Shopping and Dining in Reno

Reno is known as 'The Biggest Little City in the World' and it's getting bigger by the day as the housing boom explodes. It was voted the 'Quirkiest City in the U.S.' and is trying hard to live up to the title. While many people flock to Reno for its casinos (though they can hardly compare with the mega-hotels in Las Vegas) or for its proximity to the world-class ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, there are two large shopping malls and some restaurants that offer something more unusual than the plastic chain restaurants (although there are plenty of those too).

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Reno has an interational airport. The major hotels offer limited shuttle service. There is also public bus service.

This storefront restaurant is tucked into a corner of the shopping center across McCarran from Meadowwood Mall. (It's the same shopping center as Trader Joe's, Long's Drugs and McFrugal's.) The booths and tables are not fancy, but the servers are friendly and helpful. The food is simple and good, featuring Japanese and Korean specialties. The lunch specials are served in a bento box (Japanese-style compartmentalized tray) which contains the main course, rice and shredded cabbage salad.

Several types of kim chee accompany the Korean dishes. The bulgoghee beef (thinly sliced beef in a sweet soy sauce and garlic marinade) was good, although a little sweeter than I like. The tempura udon (noodle soup with tempura fried shrimp and vegetables) was tasty and not oily. The teriyaki chicken is a favorite of my lunch companion. The server refilled our tea cups frequently and didn't hurry us as we lingered over our lunch, visiting. I prefer Seoul Korean Restaurant (see my separate journal) because it has bigger portions and better food for the same money, but this is still a good second choice.

My hairdresser recommended this place to me. He lived in Hawaii for a few years and is a party-hearty kinda guy, so I guessed he probably knew his sushi bars. I guessed right. It was terrific. He told me that even at lunch, he has to wait for a place at the sushi bar, so I decided to arrive just as it opened, at 11:30. When I arrived, there were about 15 people lined up waiting to get in -- on a Wednesday! By noon, every seat at the sushi bar was filled, as were most of the tables. The draw is the all-you-can-eat deal. For $12.95 at lunch or $17.95 at dinner (starting at 4 p.m.) you can order as much of any sushi on the menu as you like. (For lunch, only a handful of the most expensive items are excluded.) Unlike many all-you-can-eat sushi places, there is no time limit. In fact, when a customer sitting near me gasped to his sushi chef that he was too full for any more, the chef smiled and said, relax for 5 minutes and you'll want more. This, despite the fact that wait-list was getting longer by the moment. I was impressed with the quality and variety on the menu. I loved the combination of yellowtail and green onion in one roll, which was coated with fish roe. The special spicy shrimp and cucumber salad hand roll was also excellent. In all, I tried about 6 different selections. There are probably 20 different hand roll combinations and as many rolls (8 pieces to a serving). The only thing I noticed missing from the nigiri menu was urchin, which is probably hard to get in Reno. With such a booming business, you know they go through a lot of fish, so the fish is absolutely fresh. The sushi chefs (6 working that day for lunch) were all cordial, constantly attending to the 6-7 people each was charged with serving. The host-owner could not have been nicer, stopping by more than once to tell me if there was anything I needed just to ask. The servers were also friendly, offering hot soup, cabbage salad and beverages, coming back to refill my tea mug as needed. It was obvious that there were a lot of "regulars" -- the man next to me even knew all the chefs and servers by name. They also have a full Japanese-style menu and a full bar, but it is obvious that the sushi is the draw. I'll be back.

Sushi Club is located in the Independence Square Shopping Center on Moana Lane between Kietzke and South Virginia. Incidentally, there is an actual "club" -- for a $20 annual membership, you get $2 off any meal.

I almost hate to list this tiny restaurant because it is already too popular! This can only be called a hole-in-the-wall. It is a tiny restaurant in a storefront. The floors are linoleum and the tables are formica. The kitchen is probably 5' x 5' and there are perhaps 10 tables and a counter that seats 4 people. Don't be put off by the appearance -- the soup is great!

Pho is the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. It is beef broth served in a big bowl with a generous ball of thin noodles. The menu lists perhaps 15 different combinations of meats (for example, rare beef, brisket, tripe, meatballs -- singly or in combination) that you order in the soup. Accompanying the soup are raw bean sprouts, basil leaves, jalapeno peppers, lime, hot sauce and hoisin sauce to add as you wish. I have had pho at many 'authentic' Vietnamese restaurants, and this soup is the most flavorful.

