Corison Loft at the North Tahoe Arts Center after the parade on Saturday, March 2. The BEAR League and North Tahoe Arts have worked together on this event for the past seven years. There will be a BEAR League exhibit with bear art and photography by Ted Guzzi, Katherine Anglin, and Alice Shaw running through the month of March. An oil painting of Sunny, the Homewood bear, will be also on display. The “Paint the Bear” event is for budding artists of all ages who will be able to paint a wooden bear and take it home, open until 1:30 p.m. This event is being held at the North Tahoe Arts Center, 380 North Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City. For information call 530-581-2787. Aloha Tuesday to benefit SOS Outreach Jake's On The Lake in Tahoe City is hosting Aloha Tuesday, a Hawaiian themed apres ski party March 5 starting at 4:30 p.m. Happy hour food and drinks are offered until 6:30 p.m. and specials on Mai Tais and Hawaiian pu-pu menu is offered until 8 p.m. Purchase raffle tickets to directly support SOS Outreach and a chance to win Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows ski resorts lift tickets, gear, and other cool prizes from sponsors like Breeze Ski Shop, Mountain Hardware, and many others. You don't need to be present to win, but you must stop by to purchase your raffle tickets. Jake's On The Lake is located at 780 North Lake Blvd. inside the Boatworks Mall.

Meet our Four-Legged Heroes of Winter The Squaw/Alpine Rescue Dogs Thursday, March 7, 5-7 p.m., North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center, 100 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. Free event with Craig Noble and Furry Friends. The North Lake Tahoe Visitor Information Center is looking forward to a woofing and tail-wagging good time when the Squaw/Alpine Rescue dogs visit. Learn from handlers how they train these life savers and how to support their efforts. “A Day in Your Life” photographer Donna Reid will be there to take portraits of you and the canines. A portion of the photo proceeds will be donated to the Search and

Rescue foundation. Beer will be provided by Mellow Fellow GastroPub and cookies for furry friends will be provided by Scrap's Dog Bakery. The featured artist for this event is Keoki Gallery with his famous Dog Rescue Pictures. Visit GoTahoeNorth.com for information. Get your Mother Son Laser Tag tickets For the second year in a row the Tahoe City Parks and Recreation Department brings you and evening of Mother-Son Laser Tag at Rideout Community Center, Friday, March 8, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Due to the popularity of the event, when you purchase tickets be sure to select Session A, 5:30-7 p.m. or Session B, 7:30-9 p.m. Younger ones are encouraged to sign up for Session A and the older kids for B (6 and below, 7 and up). Feel free to sign siblings up for different sessions but please specify when purchasing tickets. There will be plenty of other games and activities while not in the laser tag arena. Tickets are $25 per duo and $5 for each additional son. Get your tickets before it sells out at the Rideout Community Center or the TCPUD Administrative Building next to the new fire station in Tahoe City. You may also purchase tickets by calling 530-583-3440. Public school to open in Squaw Valley for athletes Squaw Valley Preparatory (SVP), a California public charter school, will open its doors to students grades seventh-10th for the 2013/14 school year, adding 11th grade in 2014 and 12th in 2015. This transformative education choice is a result of a joint effort between Squaw Valley Ski Team (SVST) and Squaw Education Foundation, a nonprofit California corporation, and will build upon the successful structure and academic achievement of Creekside Charter School in Tahoe City. SVP is designed to complement world-class athletic and performance training with college preparation, including honors and advanced placement (AP) courses. Enrollment for Squaw Valley Preparatory will open on March 24, 6 p.m. with an Information Night at the Olympic Valley Lodge, 1901 Chamonix Place, Olympic Valley. Prospective parents and students are urged to attend. Students residing in Placer County or adjacent counties are eligible to submit a request for admission to SVP, available March 24. Requests for admission received by April 18 will be included in SVP's enrollment lottery to be held on April 19, with 2013/14 admission notifications posted on April 22. Creekside Charter School, a kindergarten-sixth-grade California public charter school in Tahoe City will partner with SVP and SVST to support companion training for its athletes enrolled in grades fourth through sixth, with winter training shuttle service between Squaw Valley and the school. Information and requests for admission are available at www.squaw.org. Annual Science Expo to be family fun Family Science Expo, open to the public on March 20, 4-6 p.m. at Tahoe Center for Environmental

Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nev. UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), together with Tahoe Expedition Academy, other community partners, and with sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline, will host the eighth annual Science Expo March 18-21, for regional students. The Science Expo is open to the general public on the evening of Wednesday, March 20 for children of all ages together with their families. Ice cream will be provided by Susie Scoops of Incline Village. Admission is free. The event will feature dozens of hands-on, interactive science experiments, activities and demonstrations emphasizing physical science concepts such as physical and chemical properties of matter, density, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and sound. To volunteer, contact UC Davis TERC AmeriCorps member Hannah Leigh at 775-881-7560, ext. 7474 or hkleigh@ucdavis.edu. All volunteers will be trained and will have all activity materials required for their 2-3 hour shift. A science background is not necessary. For more information or directions call 775-881-7566, or visit http://terc.ucdavis.edu/calendar/. Donner Memorial State Park grooming trails Donner Memorial State Park is grooming their 2 1/2 mile Lakeshore/China Cove trail for cross-country skiing. The cost is $8 per vehicle, which includes entrance to the Emigrant Trail Museum, depicting the area's history including Native Americans, the Donner Party, and builders of the transcontinental railroad. A variety of souvenirs, postcards, posters, books and maps about human and natural history are for sale. Maps of cross-country and snowshoeing trails are also available. Donner Memorial State Park is about two miles west of downtown Truckee on Donner Pass Road. Visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503. Olympic Valley Winter Trail access announced Walk, jog, skate and bike on the Squaw Valley multi-use path. Squaw Valley Public Service District will once again provide snow removal and maintenance services on the county's trail between Squaw Creek Road and the Village. The District encourages everyone to use the path and visit each end of the Valley for shopping, dining and views from the Resort at Squaw Creek to the Village and all points between. The project is provided by a combination of funds including Transient Occupancy Tax revenue granted to the District by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA) and Placer County, as well as contributions from the Squaw Valley Business and the Squaw Valley Property Owners Associations.

Pedestrian points of access are located along the trail as well as either end. Be careful to avoid slip hazards and snow removal equipment. Pack out trash and bring baggies to collect, and pack out, dog waste. The District thanks the NLTRA, Squaw Valley Municipal Advisory Council, Squaw Valley Business Association, Property Owners Association and Placer County. For more information visit the Squaw Valley Public Service District website at www.svpsd.org or call 530583-4692. Volunteer with Disabled Sports Disabled Sports USA Far West is looking for event support volunteers for the 2013 Winter season in the Truckee/Tahoe area. They are gearing up for the upcoming â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ability BASHâ&#x20AC;? fundraiser on April 6 at the Olympic Village Lodge in Squaw Valley. The BASH is a banquet honoring 25 Wounded Warriors disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan who participate in a week-long winter sports camp with Disabled Sports. Disabled Sports is in need of people to help with pre-event preparations and also people to help with event execution on the day and/or night of the BASH. Please contact mary@disabledsports.net and also go to www.disabledsports.net to fill out a volunteer profile if you are interested in being an event volunteer for Disabled Sports.

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Campo's chef/owner Mark Estee is a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef: West. Estee's company for the nomination includes 19 other noted chefs from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, including Top Chef Masters' contestant John Rivera Sedlar and renowned chef-owner Corey Lee. The James Beard Awards recognize excellence across the food industry, including chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors and food journalists across North America. They are considered the highest honor for food and beverage professionals. Estee credits his continued success to his superb Campo team, including Chef Arturo Moscoso. “Campo is dedicated to creating a food culture in Reno that rivals any large city in the U.S. and is honored to be a part of our city's ongoing redevelopment,” said Estee. “Reno is on its way and we are proud to be an important part of the journey.” The list will be narrowed down to finalists and winners will be announced at the James Beard Awards dinner on Friday, May 3 in the heart of New York City. Tickets are available to the public and go on sale March 18. Estee is former owner of Moody's Bistro and Lounge in Truckee. Estee's downtown Reno riverfront restaurant, Campo was recently named one of Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants in America for 2012. For more information on the awards, http://www.jamesbeard.org/about.

