by ToDD SouTh RnRsweetdeals.newsReview.com
Meals at J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room are served family style, with shared side dishes. PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG
Taken to Basque
A bottle of chilled red house wine appeared, along with thick-sliced crusty bread and a very nice vegetable soup. The soup was quickly followed by a salad of chopped lettuce, tossed in a light vinaigrette, along with a dish of ranch-style beans. Though I’d never heard of this “Basque dining pro-tip,” our cola/wine Built in 1870s Virginia City, J.T. Basque enthusiast noted a tradition of placing hot Bar & Dining Room was moved to beans on top of cold salad. I liked the salad Gardnerville in 1896 and has been a and the beans just fine on their own, but family-operated business ever since. The grudgingly admitted they were pretty good place oozes authentic Old West charm and taken together. history, with walls covered in hats and a Next up was a big plate of shoestringceiling papered in dollar bills. The story fried potatoes and a bowl of beef tongue goes that, upon heading home, a regular stew. The fries were above average and took to leaving his hat on the bar to provide well received, but the stew was beyond an excuse for “just one more drink.” The expectations. Beef tongue in any guise isn’t proprietor eventually nailed it to the wall, my wife’s first, second or third choice, but leading to a tradition of a wall festooned she was totally down with a couple of helpwith hats. The overhead cache of cash is ings of this. The meat was thin-sliced and said to have begun with a single patron’s insanely tender, well supported by a hearty bar trick—somehow sticking a greenback gravy and downto the ceiling—and is home veggies. now a lucky tradition. Our entrees were Each year, the money is all excellent. The collected and donated to rabbit was served charity. on the bone and 1426 Hwy 395 North, Gardnerville, 782-2074 very tender. Both American Basque J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room is open Monday meals are usually sirloin and lamb were through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. served “family style,” cooked to a perfect and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. with side dishes passed medium and topped around the table and with plenty of sautéed each diner selecting his or her choice of garlic cloves. The butterflied-and-grilled entree. We chose top sirloin steak, chicken, breast of chicken was moist and smothered lamb chops, sweetbreads and roast rabbit (a with sautéed peppers and onions. And the Friday/Saturday special). The dinners were sweetbreads—made from beef thymus $25.95, save for the $26.95 lamb chops. glands—were cooked stir fried with herbs The service was professional and attentive. and vegetables. I’d say this was one of the Our most Basque-experienced dining best ways to prepare a dish that is decidedly companion ordered a kalimotxo ($4)—a not for the squeamish palate. blend of red wine and Coca-Cola poured One of my favorite things about a over ice. It’s pronounced “cal-ee-MO-cho.” Basque meal is a cheese plate for dessert. I sampled J.T.’s take on picon punch ($4). Some include grapes or other fruit, but The former is what I’d call a fizzy sweet J.T.’s was a simple serving of thin-sliced nightmare. Picon punch is usually too slivers of semi-hard Monterey Jack and sweet—this one not so much. very good bleu cheese crumbles. Ω
J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room
This guy saves you money.
,WŐV %DP *RRG
1ow 2SHQ At Smith Ridge Center, Next to Toys R Us.
+oXUs am Sm (YHU\ 'a\ 5000 Smithridge Dr Reno, NV 89502 775.824.9070 www.bamdoghotdogs.com
Not Just Reno’s Best Seafood Restaurant, But A New Thanksgiving Tradition
Call Today For Your Reservation! 1555 S. Wells Ave. Reno, NV
775-323-1211 • 1-877-932-3700 www.Rapscallion.com Open Mon–Fri at 11:30am • Sat at 5pm 10.20.16
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