Old Granite Street Eatery really satisfies at any time of day or night

Mr. Maven and I are on the prowl for some new places, especially in that casino-laden downtown zone. Seems that we end up down there at odd times fo the day for appointments and don’t always know where to get a quick ‘nosh on’ lately.

Last night, I got a copy of Edible Reno-Tahoe at the Nothing To It cooking school - I was there for the thoroughly wonderful Indian Cookery class. Yum. - and scanned the list of new, old and shoulda-woulda been restaurants in town. Old Granite Street Eatery tweaked my interest if only because I couldn’t think of where in the hell Granite Street was. I mean, I’ve been here for more than 20 years now. Huh?

After a doctor appointment this afternoon, Mr. Maven and I cruised right over to Old Granite Street Eatery - on South Sierra Street. Huh? Alright, whatever. I like trying new places at 3:00 in the afternoon. At peak hours they ought to be able to put out their best product, but at the off peak, some places fall flat as yesterday’s souffle.

We swung in with high hopes anyway. At least parking is a breeze at this time o’ day.

I had already purused the offerings on the iPhone while sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, and was pretty pumped. They really have an intriguing menu for all three meals, but it’s a menu that has realistic sensibilities - they are covering all the bases and palettes, just in a way that kicks it all up a notch.

The server was right over. There was only one other booth bearing patrons.

My better half remarked that the joint could use some ‘decoration’ but I was alright with the spare, no-nonsense vibe I was getting. It reminded me of places I’ve dined in the older parts of big cities like Washington D. C. (think Georgetown). Lots of dark wood, mosaic tile floor - ala the subway station. A few large graphics adorn the buff colored walls.

The fresh hot French press came quickly with large rounded, grip-friendly cups accompanied by small spoons and a dark sugar cube. Nice touch.  The server was ready with information about the menu, seemingly at ease with the ins and outs of the offerings, and pointed out that Happy Hour had begun.

Whoa. Happy Hour from 3:00 til 6:00 p.m. Sweet.

Had it been a bit later or on another day, I might have tucked into their ambitious sounding cocktail or wine list. I was especially impressed with the wine list - it really gave me lots of essential information that I could use to successfully pair something up right. Not being a wine aficionado, I hate having to rely on my less than encyclopaedic knowledge of obscure vintages and off the mainstream labels. In other words - guess.

One thing I’m wary of in restaurants these days, is a sort of over-reach that fails. One place I’ve seen this happen over the years is at Bistro 7. They always seem to be trying so hard. Too hard sometimes. The reach exceeds their grasp. Whoops. That had to leave a mark.

This simply didn’t happen at Old Granite Street Eatery, owned by the folks that produced the Imperial Bar & Lounge,  but then they aren’t positioning themselves - I don’t think - as the upscale dinner option in Reno.

Mr. Maven is the pulled pork kinda guy and tries it everywhere. He said this was the “best in Reno”.

I had to taste it, and ooooooh, it was a good thing that Mr. Maven could take it away from me - I would’ve finished it.

The fresh bun was perfectly toasty crispy. The slaw was dressed ever so lightly, and the pork. Perfect. Pulled Pork Perfect. A bit of alliteration there. Light on the smoke but perfectly balanced between the twin gods of sweet and tangy.

The salad was dressed in the home-made vinaigrette version of the Little Black Dress. It goes everywhere and is always a classic. When will Americans get past lame, gloppy ‘Dressing On the Side’ and expect a competently dressed salad?

Add in some splashes of color and the plating was oh, so nice. Hey, my nephew graduated with honors from the CIA. I didn’t just get this off the Food Network.

I went for the Penne Pasta with Kale and Butternut Squash. This was the fall back position from the Three Snacks for $10 special that the waiter was selling. I wanted that - especially since I hadn’t eaten a yummy Scotch Egg forever. When I found out that the Charcuterie Plate wasn’t included - and I’m not surprised - I had to punt.

The Penne Pasta is another dish that should be sooooooooo simple to execute, but I’ve seen iterations of it messed up more than once.

Not this time, Cherie.

I told the server that it was perfect and I meant it. Rather than let the pasta swim in olive oil and garlic, it was more subtle and nuanced. A bit of olive oil with some of the pasta water. This is the way it should be. My waistline appreciated it.

Kale is such a nice touch, as a welcome alternative to the now ubiquitous spinach. Kale - the more adventurous choice, holds up better, and offers a lightly nutty chewy, al dente quality.