Food & Drink and RGJ.com are celebrating Northern Nevada’s best burgers. The 10 burgers that receive the most nominations will be honored on RGJ.com. To nominate your favorite (one entry per person), please email to jwright@rgj.com your full name, phone, name of restaurant, name of burger and a sentence or two describing what you love about it. All burger types are eligible. Nominations close Feb. 28. ESTEE NAMED BEARD SEMI-FINALIST Mark Estee, chef-owner of Campo, 50 N. Sierra St., was just named a semi-finalist for Best Chef, West region, in the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards, the culinary world’s most prestigious awards program. Also, beginning at 6 p.m. Feb. 26, the restaurant is offering four courses paired with four beers. Cost: $45. Details: www.camporeno.com or 775-737-9555. CHEESEMAKERS AT WEDGE CHEESE On Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wedge Cheese Shop, 16 Saint Lawrence Ave., is presenting Meet the Cheesemaker featuring Tim and Kari Welsh from highly regarded Beehive Cheese Co. of Utah. Beehive cheeses have won American Cheese Society awards and World Cheese Awards. The event is free. Details: www.wedgecheeseshop.com or 775-737-4078. BRAIDO'S NOW DOES DELIVERY Braido’s Deli-Cafe, 6147 Lakeside Drive, is now offering delivery of its cookie trays, catering sandwich trays and large sandwich orders; $50 minimum. Details: www.braidosdelicafe.com or 775-827-2777. WOMEN, WINE AND WEALTH DEBUTS Women, Wine and Wealth, a new gathering for women featuring discussions and presentations, debuts from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at L’uva Bella Wine Gallery, 13925 S. Virginia St., in the Summit. Free sparkling wine and appetizers will be served while Isha Casagrande, Summit stylist and personal shopper, discusses taking your closet from winter to spring. Details: 775-851-1110. SAMPLING AT ZOZO'S RISTORANTE A Taste of Zozo’s, a sampling of menu wines and foods, takes place Feb. 28 at Zozo’s Ristorante, 3446 Lakeside Drive. Arrive between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Cost of $35 includes tax and tip. Reservations: zozosreno@aol.com or 775-829-9449.

Just in time for the Academy Awards this coming weekend, the James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for its annual awards, commonly known as the Oscars of the food world. The below list is the collection of semifinalists, or the “long list.”The final nominees will be announced on March 18 and then the awards will take place on May 6 in New York City. State Bird Provisions and Rich Table are the local reps in the Best New Restaurant category. In the national chef categories, Gary Danko, David Kinch (Manresa) and Michael Tusk (Quince) are nominated for Outstanding Chef, and Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese) and Thomas McNaughton (Flour + Water) are the Rising Star candidates. Two young local pastry chefs got nods in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category in Melissa Chou (Aziza) and William Werner (Craftsman & Wolves). Outstanding Restaurant — which was won last year by Boulevard — will consider locals like Foreign Cinema, Greens, Slanted Door and Terra. For more on the process of nominations, check out the JBA site. The full list, with locals in bold: Best New Restaurant Balena, Chicago BierBeisl, Beverly Hills, CA Bluebeard, Indianapolis Borgne, New Orleans Butcher & the Boar, Minneapolis Cardamom Hill, Atlanta Empellón Cocina, NYC Forequarter, Madison, WI Grace, Chicago Hog & Hominy, Memphis Khong River House, Miami Beach, FL Lockeland Table, Nashville Mateo Tapas, Durham, NC Mi Casa by José Andrés at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, PR Mintwood Place, Washington, D.C. The Ordinary, Charleston, SC Ox, Portland, OR

Oxheart, Houston Pabu at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore Puritan & Company, Cambridge, MA Rich Table, San Francisco Shanik, Seattle State Bird Provisions, San Francisco Tar & Roses, Santa Monica, CA Thirty Acres, Jersey City, NJ Underbelly, Houston Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia The Whale Wins, Seattle Zacatecas Tacos & Tequila, Albuquerque, NM Best Chef: West Matthew Accarrino, SPQR, San Francisco Nicolaus Balla, Bar Tartine, San Francisco Josef Centeno, Bäco Mercat, Los Angeles Michael Chiarello, Bottega, Yountville, CA Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco Mitsuo Endo, Aburiya Raku, Las Vegas Mark Estee, Campo, Reno, NV Ed Kenney, Town, Honolulu Andrew Kirschner, Tar & Roses, Santa Monica, CA Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco David LeFevre, M.B. Post, Manhattan Beach, CA Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco Carl Schroeder, Market Restaurant + Bar, Del Mar, CA John Rivera Sedlar, Rivera, Los Angeles Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles Ricardo Zarate, Mo-Chica, Los Angeles Outstanding Chef Sean Brock, McCrady’s, Charleston, SC Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde, NYC David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin and Houston Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco Suzanne Goin, Lucques, West Hollywood, CA Maria Hines, Tilth, Seattle Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park, Boston Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis

By Russ Parsons February 19, 2013, 10:58 a.m.

First-round nominations for the 2013 James Beard Foundation restaurant awards have just been announced, and for Southern California, it’s a mix of trusted old favorites as well as some shiny new stars. In the first category, you have the likes of Lucques’ Suzanne Goin and Mozza’s Nancy Silverton nominated for best chef; Sycamore Kitchen’s Karen Hatfield for best pastry chef; Providence for outstanding service as well as standbys Melisse and Patinafor outstanding restaurant and Valentino’s Piero Selvaggio and Lucques’ Caroline Styne for outstanding restaurateurs. New faces include BierBeisl’s Bernhard Mairinger, and Night + Market’s Kris Yenbamroong for rising star chef and BierBeisl and Tar & Roses for best new restaurant. Other Southern California nominees include Riveraand the Varnish for outstanding bar program and Sine Qua Non winery’s Manfred Krankl for outstanding wine spirits or beer professional. There are a bevy of local nominations for best chef in the West, including Bäco Mercat’s Josef Centeno, Providence’s Michael Cimarusti, Tar & Roses' Andrew Kirschner, M.B. Post’s David LeFevre, Del Mar’s Market Restaurant and Bar’s Carl Schroeder, Rivera’s John Rivera Sedlar, Animal’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, and Mo-Chica’s Ricardo Zarate. Final nominations will be announced March 18 and the awards will be presented May 6 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Here is a complete list of the nominees for the national awards: BEST NEW RESTAURANT: Balena, Chicago; BierBeisl, Beverly Hills; Bluebeard, Indianapolis; Borgne, New Orleans; Butcher & the Boar, Minneapolis; Cardamom Hill, Atlanta; Empellón Cocina, New York City; Forequarter, Madison, Wisc.; Grace, Chicago; Hog & Hominy, Memphis; Khong River House, Miami Beach, Fla.; Lockeland Table, Nashville; Mateo Tapas, Durham, N.C.; Mi Casa by José Andrés at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico; Mintwood Place, Washington, D.C.; the Ordinary, Charleston, S.C.; Ox, Portland, Ore.; Oxheart, Houston; Pabu at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore; Puritan &

