Head just a few hours west of Lake Tahoe and you’ll find Nevada City, California’s best-preserved Gold Rush town. It also happens to be a hidden gem for food and drink enthusiasts. As if that isn’t reason enough to visit, it’s also home to numerous pristine biking and hiking trails, as well as California’s oldest still operating theatre where Jack London, Mark Twain, and other celebrities once appeared on stage. All these reasons might explain why the small town happens to be a popular destination for people moving out of San Francisco.
So, whether you decide to stop for a night, or pack all your worldly possessions into a trailer, here are the spots not to miss when eating and drinking your way through Nevada City. But, visitors, beware: One day may not be enough.
233 Broad Street, Nevada City
Communal Cafe, a cool coffee house where artists, farmers, activists, and tourists all come together to break bread, is located on the corner of Broad and South Pine streets. You can listen to live music, grab a fresh pressed juice, a mushroom coffee, or a cappuccino. Plus, fuel up with various house-made pastries (such as lemon walnut bread), breakfast sandwiches, morning rice bowls, or sourdough French toast.
457 Sacramento Street, Nevada City
Tour of Nevada City Bike Shop has been helping visitors explore the trails around Nevada City since 1969. Whether you’re looking for a casual pedal through the crunching leaves to the postcard-perfect bridge of the Nisenan Tribute Trail or a serious sixteen-mile dash across the Red Dog Loop, there are multiple terrains for riders at any level.
821 Zion Street, Nevada City
The Ham Stand takes sandwiches to another level. It’s a family-run butchery and salumeria that knows how to feed hungry customers. The most popular sandwich, hands down, is the Reuben — and it takes only one bite to understand why. It’s made with thick slices of hot pastrami, melted Gruyere cheese, locally made sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. The Ham Standard, made with house-cured Italian cold cuts (currently capicola, mortadella, and salami cotto), also shouldn’t be missed. All of the meats, sauces, and accouterments are made in-house. Be sure to save some room for dessert.
110 York Street, Nevada City
Pastry chef Stephany Gocobachi, formerly of Bi-Rite and 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco, recently moved to Nevada City after stumbling upon a charming bakery that had been operating since the 1850s. Visitors to her Panaderia Matilija will find a wide array of Mexican desserts, including hibiscus, vanilla, and chocolate conchas. Be sure to try the seasonal cakes by the slice, as well as the Mexican wedding and masa cookies. During sunny days guests can grab a table on the patio, sip on a pour-over coffee, and eat their way through the pastry case.
Nevada City Chocolates, 236 Broad Street, Nevada City; Winnie Superette, 315 Commercial Street, Nevada City; Treats, 210 Main Street, Nevada City
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The perfect way to burn off some calories, and justify consuming a few more, is a stroll. Start out at the Nevada City Chocolate Shop for some homemade chocolates. Next, swing by Winnie Superette to purchase some cool Asian condiments from brands such as Woon and Queens SF, plus locally made ceramics by Saskia Ceramics. After leaving, head down the road to Main Street, where you’ll find Treats ice cream shop, offering handmade ice cream with local and seasonal ingredients. They have all the classics as well as some unique and not-to-be-missed flavors like candy cap mushroom and saffron rose pistachio.
321 Spring Street, Nevada City
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After all that walking, kick back and relax with a glass of wine at Nevada City Winery. The tasting room offers a diverse selection of varietals that can be enjoyed as a flight, by the glass, and by the bottle. Sit and relax in the tasting room or explore the rotating art gallery, covered patio, or wine garden. The barrel room and production facility are both on-site, so if you get a second wind, you may be able to participate in some grape-crushing experiences.
211 Broad Street, Nevada City
Restaurant Lola is located in the National Exchange Hotel, which recently got a new lease on life after undergoing a three-year renovation. With a historic bar and fabulous libations, it’s the perfect spot to wind down the day. The dinner for two is great for a date night out. Or if you’re flying solo, the fried chicken with gravy, green beans, and Fresno peppers is a staple on the menu and never disappoints.
309 Broad Street, Nevada City
For premium spirits and live music, check out the historic Golden Era cocktail bar, which has been serving spirits and beers in the heart of Gold Country since 1856. All of the cocktails made at this iconic watering hole are created using house-made syrups and bitters are reminiscent of the 20th century and Prohibition-style drinks.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada’s jobless rate is holding steady, but the state is still adding jobs.
A new report from DETR shows February’s unemployment rate unchanged at 5.3 percent, with the labor force growing by nearly 3,800 people.
MORE ON FOX5: Nevada unemployment rate rises to 5.3% in January
Nevada now has about 1.6 million nonfarm jobs, up 2.2 percent over the past year and 1,500 more jobs than in January.
“This month’s report shows a strengthening labor market,” said David Schmidt, Chief Economist. ”Compared to the report for January, the pace of job gains in the past year increased from 1.9% to 2.2%, building on what was already the fastest pace of job growth in the country. While the unemployment rate remained stable, the labor force participation rate rose to 63.7%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the national level.”
In Las Vegas, employment ticked up by 1,100 jobs in February, about 0.1 percent, and is up more than 25,000 jobs compared to last year.
Reno added 1,000 jobs on the month, while Carson City shed about 200 but is still slightly above where it was a year ago.
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