The small tender cubes of butternut squash and a light hand with the ricotta were just the ticket to homestyle comfort that sent you away feeling good about life rather than bogged down with continuing Mother issues.

I really wished that I could sample so much more on this menu, that I’m going back for seconds. That’s a big deal for me. I’m impossible to please … or at least that was the vibe I was getting from Lara Ritchie at ‘Nothing To It’ ecole d’ cuisine last night.

Lara, you’re absolutely right. And I’m completely unapologetic.

At the end of the day, I’ll be back, enthusiastically, to the Old Granite Street Eatery. I especially want to try the morning brunch menu. It’s not everywhere that I can get scrumptious and healthy buckwheat pancakes.

I think you should definitely give them a try.

Old Granite Street Eatery

243 South Sierra St., Reno, Nv

(775) 622-3222.

-maven

Bistro 7: It's good to be back to an evolving Reno custom

I was so happy to get back to Bistro 7 after a few months absent - life, if you know what I mean. In this instance, it was the Locally Grown food and wine event, featuring guest chefs Amanda Burden and Jaci Goodman under the supervision of Executive Chef Michael Vingiello.

Supporting local food producers is a noble and very worthy goal for any restaurant, and it requires some gutsy-ness in these times, when it would be so much easier to just stick to the tried and true revenue producers. This is just one of the reasons I believe in supporting my local restaurant - the chains will always be there - but local flavor needs to be cultivated and nourished.

Over a Manhattan, I was able to sit down with new Front of the House Manager, William Malone and discuss what was and is, and is gonna be at B7. Bringing the local purveyor/grower/producer/enthusiast into the picture seems to be a theme B7 is dedicated to - in large part as a way of demonstrating an on-going commitment to the community.In a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ town like Reno, that’s a breath of fresh air. But as the discussion progressed, it became obvious that there were so many possibilities that could be explored in pairing B7 with any number of other players, we were getting all carried away.

In the next few weeks, you can expect to see some menu changes at B7. According to owner, Dave Bogart, they will be the usual seasonal changes - keeping it all fresh and in step with what patrons expect with cooler weather, but also staying in touch with what producers can reasonably provide.

Mr. Maven accompanied me this evening, and ‘foodie’ he ain’t. That’s putting it mildly. It’s this ‘yin-yang’ thing that has kept it ‘interesting’ for more than 30 years now. Well, by interesting I mean … ” What do you mean you don’t eat mushrooms?!” He was raised on the most scrumptious meat and potatoes that the women of his deeply down-east, no-nonsense New Hampshire roots could serve up. That didn’t include avocados, mango, mexican, mushrooms or anything ‘weird’. Wine is of a different planet.

Sigh. I’m the polar opposite. A foodie of the first order.

Give the man a pork chop and let’s all move on. He helps me keep it real. That’s where we diverge at B7. In talking about the menu, Mr. Maven was quite honest in that the menu seemed unnecessarily pompous and ‘foodie’ for what purports to be an American bistro. And I do tend to brush off the fact that not everybody is conversant in ‘galette’ or ‘bechamel’.

Here’s the thing: if B7 can find that delicious balance between down-home Mr. Maven and foodie Mrs. Maven, then they will have a sure-fire winner.

At any rate, this evenings locally grown dinner menu was as follows:

Deviled Eggs - RenoEgg.com, Dawn & Alan Spinola

Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella Basil Salad

Hungry Mother Organics, Carson City

A choice of:

Balsamic & Rosemary Lamb Chops with a creamy polenta mushroom ragout, oven roasted brussels sprouts. Lamb from Nevada’s Own, Smith Valley

or

Tarragon Salmon Wood Roasted on a Cedar Plank, with sauteed rainbow chard and mashed cauliflower.

Dessert was an Apple Crisp with Pear Gelato

The deviled eggs barely got to the table before Mr. Maven snatched one. Thanks, I said, “You didn’t even give me a chance to photograph it”. The only way they could’ve been better? Served on the beach at Sand Harbour, Lake Tahoe, on the Fourth of July.

The Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Basil salad was a reminder that summer - alas - is almost over. I’m taking fewer tomatoes out of my own garden now. I harvest about every other day now. Sigh. But the organic goods from Hungry Mother really do the trick and satisfy even this fussy gardener/producer. There’s certainly a wonderful kind of alchemy that happens when you can get a slice of a ‘real’ tomato, the mozzarella, a tender basil leaf and a schmear of balsamic dressing all on the fork at once and into the gob. Yum.