Co., Cambridge, Mass.; Rich Table, San Francisco; Shanik, Seattle; State Bird Provisions, San Francisco; Tar & Roses, Santa Monica; Thirty Acres, Jersey City, N.J.; Underbelly, Houston; Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia; the Whale Wins, Seattle; Zacatecas Tacos & Tequila, Albuquerque. OUTSTANDING BAR PROGRAM: The Abbot’s Cellar, San Francisco; Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston; the Aviary, Chicago; Bar Agricole, San Francisco; the Bar at the NoMad Hotel, New York City; the Broken Shaker, Miami Beach, Fla.; Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Milwaukee; Canon, Seattle; the Cedars Social, Dallas; Clyde Common, Portland, Ore.; Cook & Brown Public House, Providence; Cure, New Orleans; the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia; the Hawthorne, Boston; High West Distillery & Saloon, Park City, Utah; Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta; Marvel Bar, Minneapolis; Pegu Club, New York City; the Porter Beer Bar, Atlanta; Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, Va.; Rivera, Los Angeles; the Varnish, Los Angeles; the Violet Hour, Chicago; Williams & Graham, Denver; Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore. OUTSTANDING CHEF: Sean Brock, McCrady’s, Charleston, S.C.; Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde, New York City; David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York City; Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin and Houston; Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco; Suzanne Goin, Lucques, West Hollywood; Maria Hines, Tilth, Seattle; Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago; David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, Calif.; Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans; Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park, Boston; Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis; Vitaly Paley, Paley’s Place, Portland, Ore.; Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles Restaurant, Dallas; Anne Quatrano, Bacchanalia, Atlanta; Julian Serrano, Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas; Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles; Michael Symon, Lola, Cleveland; Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco; Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia. OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, New York City; Andre Chin and Amanda Eap, Artisan Boulanger Patissier, Philadelphia; Melissa Chou, Aziza, San Francisco; Elizabeth Dahl, Nostrano, Madison, Wisc.; Matt Danko, the Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland; Patrick Fahy, Sixteenat Trump Hotel Chicago; Ken Forkish, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Portland, Ore.; Hedy Goldsmith, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Miami; Karen Hatfield, the Sycamore Kitchen, Los Angeles; Brooks Headley, Del Posto, New York City; Steve Horton, Rustica Bakery, Minneapolis; Maura Kilpatrick, Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.; Phoebe Lawless, Scratch, Durham, N.C.; William Leaman, Bakery Nouveau, Seattle; Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.; Cheryl Maffei and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, Mass.; Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta; Laura Sawicki, La Condesa, Austin; Tandra Watkins, Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel, Little Rock, Ark.; William Werner, Craftsman and Wolves, San Francisco. OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: August, New Orleans; Blue Hill, New York City; Canlis, Seattle; Fore Street, Portland, Maine; Foreign Cinema, San Francisco; Greens Restaurant, San Francisco; Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Ala.; Jaleo, Washington, D.C.; Jewel Bako, New York City; Lantern, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Lucia’s Restaurant, Minneapolis; Mélisse, Santa Monica; Naha, Chicago; Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.; Patina, Los Angeles; the Slanted Door, San Francisco; Spiaggia,Chicago; Terra, St. Helena, Calif.; Vidalia, Washington, D.C.; Vincent on Camelback, Phoenix. OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Nick Badovinus (Flavor Hook, Off-Site Kitchen, Tried and True, etc.), Dallas; Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group (the Bombay Club, the Oval Room, Rasika, etc.), Washington, D.C. ; Kim Bartmann (Barbette, Bryant-Lake Bowl, Red Stag Supperclub, etc.), Minneapolis; Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods, Boston; Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts (Mizuna, Osteria Marco, Bones, etc.), Denver; George Formaro (Centro, Django, South Union Bread Café, etc.), Des Moines; Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts (Olive & Ivy, True Food Kitchen, Zinburger, etc.), Phoenix; Ford Fry, Rocket Farm Restaurants (the Optimist, JCT Kitchen, No. 246), Atlanta; Levi Goode, Goode Company Restaurants (Goode Company Seafood, Goode Company Taqueria, Goode Company BBQ, etc.), Houston;

Martha Hoover, Patachou (Patachou, Petit Chou, Napolese, etc.), Indianapolis; John Howie, John Howie Restaurant Group (John Howie Steak, Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar), Bellevue, Wash.; Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; Maguy Le Coze, Le Bernardin, New York City; Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group (Blackbird, Avec, the Publican, etc.), Chicago; Nick Pihakis, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-BQ, Birmingham, Ala.; Piero Selvaggio, Valentino Restaurant Group (Valentino, Valentino Vin Bar), Santa Monica; Mark Stark and Terri Stark, Stark Reality Restaurants (Willi’s Wine Bar, Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, etc.), Santa Rosa/Healdsburg, Calif.; Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants (the Dandelion, Talula’s Garden, Parc, etc.), Philadelphia; Caroline Styne (Lucques, Tavern, A.O.C., etc.), West Hollywood; Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group (ABC Kitchen, Jean Georges, wd50, etc.), New York City. OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Bacchanalia, Atlanta; Biga on the Banks, San Antonio; Brigtsen’s, New Orleans; Café Juanita, Kirkland, Wash.; Chez François, Vermilion, Ohio; the Compound Restaurant, Santa Fe; Del Posto, New York City; Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston; Fountain Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia; the French Room at the Adolphus, Dallas; Michael Mina, San Francisco; the Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton, Louisville; Persimmon, Bristol, R.I.; Providence, Los Angeles; Quince, San Francisco; the Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.; Sapor Cafe and Bar, Minneapolis; Topolobampo, Chicago; Vetri, Philadelphia; Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. OUTSTANDING WINE PROGRAM: 4 Olives Wine Bar, Manhattan, Kansas; A16, San Francisco; Addison at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego; Angus Barn, Raleigh, N.C.; the Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.; Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, Texas; Charleston, Baltimore; Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, S.C.; CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.; L’Etoile, Madison, Wisc.; Five & Ten, Athens, Ga.; Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo.; the Grill Room at Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans; Nopa, San Francisco; Press, St. Helena, Calif.; Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas; Sepia,Chicago; Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur; Troquet, Boston; Yono’s Restaurant, Albany, N.Y. OUTSTANDING WINE, SPIRITS, OR BEER PROFESSIONAL: Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.; Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Taos, N.M.; John and Kathe Dyson, Williams Selyem Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.; Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, Calif.; Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, Vanberg & DeWulf, Cooperstown, N.Y.; Mike Floyd, Nick Floyd and Simon Floyd, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, Ind.; Chuck Furuya, DK Restaurants, Maui, Hawaii; Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Ventura; Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, Calif.; Stephen McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, Ore.; Duncan Meyers and Nathan Roberts, Arnot-Roberts, Healdsburg, Calif.; Garrett Oliver, the Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn; Tom Peters, Monk’s Cafe, Philadelphia; Neal Rosenthal, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York City; Jörg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, Calif.; Eric Seed, Haus Alpenz, Edina, Minn.; Eric Solomon, Eric Solomon Selections – European Cellars, Charlotte, N.C.; Harlan Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Ken.; Sean Lilly Wilson, Fullsteam, Durham, N.C.; David Wondrich, spirits educator, Brooklyn. RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: Jimmy Bannos Jr., the Purple Pig, Chicago; Mark Bodinet, Copperleaf Restaurant at Cedarbrook Lodge, Seattle; Daniel Bonanno, A Pig in a Fur Coat, Madison, Wisc.; Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco and New York City; Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, N.C.; Hari Cameron, A(muse), Rehoboth Beach, De.; Joe Cicala, Le Virtù, Philadelphia; Quinten Frye, Salt Kitchen & Tasting Bar, Honolulu; Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin; Will Gilson, Puritan and Co., Cambridge, Mass.; Nicole Grimes, Rao’s at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas; Christopher Kearse, Will BYOB, Philadelphia; Matthew Kirkley, L2O,Chicago; Bernhard Mairinger, BierBeisl, Beverly Hills; Jamie Malone, Sea Change, Minneapolis; Tim Maslow, Strip-T’s, Watertown, Mass.; Thomas McNaughton, Flour +

Water, San Francisco; Janina O’Leary, TRACE, Austin; Jorel Pierce, Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen, Denver; David Posey, Blackbird, Chicago; Giorgio Rapicavoli, Eating House, Coral Gables, Fla.; Michael Toscano, Perla, New York City; Chris Weber, the Herbfarm, Woodinville, Wash.; Blaine Wetzel, the Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Lummi Island, Wash.; Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, Ore.; Kris Yenbamroong, Night and Market, West Hollywood; Justin Yu, Oxheart, Houston. BEST CHEF: WEST: Matthew Accarrino, SPQR, San Francisco; Nicolaus Balla, Bar Tartine, San Francisco; Josef Centeno, Bäco Mercat, Los Angeles; Michael Chiarello, Bottega, Yountville, Calif.; Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles; Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco; Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco; Mitsuo Endo, Aburiya Raku, Las Vegas; Mark Estee, Campo, Reno; Ed Kenney, Town, Honolulu; Andrew Kirschner, Tar & Roses, Santa Monica; Christopher Kostow, the Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.; Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco; Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco; David LeFevre, M.B. Post, Manhattan Beach; Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco; Carl Schroeder, Market Restaurant and Bar, Del Mar; John Rivera Sedlar, Rivera, Los Angeles; Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles; Ricardo Zarate, Mo-Chica, Los Angeles.