Other menu selections include the same pho noodles served warm over salad, topped with grilled shrimp and delicious barbecued pork served with a vinegar-sugar-fish sauce dressing and various stir-fried meat and vegetable combinations served over rice or noodles.

Try the iced coffee -- you are presented with a glass of ice and a coffee cup. On the coffee cup is an individual-serving filter pot. The coffee filters into the cup, which has sweetened condensed milk in it. When all the coffee has filtered into the cup, stir it up and pour it over the ice. Better than dessert!

No credit cards. Metered street parking. Open for lunch and early dinner (closes about 8 p.m.)

On Friday through Sundays, Boomtown's Buffet turns into an all-you-can-eat-lobster extravaganza. You really can get as much lobster as you want. The hitch is, you probably won't want much. I did not think these lobsters had much taste; I thought perhaps they had been cooked, frozen, and re-steamed. The drawn butter served with them had an artificial taste, though I was told it was 'real butter.' The buffet also had mussels, which were pretty good. They were a little strong-tasting but otherwise tender and flavored from the cooking broth. Fried popcorn shrimp was more fried batter than shrimp, but isn't that what you usually get with popcorn shrimp? The fried shrimp reminded me of my childhood. I think they. too, has been frozen in a former life. The salad bar had the usual suspects from the food service warehouse, as did the dessert bar. Fortunately I like red jello.

My curiosity was satisfied about what an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet would be, but my appetite was not. If this is lobster, I'd rather not eat lobster at all, thank you.

Austin's has had a restaurant at Incline Village for several eyars and it has been popular. Now they have opened a branch in Reno, about a mile down Virginia past McCarran and Meadowwood Mall. They serve what can best be described as large portions of good quality 'American Comfort Food.' They are open for lunch and dinner. The menu features such items as meatloaf with mashed potatoes and fresh roasted turkey (none of that fake stuff) with dressing. They also have a selection of pizzas. (Like everything else, the 'individual' pizzas are king-sized -- about 18' in diameter.) I had a barbecued beef sandwich with cole slaw for lunch recently. The sliced beef was plentiful, spilling out over the sides of the bread. It was big and sloppy enough to require a knife and fork. The cole slaw was fresh and not too heavily dressed. (And had no pineapple.) I managed to find room for dessert and was glad I did. The pies are wonderful. They have a homemade quality about them. I had the strawberry rhubarb, a favorite, and was served a big warm slice with a gob of whipped cream on the side. The servers are genuinely friendly without being fawning. My iced tea glass was kept full without my asking. It's not fancy food, but it is well-prepared and there's plenty of it.

Sushi Boat is one of my favorite Reno restaurants. The sushi bar, set in an alcove at the front of the restaurant seats about 20 people, with three sushi chefs, so there is rarely a wait for your next sushi request. The dining room is a casual place, but a step up from coffee shop decor.

The best deal is the all-you-can-eat sushi, at $10.95 for lunch. There is a great variety of both nigiri-style and popular rolls. As you would anywhere, think twice about raw shellfish; otherwise, the fish is fresh well prepared.

Lunch in the restaurant section is also an especially good value. For less than $7.00, you get a bento box (Japanese compartmentalized tray) with your entree, rice, a selection of 6-8 small salads and relishes and a fresh fruit garnish. My favorite is the beef bulghogi -- thin slices of beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce and garlic mix, then grilled with onions. It is also available with chicken. The lunch menu offers a number of other selections, including spicy seafood, cellophane noodles with beef, kalbi (traditional Korean short ribs), grilled shrimp, and several Japanese dishes. Sushi is also available, but the all-you-can-eat deal is offered only at the sushi bar. The dinner menu has all these and more. The spiciness of dishes is toned down a little for American tastes, and the very pleasant waitresses can tell you what is hottest. Even my hot-food-hating mother enjoyed her meal!

The folks at 4th Street Bistro really try hard to get it right. The dining rooms are lovely and the wait staff is very professional, friendly and helpful, but unfortunately, the kitchen just doesn't have the skills to make this the top-flight restaurant it aspires to be. The food is good, but not great.

On one recent visit, I had an appetizer of fig stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in proscutto and grilled. It was an interesting combination, but the proscutto didn't add any flavor, and the portion was simply too small to justify the $8 price. My main course was Niman Ranch (very classy beef purveyer) beef shortribs. Although it had obviously been braised a long time, it was just salty, with none of the rich flavors I had expected. My husband's lamb shank had the same problem -- too much salt, too little other flavor.