I had to go for the lamb. When you live here in Nevada, you know from good lamb - and the mutton you get elsewhere. We’re spoiled here. And this lamb was the goods. Tender and mild,  it was nestled in a balsamic glaze that didn’t overpower it. But what really sealed the whole deal was the toothsome mushroom polenta ragout. I’m in a definite mushroom phase lately, if you been observing the blog, and this sent me right over the top. Even after I was stuffed, I kept picking around to get every last bite of rich, savory fungi goodness left on the plate. Extra time out on the bicycle tomorrow - as she cages just one more forkful of the fluffy polenta.

It’s probably a good thing that I’m not really a dessert person. Mr. Maven dived into the Pear Gelato that came with my apple crisp.  I did taste the gelato and it was very light and nice as an ending to the rich lamb. The apple crisp, well … not so much. It was just alright. Just a dish of the gelato, with a nice crispy ginger cookie would have done it for me.

My dining companion - Mr. New England Boiled Dinner - went for the Brined Pork Chop with colcannon mashed potatos and roasted root vegetables. The brined chop had a wonderful flavor and was moist throughout - which could be a concern for such a large ‘double’ chop. I know everybody loves the ‘more’ and ‘larger’ concept, but Mr. Maven and I are … uh, getting ‘older’ and large servings aren’t our thing. Well, I’m not older, really, but looking after my figure. I’m a trophy wife. But seriously, I’ve always questioned the double chop concept as just way too much of a good thing. I prefer the French approach of a thinner, melt-in-the-mouth cut of meat with lots of savory grilled crustiness.

Although we had arrived rather early for dinner, by the time we were ready to leave, the place was really filling up and was becoming pretty lively. That’s such a good sign when all the news seems to be bad these days.

One of the things I’ve heard mentioned these days is price when it comes to dining out. Certainly B7 isn’t a total budget breaker, but if the dollars aren’t stretching as far as they used to, you might want to reserve it for date night and of course, when you have guests from elsewhere. It’s important to consider where B7 is placing itself in terms of competition - if you’re talking LouLou’s, then B7 is a steal. Context is everything here.

Lastly, we noticed that the servers seemed to be new. This was a good thing. Our server was right on top of things - unobtrusive yet observant. Nice low-key sense of humor, too.

I got the sense that Bistro 7 isn’t afraid to take chances - knowing that they will sometimes crap out - and that they are resiliant enough to come back better than before. You’ve gotta love that in a gambling town like this.

We’ll be back to B7.

Dining out: It's the little things that get your attention

A good dining experience can be made - or not - by the details. That’s, as the saying goes, where the devil himself lives.

It can be the service, the elements of the plating and presentation, the temperature of the food or it’s freshness.

It can be as simple as a cup of hot tea.

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Bistro 7 delivers a knock-out lunch to stay or to go

Once a month, Mr. Maven and I get all gussied up and go out for a nice lunch, which in this case can’t be at a casino or diner. It’s got to be someplace kinda classy where we just might have a glass of wine with our meal.

It’s the ‘date lunch’.

Today’s lunch at B7 blew us both away.

I had the Shrimp and Chicken burger off the New Year’s Resolution menu of lighter, healthier fare. It was juicy, and just hit the spot. Set on a utterly perfect toasted ciabatta bun - lightly dressed with a slightly sweet, slightly spicey twist on an aoili sauce - it satisfied.

The ciabatta was perhaps the best I’ve ever tried anywhere. It had that authentic wood oven toasted quality that gave the outside that crispy quality while the inside was warm and meltingly tender. Normally, I don’t do ‘refined grains’, and can pass up most blandly forgettable restaurant breads without a second thought. Not at B7.

Just decide you’re going for the bread, and adjust elsewhere.

But, wait! It get’s better.

My date - aka Mr. Maven - had his favorite, the BBQ pulled pork sandwich with the crunchy, lightly dressed apple slaw, again served on that most wonderous Ciabatta bread.

He took a bite and sighed, looking for all the world like a man in love.

He wasn’t looking at me.

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B7 gets a clue for new years' resolution dining options

Now, if they could only include more whole grain options… would that so many other restaurants would get on the same bandwagon!

Congrats, B7! These sound seriously yummy.

Bistro 7 Offers a Tasty New Year’s Resolution Menu

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Bistro 7 sets the standard for a great lunch, too

Today we met the kids at B7 for a quick lunch and some quiet conversation away from the holiday last minute shopping madness. What a great choice. Actually, it’s the first time I’ve been to B7 for lunch.

