One of the first places I experienced a “real cup of coffee” was the venerable Java Jungle in the heart of downtown by Todd South Reno. An old spinet piano sat against one wall, and if you were a player, the owner wouldn’t let you leave without playing a tune or two. The piano has been gone for years, but the current owner has continued to support live entertainment while expanding to open a wine bar—Jungle Vino—a few years ago. Now the two halves have been remodeled into a two-sided venue known simply as The Jungle. Having heard about the new menu, friends and I went in to give it a try on a busy weeknight.
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all you can eat all you can eat all you can eat
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For more information, visit thejunglereno. com.
w w w. n e w s r e v i e w. c o m
Photo/AlliSon Young
form, and I’ve definitely never had to cut the cheese in order to free the meat. Ahem. Easily the best thing we tasted, the West Ender vegetarian sandwich featured slices of locally baked sandwich bread, perfectly grilled and stuffed with bell pepper, cucumber, onion, avocado, tomato, spring mix greens and a fantastic housemade hummus spread ($7.50). The deluxe grilled cheese was tasty yet barely crispy by comparison, though the cheddar cheese was completely melted into the veggies and ham (choice of veg and meats, $8). Odder highest quality highest&quality fresh fish & fresh dailyfish / take-out daily / take-out orders welcome orders welcome / full bar/ with full bar hot with & cold hotsake & cold sake highest quality & fresh fish daily, take-out yet was a turkey, bacon and avocado Open 7 Days Opena7Week Days a/ Week Monday / Monday - Saturday - Saturday 11:30am 11:30am - 9:30pm - 9:30pm /with Sunday / 11:30am Sunday 11:30am - 9:00pm- 9:00pm orders welcome, full bar hot & cold sake sandwich served on a small open 7 days a week at 11:00am sesame-seeded hoagie Last Seating: 775.589.2067 775.589.2067 roll with considerably highest quality 195 highway highway 50.,daily stateline 50., stateline &195 fresh fish / take-out orders welcome /9:30pm full bar with sake Mon Sat & hot Sun& cold 9:00pm 1/2 mile1/2 north mileofnorth the casinos of the casinos less filling than the other Open 7 Days a Week / Monday Saturday 11:30am 9:30pm / Sunday 11:30am 9:00pm sushipiertahoe.com sushipiertahoe.com 1507 So. Virginia St. - Midtown, Reno - 775.825.5225 sandwiches, but for a dollar more ($9). The best thing 775.589.2067 195 highway 50., stateline about this little sandwich 1/2 mile north of the casinos was a hint of heat provided sushipiertahoe.com THAT’S HOW WE ROLL by a Tapatío aioli. Last up, a pair of pizzas so inconsistently cooked I found it hard to believe they came from the same kitchen. The sausage flavor of the meatballs sliced onto the first pie was dominant enough that you’d think it was a sausage pizza. I can’t tell you much about the sauce because there wasn’t enough to really taste it—perhaps it was the same flavorless stuff from the appetizer. The crust was just cooked through, with barely any crisping and no color to speak of ($11). Having read that description, perhaps you can understand my bewilderment at the margherita pizza we received, featuring a nice, crispy crust with browned, twisted edges dusted in dried herbs. Although it too lacked flavor, the presentation was much better, and I actually enjoyed the crust. A bit more of the olive oil Ask ab ou or ourh!” f n & spread and fresh basil might have i e Corpor t our Group om ox Lunc C “ ate Sp made this pie really good. B ecials HAPPY HOUR 3PM-5PM Bento Ultimately the most disappointing aspect of our visit was waiting 20% OFF STARTERS & DRINKS! nearly an hour for food to arrive. We did receive apologies from the staff, but they’re going to have to improve on consistency and flavor if they hope to compete with ILY FROM 11AM-1 similar fare being served within 0P N DA OPE CLOSED TUESDAYS M walking distance. Thankfully, their cup of joe is still among the best in 775.622.3098 • www.2DWok.com town, giving me hope that this was 2303 S. VIRGINIA STREET, #5, RENO, NV 89502 just an off night. Ω (In the Orchard Plaza, behind Black Bear Diner)
The bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers ($8) aren’t your dad’s deepfried bar bite. Three fresh chiles are split lengthwise, filled with soft cheese and belted at the waist with about a quarter slice of bacon. Broiled rather than fried, the cheese had a nice touch of browning and the bacon was crispy without being burned. The six halves were served on a long plate atop a schmear of ranch dressing and dijon mustard. I really enjoyed the flavor combination and didn’t miss the taste of oily breading one bit. I usually enjoy the flavors of Caribbean-style “jerk spice,” but the rub and technique used for our order of jerked chicken wings resulted in a pasty mess of unappetizing disappointment ($8). A garnish of spring mix greens that wilted and stuck to the eight small wings did nothing to enhance their appeal. Similarly unappealing was an order of sliced-up meatballs swimming in a bland purée of tomato, topped with an inch of half-melted mozzarella that formed a nearly-impenetrable cheese lid. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a side of meatballs not served in spherical
Jungle food: jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon.
sushi all the time sushi all the time sushiall the time
246 W. First St., 329-4484
Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off
The Jungle
Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off
Makes me wonder
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ART OF THE STATE
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FOODFINDS
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FILM
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DECEMBER 24, 2015
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RN&R
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