On another recent visit, I had scallops with butternut squash and porcini mushroom risotto. The scallops, which had been coated in a light breading, were browned almost to the point of being too brown but they were still tender and moist inside. The accompanying risotto was excellent. A friend had halibut, which didn't impress her. She suspected it had been frozen because the texture was a bit mushy. Desserts also sounded better than they tasted. The wine list is very good, with some unusual selections by the glass.

Don't get me wrong, the food is good, it's just not special, though certainly not due to a lack of effort on the part of everyone at the restaurant.

Aloha Sushi is yet another of Reno's popular all-you-can-eat sushi bars. If you can overlook the dark, rather barn-like room, you'll find some good sushi. This place is so popular at lunch that people line up outisde, waiting for it to open (11:30). Instead of one long bar, they have several separate bars, with one or more sushi chefs at each. (If Kim is working, ask for him -- he's the best!)

One of the things that separates Aloha Sushi from Sushi Club, also reviewed in this journal, is that you can get everything on the sushi menu at all times. (Sushi Club limits some items to dinner.) Also available on the all-you-can-eat deal are marinated mussels, but you have to ask for them because they're not on the menu. If someone in your group is not a sushi fan, they have other Japanese items, like teriyaki and tempura, but I have not tried them.

This is a lively, friendly place, with an obvious following of regulars. Each sushi chef has a "special" sushi roll of his own design, so ask for it if you want something unusual. The fish has always been excellent quality, keeping in mind that Reno is not a seaport.

The decor is spare but the food is excellent. Step up to the counter, order, serve yourself a beverage, then wait at your table for your food to be delivered. Nothing could be more simple and casual. As you can tell from the name, this is a fish restaurant, but not the heavy fried stuff one would expect at such an unpretentious cafe. The fish is fresh and prepared with a minimum of fuss. Fish tacos, served with a teriyaki or wasabi cream sauce are great. My absolute favorite is the teriyaki veggie bowl, which you can get with just veggies or topped with fresh, fresh salmon, ahi tuna or big shrimp, all on a generous serving of Japanese style rice. I like this dish so much, I've had it once a week for lunch for the past 4 weeks! It's huge and healthy. Another crowd pleaser is hot crab and artichoke dip, served as an appetizer or on a roll -- they bill it as their specialty. They also have take-out, and their appetizers have made an appearance at more than one dinner party I have attended. I haven't been here for dinner, but it's a top pick for lunch. It's located in a shopping center anchored by Cost Plus and Borders Books. Krispy Kreme Donuts is not far away, in case you have room for dessert.

Meadowwood Mall is the major shopping mall in Reno. Anchor stores are Macy's, Sears and J.C. Penney's. It is a pleasant indoor mall, with a large area for sitting. Smaller stores include Eddie Bauer, Gap, Sephora (a huge French cosmetics and fragrance store), Copeland's Sports, and the usual collection of shoe stores, bookstores, music stores, and other mall regulars. Macy's actually has two stores in the mall; one is the women's store and the other is the men's store combined with home items. (Macy's furniture is in a completely different shopping center.) While there is a food court, there is a shortage of good restaurants in the mall. You'd be better fed at any of the myriad chain restaurants not far away around Kietzke and McCarran, such as Chili's, TGIFriday's or Applebees.

Reno has several good spots to fill your picnic basket with interesting foods. My first stop would be Wild Oats Market at 5695 S. Virginia. Prices are a little on the high side, but the variety and quality can't be beat. They have an in-house sushi chef, an extensive deli department, and more exotic cheeses than you'll find probably anywhere else in Reno. There is also a bakery for your bread and dessert. It's an organic market, so you'll also find a large selection of juices and fresh fruit.

My next stop would be Trader Joe's at 5035 S. McCarran. Trader Joe's is less expensive than Wild Oats, but also has an excellent selection of cheeses and fresh picnic goodies. You'll also find wine at very reasonable prices and some unusual soft drinks and juices. If you didn't buy your bread at Wild Oats, Trader Joe's can fill that need, too. They have packaged breads as well as the wonderful Truckee Sourdough (at about half the price you'll find it in local supermarkets). They also have some unusual snacks (like wasabi-dusted fried peas, blue corn tortilla chips and peanut butter-filled pretzels). There is also a vast selection of cookies and chocolates for your picnic dessert.

If you haven't found a wine to your liking, head over to Cost Plus World Marketplace at 4987 S. Virginia, where they also have a variety of wines from around the world. And you can even buy your picnic basket there! Bon appetit!