The last 12 months in Northern Nevada have led to an impressive “tipping point” in the region’s history: University of Nevada, Reno star alumni Colin Kaepernick took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his first year as an NFL starter; Apple announced a billion dollar investment in the Reno/Sparks area, starting with the development of a new server farm for its growing iTunes and iCloud needs; Lake Tahoe was voted the #1 lake in the United States by the readers of USA Today; Barrett-Jackson, the world’s premier collector car event company, announced a new Reno Tahoe auction starting in August 2013; and the region garnered “Top 10” wins for everything from “Top 10 Ski Resorts” (Forbes), “8 Hot Towns to Snap Up Bargains Now” (Where to Retire magazine), “Healthiest Cities for Women” (Women’s Health), “America’s Hottest Cold Cities” (Livability.com), “Best Cities for Cycling” (Bicycling magazine), “Best Cities for Dogs” (Men’s Health), “Great Places for Christmas Spirit” (USA Today) to “Top 10 Spas” (Atlantis: “Best Casino Hotel Spa” and “Best for Romance”; Peppermill: “Best for LGBT”, Spafinder), “Loosest Slots in the Nation”: #1 ranking (Casino Player magazine), and many more. “It seems that the rest of the country is finally figuring out what those of us who are fortunate enough to live here – or visit regularly – already know: Reno Tahoe is one of America’s best ‘undiscovered’ four season resort destinations,” said Christopher Baum, President and CEO of Reno Tahoe USA. Added Baum, “The beauty – and mild climate – of our high desert setting in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains is a distinct advantage over better-known desert resorts of the lower Southwest, especially in the summertime when our 80 to 90-degree daytime temperatures make our long list of world class sports and special events a ‘must do’ for savvy travelers who appreciate enjoying the great outdoors.” And with hot spot Campo landing on Esquire’s list of “The Best New Restaurants in America,” even Reno’s fun dining scene is really taking off. Amongst the many signature special events that take place annually in the Reno/Sparks/North Lake Tahoe area are “Street Vibrations” Spring and Fall motorcycle rallies; “Reno Rodeo,” including “PRCA Extreme Bulls”; “Artown”; “HDRA Reno 500 Off-Road Race”; “Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival”; “PGA Reno-Tahoe Open”; “Hot August Nights” car cruise; “Barrett-Jackson Reno Tahoe Auction”; “Lucas Oil Off-road Racing Series”; “Best in the West Nugget Rib Cookoff”; “The Great Reno Balloon Race”; “Virginia City International Camel Races”; “National Championship Air Races”; and many more. “No resort destination in North America has a stronger lineup of unique, highly attended special events and competitions every summer than Reno Tahoe USA,” according to Baum. “This region is a beehive of special event activity from June through September.” Baum is quick to note that Reno Tahoe’s well-deserved reputation as an outdoor sports mecca helps keep the destination busy 12 months a year. Besides Lake Tahoe’s world class skiing, snowboarding,

snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross country skiing, visitors can also take advantage of whitewater rafting and kayaking in the Truckee River (including a stretch of rapids that passes right through downtown Reno); more than 50 challenging golf courses; triathlons, marathons and jogging; hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing (including North America’s tallest manmade climbing wall in downtown Reno); hunting and fishing in forest and desert locales; skydiving and parasailing; personal watercraft, paddle boarding, sailing and surfing (!) in Lake Tahoe; and off-road driving in Jeeps, dune buggies and ATVs. “Reno is also a national leader in team competitions, with our National Bowling Stadium in downtown Reno, and Golden Eagle sports complex in Sparks, hosting more bowling, baseball and softball tournaments than anywhere else in the country,” according to Baum. Add the AAA baseball champion Reno Aces, the NBA D-League’s Reno Bighorns – and high school and collegiate competitions for everything from volleyball to boxing to pole vaulting – and Northern Nevada is definitely a sports destination of incredible variety and appeal. So what does this highly diverse avalanche of national recognition, accomplishment and good news all add up to? “We also made Businessweek’s list of ‘America’s 50 Best Cities,’ right ahead of Phoenix and Scottsdale,” according to Baum. “So if tens-of-thousands of new visitors don’t start coming here soon, I’d be very surprised.”

RENO, Nev. - Inside the Reno Ballroom Tuesday, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the Rotary Club of Reno's 21st annual Mardi Gras celebration. The room was filled with many of the sights, smells and sounds you would find in the French Quarter during New Orleans biggest celebration. People adorned with masks and beads got the chance to sample some of the best food Reno has to offer. Restaurants like Campo, Gas Lamp, and Wild River Grille all prepared delicious treats, while strategically placed vendors poured wine. Everywhere people looked, purple, green, and gold took over the room. The three traditional colors of Mardi Gras all have their own meanings. The purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power . The night was completed by dancing and a silent auction. All proceeds from the event will be directed toward the local community efforts supported by the Rotary Club of Reno.

The Mardi Gras party everyone will be talking about will be on Fat Tuesday, February 12 th, inside the Reno Ballroom located at 401 N. Center Street. Doors open at 6pm. Reno Mardi Gras is an annual event hosted by the Rotary Club of Reno. At this year's event guests will enjoy the festive traditions of the night including dancing and indulging in rich food and drink as well as dressing in their finest Mardi Gras attire. Some will even have the traditional beads, costumes, and masks. The Reno Ballroom will be transformed into a vibrant locale. The ballroom will become a sea of the traditional Mardi Gras colors of green, gold and purple. The green represents faith, gold represents power, and purple represents justice. This year we celebrate the 21st annual event with the biggest celebration yet. Local restaurants including Campo, Men Wielding Fire, Gas Lamp, Wild River Grille, and the Sierra Job Corps, to name just a few, will prepare treats for the attendees to sample and nearly 2 dozen wineries, pouring over 60 types of wine, will be represented at the party. In addition to great food, great wine and a great cause, there will also be an auction featuring specialty wine, art work, spa packages, ski lift tickets and Southwest Airline tickets. Auction items have been donated by local businesses and business leaders. Funds raised through Rotary Club of Reno events are directed toward local community programs that help to improve quality of life, as well as educate and train local youth. Want to be a part of Reno Mardi Gras Buy tickets to Reno Mardi Gras. Tickets for the event are $50 and can be purchased through www.renorotaryclub.org or by calling 775-851-1110 Donate auction items for the silent auction. To donate please e-mail socialmedia@renorotaryclub.org or send donations to P.O. Box 1750, Reno, NV 89505. From Rotary Club of Reno

The Rotary Club hosts its 21st annual Mardi Gras event on Fat Tuesday with a festive night of traditions, food and drink. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 401 N. Center St. in Reno. With traditional beads, costumes and masks, guests can dance and dine on food from local restaurants, including Campo, Men Wielding Fire, Gas Lamp, Wild River Grille and the Sierra Job Corps. Nearly two dozen wineries, pouring more than 60 types of wine, will be represented. An auction featuring specialty wine, artwork, spa packages, ski lift tickets and Southwest Airline tickets will be held, with items donated by local businesses and business leaders. Funds raised will benefit local community programs that help improve the quality of life and educate and train local youth. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through www.renorotaryclub.org or by calling 775-8511110. To donate items, email socialmedia@renorotaryclub.org. or send items to P.O. Box 1750, Reno, Nev. 89505. Details: www.renorotaryclub.org.

RENO, Nev. -- Valentine's Day may be a week away, but men are asked to rise to the occasion and not wait until the last minute to find the perfect gift or make reservations. If you haven't started thinking about what you're getting your significant other, you are running out of time, but there are still a few ways that will help you save some money. Roses, romance and dinner are usually expected on the day of love, but if you haven't even started planning for it, you have the potential of hurting someone's feelings, and your wallet. "I was thinking about buying myself a present and then telling my husband, 'honey you don't have to buy me anything for valentine's day, I already found this pendent," one woman said. If you don't want this to happen to you, call ahead. Many places offer incentives, like a 2 for 1 dinner for the first 200 orders. "We like to call it valentine's week...look at it this way. If your valentine is the first to get flowers think of what a hero you are because everyone in her office is going to wonder if they're going to get them," Sparks Florist Director said.

