After eating, we drove down the east side of the lake to catch the 50 Fwy down the mountain into Carson, NV to check it out. It also happens to be the state capital. In the downtown core they have some of the old buildings that they’ve maintained, and the state buildings. We visited the newer Legislature building and walked around the Senate and Assembly chambers – they were very nice. The legislature was not in session, so there really wasn’t anyone around.
We then walked next door to the capitol building. Back in the late 70’s through the early 80’s, they had gutted the entire interior of the building, keeping the façade. It was a nice building, and very accessible for the people. We were able to walk in and walk around, just as we had in the Legislature.
After walking around for a little while, we then headed on to Virginia City, on old mining town up in the hills above Carson City that has been pretty well maintained with the original buildings from the 1800’s. They have made it a tourist destination. It was nice to walk around and see the old saloons and walk along the boardwalks. We spent a little over an hour walking around, checking out the buildings and shops, then decided it was time to get some lunch.
We drove down the other side the mountains down into Reno since Phil has had a hankering for In-N-Out (they don’t have any up in Portland). Since we were in Reno, which surprised me by how big a city it really is, we decided to visit a casino in downtown. We drove around and I picked the El Dorado to pull into (and they made you pay for parking unless you’re a guest or eat in the restaurants - WTF? It’s a casino making money off us already!),
We roamed around and played a few machines. I introduced Phil to the "I Dream of Jeannie" machine – he found it as amusing as I do. “Yes, Master!” I walked out down only about $8.
We headed back to home base to relax a little and then head to an early dinner. We had been recommended to try out a tapas place over in Incline Village, and we were looking for a little bit of a lighter meal, so off we went to Bite (www.bitetahoe.com).
It’s located in a strip mall in the middle of town, and it looks rather unassuming on the outside, but once you walk in (you’re in the bar area). The atmosphere is very wine bar-ish and chic. Our server, Shannon, was very sweet and friendly. I ordered a unique Spanish red wine that was called Mencia. It was very tasty and bold – just the way I like them. Phil ordered a Viognier from Napa. I had been telling Phil earlier in the day about an old classic drink I had a while back, a Negroni, and lamented that no one knows how to make them. Phil asked Shannon if they made those there, and to my surprise, she knew exactly what I was talking about, so another trip this week will definitely be in order!
We started with a cheese plate that had a Humboldt Foggy Bottom goat cheese, and a triple crème brie. They served it with some honey and quince paste (they were a little overly generous with the quince…a little goes a very long way.
Next we ordered their Grilled Cheese Bites. They were very good, but needed a little something. I also had ordered a taste of their tomato soup and it was deeeelish and paired well with the grilled cheese. The last thing we ordered were the Beef Spare Rib sliders. Amazingly delicious! The meat was juicy and well seasoned, and the crispy onions gave it a nice texture.
For dessert, we tried the Key Lime Pie Bites. Phil is very picky about this key lime, but he said these were very good, and I would have to agree. Yum yum yum!
The entire meal was great and the service was wonderful. All in, our tab came to $62. Not cheap, but for the quality of the food and wine, it was well within reason. I highly recommend checking it out if you come to Tahoe!
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