My Italian son-in-law to be is every bit as fussy about food as I am - and nearly as good a cook as moi, too (am I lucky or what? ). He’s one of the few that deserve to cook in my kitchen, but I digress.

His pizza margarhita was proclaimed perfect, and he knows from good pizza.

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What I hunger for at B7

Bistro 7, that is. They’ve made some necessary changes at B7 recently and Mr. Maven and I stopped in a couple weeks back to try it out.

The biggest change is that they’re now really utilizing the wood fired oven as their signature touch for almost every item on the menu.  Executive Chef Michael Vingiello and Catering Director Jennifer Bushman have come together to create a diverse menu centered on Bistro 7’s wood oven grill.

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Incredibly good eggplant lasagna at Bistro 7

I’m not kidding. This stuff is addictive. Even if you’re not vegan or sort of you really ought to try it.

Mr. Maven and I slipped into Bistro 7 for a late supper. He had the wonderful thin crust, wood oven baked red pizza with sweet Italian sausage. Just the right size for one person that’s hungry, enough as an appetizer or small plate for a two-some. The crust is so tender it melts in your mouth.

But the lasagna. Oh, baby, oh, baby, oooooh baby.

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Bistro 7: A great idea for Mother's Day

Mr. Maven and I went to Bistro 7 last night, with my friend from Utah, and had a great, light meal, drinks and wine. My friend is lacto-ovan vegetarian, so I wanted to make sure he could get something tasty within those guidelines, and Bistro 7 did the trick.

During these tough economic times, restaurants are suffering, and that’s even more true of the smaller, locally owned gems

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Bistro 7: confused but a good meal anyhow

I just don’t know what to say about their new menu. The old one was schizophrenic in it’s attempts to be fusion everything for everybody. Now they got rid most of the sliders - our favorites - and it’s even moreso. What’s with asian, mex, american, southeast asian. That’s not fusion, that’s confusion.

I asked Tim what happened to the sliders and he said they just never took off - well, if they were as good as the ones at Pegs’ Ham and Eggs downtown on Arlington, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand.

However, we actually had a decent meal and enjoyed ourselves, in spite of missing happy hour.

Mr. Maven ordered the sliders with bacon, avocado and greens ( can you say ‘too much’ goin’ on here ) without the bacon, avocado or greens. KISS. Lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. They were almost as good as Pegs. His Manhattan, although he ordered it on the rocks, came straight up - but was perfect.

I ordered a field greens salad that came perfectly dressed for date night, with dried cherries and nuts. It was yummy. I paired that with an absolutely wonderful small gratin of yams, onions and that crumbly buttery topping. Drink of choice: Stella Artois at the absolutely right temperature.

Actually, Mr. Maven and I shared our offering and had a wonderful meal. The service was great.

But - you know there was going to be one, didn’t you? - if I could make Bistro 7 into my restaurant, there would be a Column 1,2,3 approach with mix and match small plates, soups, salads and sides ( both veggies and starches - as they already have ). Then each evening a true to the French bistro concept of a couple specials - poultry/starch/veg or fish/starch/salad or cutlet/starch/salad. Badda bing, badda boom. If everybody insisted, then have about six of those date night calorie and budget busting dinners on there to impress.

I’m talking fresh, fresh, fresh ingredients - preferably organic and sustainable, local or at least regional, from small farmers, simple, solid classic preparations that offer a bit more in the way of sophisticated execution - and for a good price. I’d be there once a week at least.

But it ain’t my restaurant. So, I encourage folks to keep supporting Bistro 7 - still there by Cantina Los Tres Hombres ( can you say tired old mex food? ) and open on a Monday night, too! Happy Hour is 4 til 6.

Hang in there, because I think Tim will, one day really find his groove, and I will be happy. There are so few restaurants for a discerning person like me that I want to see the ones’ that I like succeed.

maven

File under 'D' for 'Duh': Serve the single woman

Friday night, once a month, my husband goes with his buddies to the last truly politically incorrect, worthless mens’ function still in existance: QB - Quiet Birdmen. You have to be a fairly high time pilot to belong, and you cannot be a girl. No stinky girls allowed.

So, when this rolls around, I make other plans. This evening, I decided to go out and do some shopping and then roll over to Bistro 7 for a martini and some sliders on my way home.

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Misaki Sushi: Not ready for prime time

Updated on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 20:38 by mavenandmeddler

Reno, Nevada just doesn’t need another sushi place - good, bad or indifferent. The town is awash in them now and some are pretty consistantly decent. That’s why Misaki had better hurry and not just catch-up but get ahead of the power curve.

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