If you get your flowers delivered before Valentine's day, you can save at least six dollars on delivery charges. Sparks Florist is expecting to get about 3,000 orders next week, which means other florists aren't too far behind. "We call it organized chaos so on that day, we do about 12 hundred deliveries," Shepard said. Restaurants are even busier. Many are completely booked, but there are a few ways you can get around it. "We have the bar seating. Bar's always open and the community tables fill up really fast. Usually around 5 o'clock you can grab a seat, but every hour and half to two hours, they turn over," Mark Estee, Owner of Campo said. -Avoid getting gifts delivered the morning of Valentine's day -Call restaurants for menu options--some offer the same Valentine's day specials through the weekend -make dinner at home and save about $50 Of course, some people just forgo the holiday altogether. "It's just another day don't spend all your money on it. Just wait til your anniversary, Christmas or birthday for Pete's sake," one woman said. Here are a few restaurants in town with specials this year: - John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks - Eldorado Hotel Casino: Roxy, La Strada, and Prime Rib Grill. The special menus will be available from Valentine's Day, February 14, through Sunday, February 17. - Grand Sierra Resort-Charlie Palmer Steak, Elements Buffet, Briscola, and CafĂŠ Sierra - Peppermill Resort Spa Casino - Biscotti's, Bimini Steakhouse, Cafe Milano, CHI, Oceano, and Romanza. -Silver Legacy Resort Casino - Sterling's Seafood Steakhouse and Cafe Sedona. - Wild River Grille - Four-course deluxe Valentine's Day dinner for two. -Squaw Valley Valentine's Day Dinner at High Camp

Reno is where brilliant ideas come to life and thrive. We live in a community that is awash with good stories about intelligent individuals working constantly to make the city better, with sometimes little recognition. Recently, I spoke with a group of Reno’s finest at the first-ever TEDxUniversityofNevada. I shared my story, focusing on my failures and trials as a business owner, and how I learned from them to build Campo in Reno, along with a legitimate food culture, here. I experienced the heart and soul of Reno during the TEDx event. The people I shared the stage with ranged in ages and professions, but they all shared one common factor: They are heroes. These larger-than-life entrepreneurs shared their struggles and triumphs and reinforced the fact that wisdom is abundant in the community. We are a community built by innovative leaders who unselfishly stop at nothing to push the envelope and progress Reno. At the end of the day, I left TEDxUniversityofNevada truly inspired. From 13-year-old Logan LaPlante’s stage-stealing talk on his radical education to the doctors and individuals determined to move forward from tragedy, it’s proof that our city is home to phenomenal people with different backgrounds committed to a common goal. The College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno sponsored the event, and it did this community a big service. It’s worth noting that not a single one of the 18 speakers were professors from the College of Business or any other entity at UNR. They set the stage for others in the community to showcase their amazing stories. The videos of each speaker, which will be posted at the TEDx YouTube page, have the potential to impact how people around the world think about important ideas. That’s good for Reno, each speaker’s organization and the UNR. The talk I delivered helped me grow as a business owner, husband and father, and the video posted at the TEDx YouTube page should be good for my business. I have to pay homage to the producer of TEDxUniversityofNevada, Bret Simmons from the College of Business and his team of talented organizers. I first met Simmons when he visited Campo last year, and soon after that he invited me to speak to his MBA class on personal branding — an experience I will always remember. His dedication to improving the image of Reno was the key to making this event top-notch. Reno is a forward-thinking community. We are home to big thinkers and accomplished professionals in medicine, education and entrepreneurship. It is an incredibly caring city. A lot of us already knew that. TEDxUniversityofNevadaReno just went a step further to prove it to the world. Mark Estee is chef-owner of Campo restaurant in downtown Reno.

2/4/2013

Reno has many romantic places to dine with your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. Check out the special offerings from these fine restaurants in the Reno area.

Dine at a Romantic Restaurant in Reno

Reno's romantic restaurants offer elegant surroundings and fine menu choices. Whether it's Valentine's Day or another occasion for romance, there is a romantic restaurant in the Reno area to help set the mood. Valentine's Day at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks The Nugget offers a romantic Valentine's Day atmosphere in any of five restaurants - Steakhouse Grille, Restaurante Orozko, Trader Dick's, John's Oyster Bar, and Rosie's CafĂŠ. Visit the Nugget dining page for menus and prices. For information and reservations, call (775) 326-3300. John Ascuaga's Nugget is at 1100 Nugget Avenue in Sparks. Valentine's Day at the Eldorado Hotel Casino The Eldorado in Reno is offering Valentine's Day dining at its three fine dining restaurants - Roxy, La Strada, and Prime Rib Grill. The special menus will be available from Valentine's Day, February 14, through Sunday, February 17. You can also indulge in a show while you're out on the town - the magic and comedy show "Magique" is playing through April 14 in the Eldorado Showroom. You can make reservations online or call (775) 786-5700 for more information. The Eldorado is at 345 N. Virginia St. in downtown Reno. Valentine's Day at the Grand Sierra Resort Restaurants inside the Grand Sierra Resort - Charlie Palmer Steak, Elements Buffet, Briscola, and CafĂŠ Sierra - will all be featuring special Valentine's Day menu selections. For reservations at Charlie Palmer Steak, call (775) 789-2458. For Briscola reservations, call (775) 789-2587. The Grand Sierra is located at 2500 E. Second Street in Reno. For more information, call (775) 789-2000. Valentine's Day at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino Restaurants inside the Peppermill offering Valentine's Day dining include Biscotti's, Bimini Steakhouse, Cafe Milano, CHI, Oceano, and Romanza. These will be serving a variety of Valentine's Day brunch and dinner specials. Regular menus will also be available. For details, visit the website or call (866) 821-9996 for reservations. The Peppermill is at 2707 S. Virginia Street in Reno. Valentine's Day at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino Restaurants in the Silver Legacy offering Valentine's Day dining specials include Sterling's Seafood Steakhouse and Cafe Sedona. If you happen to be staying at the Silver Legacy, a special room service

2/4/2013 dinner will be available. Call (775) 329-4777 for more information. The Silver Legacy is at 407 N. Virginia Street in downtown Reno. Valentine's Day Dinner at the Wild River Grille The Wild River Grille will be featuring a four-course deluxe Valentine's Day dinner for two. It's $99 per couple and includes a glass of champagne. The Wild River Grille is in the historic Riverside Hotel on Reno's Riverwalk, downtown at 17 S. Virginia Stret. Reservations recommended - call (775) 284-7455. Valentine's Day Dinner at Campo Reno Dine at Campo Reno on Thursday, February 14 through Saturday, February 16 and enjoy the special Campo Valentine's Day menu. This dinner for two comes complete with 4 courses. Share the most sentimental day of the year with your special person over wine, delectable dishes, and romantic music. The cost for dinner is $90 for two, and you can add wine to each pairing for an additional $15. Reservations recommended. You can make a reservation online or by calling (775) 737-9555. Campo Reno is at 50 N. Sierra Street, next to the Truckee River. Squaw Valley Valentine's Day Dinner at High Camp Take your sweetheart up the aerial tram to High Camp and enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding snowcapped peaks of Squaw Valley while you dine. Enjoy a three course Valentine's Day meal complete with a glass of wine while a live pianist to set a romantic mood. After dinner, indulge with a Valentine's dessert of warm molten chocolate cake. Dinner is by reservation only - call (530) 4527278 or email abarker@squaw.com. Valentine's Day Dinner Cruise on Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe's excursion paddlewheelers, the Tahoe Queen and the M.S. Dixie II, offer a schedule of dinner cruises. The Tahoe Queen sails from the Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and the home port for the M.S. Dixie II is Zephyr Cove, NV. For information or to make reservations, call (800) 2382463.

Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is one of the busiest dining out days of the year (and one of the most challenging for restaurants — all those tables only for two). Restaurants tend to fill fast, so call for reservations. Listed prices do not include tax and gratuity. All menus are for Feb. 14 unless otherwise indicated. Below are some suggestions. Main course or course choices are in parentheses. ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA, 3800 S. Virginia St., 775-824-4411, www.atlantiscasino.com • Atlantis Steakhouse: Four-course menu (pan-roasted Chilean sea bass or duet of USDA Prime grade filet mignon and prawn), from 5 p.m., $55 or $65 • Bistro Napa: Four-course menu (Verlasso salmon or beef tenderloin roulade), from 5 p.m., $55 or $65 BISTRO 7, 7111 S. Virginia St., 775-851-9463, www.b7reno.com Four-course menu (black cod, beef Wellington, Berkshire pork chops or truffled mushroom lasagna), 59:30 p.m., $55 BONANZA CASINO, 4720 N. Virginia St., 775-323-2724, www.bonanzacasino.com • Cactus Creek Prime Steakhouse: Four-course menu (USDA Prime grade filet mignon and buttered Maine lobster tail), from 4 p.m., $62.50 CAMPO, 50 N. Sierra St., 775-737-9555, www.camporeno.com Four-course menu (duo of sea scallop and beef sirloin), served Feb. 14-16 from 5 p.m., $90, $105 with wine THE CHEESE BOARD AMERICAN BISTRO, 247 California Ave., 775-332-1848, www.cheeseboardcatering.com Four-course menu (short ribs, salmon or roasted vegetable napoléon), from 5 p.m., $45 CIRCUS CIRCUS RENO, 500 N. Sierra St., 775-789-5604, www.circusreno.com

• The Steakhouse: Four-course menu (beef tenderloin, wild salmon, or tomahawk steak for two), from 5 p.m., $59.95 (extra charge for tomahawk steak for two) DAVID’S GRILL, Red Hawk Golf and Resort, 6590 N. Wingfield Parkway, Sparks, 775-626-1000, www.resortatredhawk.com Three-course menu (New York steak or shrimp scampi), 5-9 p.m. (live music begins 6:30 p.m.), $34 ELDORADO HOTEL CASINO, 345 N. Virginia St., 775-786-5700, www.eldoradoreno.com • The Prime Rib Grill: Four-course menu (Chateaubriand with sauce Diane), from 5 p.m., $65 • Roxy: Four-course menu (beef Wellington), from 5 p.m., $150 per couple, $195 with bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte brut Champagne • La Strada: Four-course menu (sole-king crab roulade and pancetta-stuffed chicken), from 5 p.m., $55, or $90 with a bottle of Bocelli prosecco GRAND SIERRA RESORT AND CASINO, 2500 E. Second St., 775-789-2000, www.grandsierraresort.com • Briscola: Four special dishes (crisp sea bass with cioppino), 5-9 p.m., $8-24 • Charlie Palmer Steak: Five special dishes (USDA Prime grade New York strip steak with grilled prawns), 5:30-9:30 p.m., $6-32 JOHN ASCUAGA'S NUGGET, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks, 775-356-3300, www.janugget.com • Restaurante Orozko: Three-course menu (steak and lobster duet), from 5 p.m., $45 • The Steakhouse Grill: Three-course menu (Maine lobster tail), from 5 p.m., $55 • Trader Dick's: Three-course menu (duet of petite filet and king crab legs), from 5 p.m. $45 PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO, 2707 S. Virginia St., 775-826-2121, www.peppermillreno.com • Bimini Steakhouse: Three-course menu (Maine lobster or grilled filet mignon), 5-9:30 p.m., $55, $75 with wine • Chi: Three-course menu (half Peking duck, lobster tail in nest or Chinese-style steak), 5-9:30 p.m., $45 • Romanza: Three-course menu (Main lobster or filet mignon), 5-9:30 p.m., $55, $75 with wine SILVER LEGACY RESORT CASINO, 407 N. Virginia St., 775-325-7401, www.silverlegacyreno.com • Sterling's Seafood Steakhouse: Four-course menu (lobster-stuffed tenderloin), from 5 p.m., $85 for two, $109 with bottle of Korbel sparkling wine SODO, 275 Hill St., 775-322-2710, www.sodoreno.com Two specials (book a party of four and receive free bottle of William Hill chardonay or cabernet sauvignon or any appetizer, or order New York steak or grilled mahi mahi for two for $40), specials good from 8 p.m.

TUSCAN TOMATO (with L’Uva Bella Wine Gallery), 13963 S. Virginia St., in the Summit, call L’Uva Bella for reservations, 775-851-1110, www.tuscantomato.com Four-course menu (short rib ravioli), from 6 p.m., cost of $50 includes wine

WESTERN VILLAGE INN & CASINO, 815 Nichols Blvd., Sparks, 775-331-1069, www.wvsparks.com • The Steakhouse: Three-course menu (trio of petite filet, shrimp scampi and scallops), 4:30-9 p.m., $34.95 WILD RIVER GRILLE, 17 S. Virginia St., 775-284-7455, www.wildrivergrille.com Four-course menu (filet mignon, herb-crusted halibut or pan-seared duck breast), from 5 p.m., $99 per couple ZOZO’S RISTORANTE, 3446 Lakeside Drive, 775-829-9449, www.zozosreno.com Three-course menu (filet mignon, roast pork rack, sole Veronique, seafood vin blanc), 5-9 p.m., $39.95

Colin Kaepernick jersey: $99.99 Jan. 15 edition of Sports Illustrated signed by cover boy Kaepernick: $197.31 National publicity for Reno and Nevada: Priceless Today, the former quarterback for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack will lead the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. But, win or lose, Kaepernick’s meteoric rise in the national media has been a publicity coup for the university, Reno and the state. “I think it’s huge,” Reno economic analyst Eugenia Larmore said. “There may not be a significant direct economic impact, but the more we can get our name out there in a positive light, the better.” Kaepernick’s star is expected to shine on the university’s recruiting efforts and cause a bump in enrollment, bringing in more students who pay thousands in tuition, but Larmore said the real boon to the economy will come from all the free — and favorable — attention. “We have (the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada) the Chamber of Commerce and the (Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority) spending all this money to bring companies and

people to Reno,” Larmore said. “This kind of publicity is not only a huge benefit, it’s a benefit without cost.” Jason Cook, vice president of marketing and communications at Texas A&M, said Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy win last season brought in $37 million worth of exposure to the university and could be the cause of an increase in student enrollment. “We have a record 34,000 freshman applications so far for next fall semester, which is up a couple of thousand from last year,” Cook said. Christopher Baum, RSCVA’s president and CEO, sees Kaepernick’s success as one of several positive economic harbingers for the Reno-Tahoe region. “It is one of a series of developments in the past 12 months that has been building up to a critical mass of good news for the Reno-Tahoe area,” Baum said. He cited Apple Inc.’s announcement of a billion-dollar investment with a planned business center in downtown Reno, IBM selecting Reno as one of 100 recipients of its Smarter Cities grants, and Esquire magazine naming downtown Reno’s Campo among the top 20 new restaurants in the nation. “But Colin Kaepernick is one of the highly visible and most exciting stories of the year,” Baum said. “It’s become a national story about how a school that is not considered a powerhouse is turning out athletes, and now you keep hearing about the University of Nevada, Reno,” he said. “When IBM chooses us as a cool city, that’s great. But when we have a quarterback playing in America’s favorite sport, that really catches the national imagination, and it puts Reno on a to-do list like it never has been before,” Baum said. Kaepernick graduated from the University of Nevada in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. San Francisco picked Kaepernick during the 2011 NFL draft. He replaced the injured Alex Smith as the 49ers’ starting quarterback in the middle of the 2012-13 season. Kaerpernick was born in Milwaukee, Wisc., and grew up in Turlock, Calif., but University of Nevada Athletic Director Cary Groth said he’s Reno’s hometown hero, too. “People are familiar with him now from the East to the West Coast,” she said. “But this is one of our grads that we’re very proud of. He got his degree here, and he could have just said, ‘See ya,’ but that was very important to him.” A team-builder as a quarterback, Kaepernick has even managed to bring the state’s two archrivals — the Nevada Wolf Pack and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels fans — together. “I was in Las Vegas for the men’s (basketball) game Tuesday, and some UNLV fans saw my blue shirt and said, ‘Go, Kap!’” Groth said. Kaepernick’s alma mater already is capitalizing on his fame. The university has an advertisement on its website showing him with tattooed biceps bulging in a Nevada shirt and the words, “Here’s To Nevada Grads Who Go On To Bigger Things,” and “Tour The Campus That Made Kap Great.” The Kap craze will help recruit both students and student athletes, said Marc Johnson, the university’s president.

“The student athletes know they could come here and it’s possible to go to the top of the professional ranks,” he said. “The rest of this is hard to predict, but in the near term, having Colin Kaepernick associated with the University of Nevada, Reno with all this leading up to the Super Bowl has given us a lot of recognition as a credible university.” A university that also wants student athletes who graduate, Johnson said. “People have said, ‘Please tell me he graduated,” Johnson said. “He graduated and was a good student and took part in campus activities, too. “In the summer, he was involved in (a football) campus for disadvantaged children,” he said. “Here is a young man with the emotional maturity to be successful in academics and sports, and also take part in community service. That’s what we encourage for all out student athletes.” Today, Johnson won’t be thinking about what publicity the university might get from Kaepernick’s success or whether it will translate into the recruitment of more top athletes or donations from enthusiastic alumni. “I won’t be focusing Sunday on any enrollment increases or financial gains,” Johnson said. “I’ll just revel in the success that Colin has had. He is a fine young man, and a wonderful example of a student athlete. So we just wish him well Sunday.”

