Reno’s Foodie Takeover

June 29, 2017

Photo of Shore Room Restaurant at Renaissance Reno Downtown

The foodie takeover is not isolated to Vegas. In Reno, fine dining is a growing part of the attraction for tourists and groups with local celebrity chefs building on their experience in the hotels to expand dining choices.

The heart of Reno’s casino district is being reimagined. Eldorado Resort Casino Reno, Silver Legacy Resort and Casino and Circus Circus Reno properties are in the midst of $50 million in renovations, including new event/meeting space and 4,100 guest rooms. The three major linked hotel-casino properties span eight city blocks in the downtown Reno area and offer a variety of dining options.

Gary Carano, Eldorado Resort’s chairman and CEO, cites Reno’s strong economic upturn and a “travel, tourism and cultural renaissance with healthy year-over-year-growth” along with expanded flights in and out of nearby Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) as supporting the climate for these investments. Eldorado has been in the region since 1973, but only last year emerged as full owner of Silver Legacy and Circus Circus.

New dining experiences have already opened on the property. L.A.’s famous Canter’s Deli opened a Nevada outlet in Silver Legacy in May. Kokopelli’s Cantina, a mix of a Kanpai Sushi and El Jefe’s Cantina burrito bar that turns into a nightclub after hours, opened in February at Circus Circus. Also popular are Silver Legacy’s Sterling’s Seafood Steakhouse and Eldorado Reno’s Roxy bistro.

On the Sparks side of the line, Marnell Gaming, owner of Nugget Casino Resort, broke ground on its own $25 million renovation, which will include the west tower hotel rooms and 110,000 sq. ft. of convention space.

At Grand Sierra Resort, James Beard Award-winning chef Charlie Palmer’s group runs the Briscola Italian restaurant as a Roman-style social club with leather chairs and exposed brick walls.

Steps from Reno-Sparks Convention Center’s half-million sq. ft. of meeting space, meats from the Allen Brothers of Chicago are the stars at Atlantis Steakhouse inside Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. For those holding events at the legendary National Bowling Stadium, Levy Restaurants at RSCVA is proud to offer the catering expertise of Executive Chef Taylor Park, who in past lives fed the Seattle Seahawks and the Golden State Warriors.

Renaissance Reno Downtown has brought back a revitalized version of the Shore Room overlooking the Truckee River that was a Rat Pack-era tradition at The Holiday. Chef Jacob Burton comes from Stella restaurant down the road in Truckee.

Another chef from Truckee who has made a name on the Reno dining scene is Mark Estee, who is a James Beard Award finalist and has appeared on the Food Network. He opened one of the first restaurants in the only nongaming, nonsmoking independent option in town, Whitney Peak Hotel, and currently owns Chez Louie at Nevada Museum of Art—a great place to rent for groups looking for a sophisticated vibe.