food made for t.v.

Four Reno restaurants were recently spotlighted on the Food Network.

By CYNTHIA S. KENNEDY | July/August 2010

Photo: Patrick Kennedy (Squeeze In)

Americans can’t get their fill of the Food Network, and two of the channel’s most popular programs came to Reno recently to get a taste of four area restaurants’ delectable fare.

Who doesn’t enjoy Bobby Flay’s sneaky ambush tactics when, with no forewarning, he announces to a chef that he’s arrived to challenge them on their signature dish? This happened to Misty Young, owner of Squeeze In, when she thought she was simply demonstrating her expert omelet-making techniques for the Food Network.

Her crowd favorite, “Racy Tracy” (bacon, avocado, mushrooms, and jack cheese), one of the restaurant’s trademark Best Omelets on the Planet, had to go head-to-toe with Flay’s “Spanish Flay” (piquillo peppers, potatoes with smoked paprika, and Manchego cheese) in the “Throwdown” for the most eggs-travagant omelet construction.

Flay’s entry won with the judges, and in a generous concession, Young put his creation permanently on her menu. Flay praised his opponent, saying, “You are the nicest competitor in the history of Throwdown.”

Guy Fieri of “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives” rolled into town and parked his ’67 Camaro at the Dish Café. He had to try owner Nancy Horn’s Cowgirl Tri-Tip Panini. After he took a bite, Fieri said that the sandwich should be called the “King Kong,” due to the enormous flavor of the tri-tip combined with a goat cheese spread and caramelized onions. Farm-to-table is the motto behind Horn’s recipes, and her Cowpoke Quiche is also featured in the Food Network’s “50 Best Breakfasts,” due to its fresh ingredients and “a crust that’s guaranteed to make you smile.”

Fieri only had to cruise a short distance to Fourth Street to sample his next two dining finds. The Gold ’N’ Silver Inn has been in business seven days a week since 1956—a fact that owner Jeff Paine is especially proud of.

Chef Leonard Curts prepared a house specialty, Baked Lemonade Pork Chops, for Fieri, who remarked that they were, “flavor city!” The show’s host couldn’t leave before trying the veal shanks that are oven-roasted for 48 hours and served in gravy that makes grown men cry. After his first forkful, Fieri gushed, “They’re the best!”

On East Fourth Street, Fieri made his final stop at Louis’ Basque Corner. This restaurant is also a Reno institution, in the same location since 1967, when owner Louis Erreguible started serving family-style meals. Oxtail Stew was the first entree chef Frank Vargas served to Fieri, who said it was “Gangster!” That was followed by a rabbit stew that the host declared was, “In the top five dishes I’ve ever had.” Fieri washed it all down with a Picon punch as he shared a table with local patrons.

While the Gold ’N’ Silver Inn and Louis’ Basque Corner have established their niche, the Squeeze In and Dish Café are examples of chefs/owners who have brought an innovative combination of homegrown ingredients to customers’ tables—and mouths.

Visit any of these eateries, and you’re going to have a memorable meal. Better yet, try all four and have an appetizing adventure in culinary diversity.