They laughed, they cried — on stage and in the audience — at the first Reno-area TEDx event. A sold-out audience of 100, plus more than 50 volunteers, heard 18 people’s tales of success, tragedy and inspiration at the Joe Crowley Student Union on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Among other speakers, they heard from: • Dr. Michael Morkin of Renown Regional Medical Center, who said, “On the day of the Reno Air Races crash, some terrible things happened and, 30 minutes later, some wonderful things happened.” He detailed what emergency personnel learned during that tragic event. • 2012 Nevada Teacher of the Year Deanna LeBlanc, who detailed success with a student who needed extra help, and why that boy symbolizes not just troubled students, but all students. • UNR graduates Shawna and Grant Korgan, who talked about struggle and the power of love in Grant’s road back from a spine-crushing snowmobile crash. • Ryan Dolan of the Dolan Automotive Group, who explained the businessperson’s motivation for connecting closely with the community: “Business is a vessel that can take you places.” • Laura Zander of Jimmy Bean’s Wool, who stressed imagination and flexibility in her tale of transforming from a criminal justice grad to teaching Hollywood actors to knit. TEDx UNR was part of the TEDx series of independent events based on programs from the national Technology, Entertainment, Design organization. The UNR program was organized by college of business professor Bret Simmons and Abbi Whitaker of the Abbi Agency, and sponsored by the UNR College of Business online executive MBA program. “It’s a unique event and unique opportunity for people to tell stories that matter,” said organizer Bret Simmons, a professor at the UNR College of Business. The next Reno-area TEDx event will take place in April. Details: www.tedxreno.com.

Tedx Event35 1/24/2013

Burn bans aren’t just for wood stoves. Whenever there is a Red Burn Code, there is also a ban on crematoriums using ovens and restaurants using wood-fired ovens and grills. Mary Harp, cemetery superintendent for Masonic Memorial Gardens, says that throughout the winter, she calls the air quality information line before she starts any cremation. If the recording says it’s a red day, she waits. “We do have regulations that we follow concerning how many days we can take to cremate remains, but something like a burn ban is out of our hands, so we can wait an extra day or two,” Harp said. Lucky for Harp, the red burning bans rarely continue for more than a couple days in a row. Campo chef and owner, Mark Estee cooks with a wood-fired oven and does not have to stop using it during burn bans because he installed a pollution control unit (PCU) that scrubs the pollution out of the smoke before it leaves the chimney. The unit has been approved by the Washoe County Health District, Air Quality Management and the city of Reno building department. “It costs a ton of money to keep it up and running, but it’s totally worth it to keep pollution out of the air,” said Estee. In recent years, the air quality people at the Health District have used two different pollution standards to guide burn bans. When the pollution level is at 100, or unhealthful for sensitive groups, all residential wood burning must stop. If that level reaches 150, then all restaurants cooking with wood have to stop. “It just works out better for the 20 or so properties that use wood-fired stoves and the crematoriums to wait until the levels are higher,” stated Charlene Albee, permitting branch chief for air quality. “They aren’t really contributing to the problem like residential wood burning is, and we see a tremendous reduction with just stopping that.”

RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- The University of Nevada, Reno College of Business is sponsoring the inaugural TEDxUniversityofNevada, an independently organized TEDx program, bringing a combination of live presenters and videos to spark deep conversation and connections. One hundred tickets were sold out within the first day for the Jan. 25 event, to be held 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Joe Crowley Student Union’s Third Floor Theatre. TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." The program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. Presentations at the University’s event will focus on the theme “Creating Community Conversations” and includes 17 speakers. The day will include four sessions: health and hope; the promise and challenge of education; business and entrepreneurship; and bold ideas worth spreading. The speakers for the health and hope session are Shawna Korgan, CEO of Korg 3.0 Movement; Matt Benardis, operations manager for First Warning Systems; Veronica Scavacini, an eighthgrader who raised funds to travel to Kenya to deliver water filtration systems; Mike Morkin, an

emergency-room physician from Renown Hospital who was on duty the day of the Reno Air Races crash; and Leilani Schweitzer, a patient liaison at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. The speakers for the promise and challenge of education session are Washoe County School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez, accompanied by Hug High School Principal Lauren Ford and one of her students; Fernley’s East Valley Elementary School teacher and Nevada Teacher of the Year, Deanna LeBlanc;13 year-old Veronika Scavacini; 13-year-old Logan LaPlante; and 16-year-old Grant Davis. The speakers for the business and entrepreneurship session are Ryan Dolan; CEO of Dolan Auto Group, James Kosta, CEO of 3G Studios; Laura Zander, CEO of Jimmy Bean’s Wool; and Mark Estee, owner of the downtown Reno restaurant Campo. The final session will be bold ideas worth spreading. The three speakers for this session are Brian Williams; College of Business graduate and founder of Think Kindness, Robb Smith, CEO of Chrysallis; and Grant Korgan, author of the new book “Two Feet Back: A Journey Sponsored by Love.”

1/10/2013

Here's the latest happening in the luxury hotel world as told by Just Luxe's own Lena Katz. Got a question about luxury hotels and where to stay? Send it in and we'll have Lena answer it. For those of you who aren’t National Parks-savvy, we must formally announce that January is a Big Deal, event-wise, for the West Coast’s biggest NPS hotel name. Northern California's famous Yosemite National Park, and in specific the iconic Ahwahnee Hotel on the Yosemite Valley floor, has been drawing ever-bigger crowds and marquee-name chefs with its annual Yosemite’s Chefs' Holidays series, which runs for eight sessions in 2013. JustLuxe.com got a peek at the first session, which ran January 6-8, and there are seven more to go including the finale January 30-31. Look for the complete schedule on the Ahwahnee page. The Ahwahnee, for those not familiar, was finished in 1927, and is a masterpiece of grandiose traditional Arts & Crafts architecture, with some Native American elements, plus vast sweeping interior lines that reflect the vast mountain outside. It's a Historic Hotel of America, and management company Delaware North has taken every measure to preserve that "You just stepped back 90 years in time" feeling. In the wintertime, this translates to traditional recreation activities like the Curry Village Ice Rink (opened November in 2012) and guided full moon snowshoe walks (starting January 23rd in 2013--rates around $415 per night).

We, however, prefer the newer tradition of Chefs' Holidays, in which chefs and winemakers and foodies from coast to coast get cozy and chatty, sipping all kinds of wine and whipping up delicious morsels and enjoying those chilly wintertime Glacier Point views through the window. No matter what big-city California or NYC chefs show up to this series – and in 2013, the list includes David Lentz of Hungry Cat in Santa Monica/Hollywood (Demonstrator, January 20-22 session) and Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in Manhattan (Visiting Chef, January 30-31 session) – we will always drop the name of Mark Estee of Reno, NV because he is a) hunky, b) a neighbor of Yosemite, and c) good friends with Ahwahnee executive chef Percy Whatley, who’s been the head food guy and a familiar face around Chefs’ Holiday for 15 years. This time around, Mark’s promoting his “whole hog” restaurant Campo, but rest assured, his January 1617 headline appearance will not just be about the latest new venture. This guy’s been a champion of farm-to-table in the Nor-Cal for many years, and his followers are many. So if you’re thinking about dropping in on a session, his is a good bet. Elsewhere on the calendar, we’re getting super-duper amped up when we look at January 23-24, thanks to the addition of surprise guest Doug Welsh, Master Roaster at Peet’s Coffee. In case you aren’t from the Bay Area, we’ll just tell you that Peet’s is responsible for the jitters, shakes, hyperproductivity and 3AM insomnia of 85% of the San Francisco Bay Area. (Thanks, Doug. We once lived in SF – we’ll be there at 6AM on the 23rd to talk to you about instigating our dangerous downhill addiction to 16-ounce energy drinks and espresso brownies.) Also, sesh 7 (January 27-29) brings Laurence Jossel of nopa/nopalita in SF; while sesh 6 (January 23-24) is when foodies will hail to LA culinary royalty Suzanne Goin of Lucques, A.O.C. and Hungry Cat. We’re not sure if the woman eats, but damned if she can’t cook. Get more winter travel ideas at JustLuxe.com.

Itching for a snow outing with magnificent views of Half Dome, Glacier Point and Yosemite Falls ... and an easy drive? Consider Yosemite instead of the usual Tahoe run. Hotel options can be Pricelined as low as $65 a night in neighboring Mariposa or you can pretend you are in your own personal Downton Abbey and stay at the more cushy Ahwahnee Hotel, which has hosted dignitaries since opening in 1925. The Yosemite area is snowy and beautiful right now, and on a New Years Eve visit, we were pleasantly surprised to find the park was light on other guests -- minus multiple deer and fox sightings.

This month, the Ahwahnee Hotel is serving up special Chefs' Holidays dinners. The dinners run $199 and include reception face time and a cooking demo with the chefs (including Ahwahnee Executive Chef Percy Whatley, who impressed us with his fare and set up at SF Chefs last year), five courses, wine and a kitchen tour. Chef Douglas Keane was cooking this week, and future headliners include Jonathan Waxman, Annie Somerville, Joey Elenterio (Chez TJ), Jesse Cool, Suzanne Goin, Mark Estee (Campo in Reno) and the Cowgirl Creamery cowgirls. Two- and three-night Yosemite culinary vacation packages are available at The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, starting at $449 and $332. The price includes lodging and admission for two to the Chefs' Holidays events. Burn some calories the next day by taking a turn on the ice rink in Curry Village and be sure to bring snow chains, which likely are required in areas of the park this time of year. Where: Ahwahnee Hotel, 1 Ahwahnee Drive, 801-559-4903 When: Through January 31 Cost: $199 per person, including gratuity. Tax not included.

Business Booms at Local Egg Farm Posted: Jan 08, 2013 12:43 PM PST Organic eggs are 'eggs'actly what local restaurants are looking for. And Hadji Paul's Chicken and Feed is barely keeping up with the demand. "We are the largest egg producer in the area," he tells me. "We are putting out about 700 dozen eggs a day here and every egg we pack is already spoken for. If I had the capital, I could double the size of this place and still sell everyone." They have four chicken coops, each with 300 chickens. That's 1,200 chickens laying eggs daily. "We started off by trading a Dachsund to someone who gave us 100 chickens. We saw how quickly we were able to sell them and kept growing," Hadji Paul says. His wife Joy is the face of the business. She markets the eggs. "I go out and deliver the eggs myself," she says. "We wash them up, pack them and deliver them. And we're in seven local restaurants already. Campo, Fourth Street Bistro, 775 Gastro Pub, Pathways, Sup, Creme and Hommage Bakery. And we're in Whole Foods!" In fact they have a trade with Whole Foods. They collect produce clippings and old bread to supplement grain. "It makes them healthy and happy. They love the vegetables and happy chickens give you healthy eggs," Hadji Paul says. "We go through 50 dozen eggs every two or three days here at Campo," says Chef Arturo Moscoso. "They have bigger richer yolks which are better for making pasta and just taste better." "We have been lucky. We started this at the right time. People here support local businesses and they are looking for healthy organic food. They want to know where it comes from and when they come here they see just how healthy it is," says Hadji Paul. You can see them for yourself at Hadji Paul's Chicken and Feed on Ironwood Road off of the Pyramid Highway. You can find them on Sundays at the garden Shop Nursery's farmer's market in Reno. You can also go to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KTVN2?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/pages/Hadji-Pauls-Chicken-andFeed/213898858630084?fref=ts Written by Erin Breen

Winter Getaway Guide 01/07/13 Va Va Vail Make a wish and join the celebration of Vailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th anniversary this season. As an early birthday present, the resort unwrapped a state-of-the-art Leitner-Poma of America gondola, the first and fastest of its kind in North America, increasing uphill capacity by 40 percent and providing skiers and snowboarders a cozy 7.5-minute ride from the base of Vail Village to Mid-Vail with heated, cushioned seats and Wi-Fi access. Where To Nosh The 10th: Enjoy on-mountain lunch, aprĂ¨s, and dinner service Tuesdays through Saturdays with spectacular views of the Gore Range while the south-facing deck captures the afternoon sun and views

of the Look Ma and Challenge trails. The 10th offers modern alpine cuisine in an upscale setting with an emphasis on quality and efficiency of service. Reservations are encouraged. (www.vail.com/the10th) Mountain Standard: The creators of Vail’s legendary Sweet Basil just opened a new restaurant that features a cooking method that has been around for tens of thousands of years — cooking over an open fire. A wood burning grill and rotisserie are the centerpieces, and the menu features rustic and bold flavors using the purest ingredients in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. Located in the heart of Vail Village, Mountain Standard’s decor mirrors the menu with rustic reclaimed woods, oak floors mixed with contemporary rusted steel. (www.mtnstandard.com) Get Geared Up Skip the lines in the ski rental shop and get fitted in the convenience of your condo, hotel room or private residence. Black Tie Ski Rentals offers a time-saving, convenient service for skiers and snowboarders who want to maximize their winter vacation. Simply make a reservation complete with contact info and sizing, and Black Tie will bring rentals directly to you. Ski techs will custom you in the comfort of your accommodations. They can also act as a personal concierge, providing insight into things to do and see while visiting the resort. Want to try different equipment for the varying snow conditions? Call Black Tie and they’ll change out equipment slopeside at a time and location that’s convenient for you. (www.blacktieskis.com) Save The Date The Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships will take place at Vail Mountain February 25 through March 2. Created in 1982, the Burton US Open is now the longest-running snowboarding competition in the world, attracting the globe’s top competitors. (www.opensnowboarding.com) Host to two previous World Alpine Ski Championships in 1989 and 1999, Vail will serve as the official hub of the 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships’ ceremonies and festival events in February 2015, while Beaver Creek will host the races. The streets and slopes of Vail will come alive as Golden Peak will play host to Opening Ceremonies, all official medal ceremonies, the Festival Stadium with nightly functions and snowboard and freestyle exhibition events, along with the men’s Qualification Races for Giant Slalom and Slalom, and national team training. Vail Village will further dazzle with concerts, parties, and a big screen stadium. (www.vailbeavercreek2015.com) The Mammoth Memo With daily flights from San Diego to Mammoth, a snowy getaway is now more accessible than ever. This season, Mammoth Mountain beginners can get a taste of what it’s like to catch some air with the introduction of the new Unbound Playground Progression Park. The gradual progression allows snowboarders and skiers to learn at their own pace and move up to the next level of difficulty. Instructional boards positioned throughout the park provide self-guided pointers and the parks secluded location lessens the intimidation factor. Also new this winter, two of the top-rated terrain parks in the country — Mammoth’s Main Park and South Park — are even better with new high-end, urban-inspired features called the Downtown Collection. Perhaps the most anticipated culinary happening in the Eastern Sierra this winter is the opening of Campo Mammoth. Celebrated chef Mark Estee has brought his popular restaurant to the Village at Mammoth with the addition of a vibrant après ski offering. Inspired by his travels through the rural villages of Italy, Estee’s cooking ethic delivers authentic flavors with hand-made authentic Neapolitan style pizza, catch-of-the-day seafood, hand-pressed pasta, and pig dishes served in an establishment that is as much a gathering-place as a restaurant.

At Main Lodge, the new Green V (formerly Broadway Bakery) is Mammoth’s first and only wellness concept featuring vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free fare, along with free trade and organic coffees and teas, fresh-squeezed juices, whole grain salads and pastas, and hearty soups. (www.mammothmountain.com) Tahoe’s Real Estate Radar Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl Resort (California owned and operated since 1939) has released 25 new homesites for sale at Summit Crossing in the ski resort’s ski-in/ski-out base area. The homes are centrally located in a snowbound village where residents are brought to their home by snowcat and walk out their door to a front yard of lift-served skiing and endless cross-country ski trails. Homeowners gain access to a number of exclusive benefits including 24-hour VIP concierge service, private Express Line privileges at the chairlifts, and access to the world-class Sugar Bowl Ski Team. The quarter-acre, forested homesites range in price from $475,000 to $700,000 and feature creekside sites along the headwaters of the Yuba River, filtered views of the surrounding peaks of Donner Summit and a central location in a ski area renowned for its family friendly vibe, world-class ski team and tight-knit community. (530.426.6780, homes@sugarbowl.com. www.villageatsugarbowl.com) JANE SHIOMI