Nevada

How to Spend 24 Food-Filled Hours in Nevada City Like a Local

Published

2 years ago

April 9, 2024

How to Spend 24 Food-Filled Hours in Nevada City Like a Local

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.

8 a.m. Grab a coffee and a bite before hitting the trails

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.

10 a.m. Take a morning ride

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.

12 p.m. Refuel with some killer sandwiches and meats

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.

1 p.m. Get a sugar fix at Panadería Matilija

110 York Street, Nevada City

Panaderia Matilija

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.

2 p.m. Explore the streets of Nevada City

Nevada City Chocolates, 236 Broad Street, Nevada City; Winnie Superette, 315 Commercial Street, Nevada City; Treats, 210 Main Street, Nevada City

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.

4 p.m. Start the evening with a drink

321 Spring Street, Nevada City

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.

7 p.m. Enjoy a stylish dinner in a historic hotel

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.

11 p.m. Dance the night away at Golden Era bar

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.

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Nevada

Nevada’s unwritten rules (and what we wish the unwritten rules were)

Published

10 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Nevada’s unwritten rules (and what we wish the unwritten rules were)

There’s a debate over on Reddit right now about how dogs should be kept on leashes around town, on trails, or anywhere in public that’s not a dog park.

I should clarify: When I say “debate,” I mean that several users have created posts about how dogs should be kept on leashes, and almost every response is 100% in agreement.

Go ahead and look at the posts; nobody’s putting together a spirited defense of letting their pets run around licking strangers and pooping on nature. With that kind of general consensus, I’d want to say that leashing our dogs is one of Reno-Sparks’ “unwritten rules.”

Except for two things: One, this rule is very much written (see Chapter 95.220 of the Washoe County Code: “Owners must have animals leashed no more than 6 feet in length and under immediate control at all times.”)

And also: The phrase “unwritten rules” implies that everyone goes along with it without even thinking. But we’ve all interacted with dog owners on local trails, letting their giant furballs knock over toddlers or chase goslings through the wetlands.

“Aw, he’s just a big puppy!” they’ll say, followed up with a halfhearted, “Down, Barnaby.”

Clearly, leashing dogs is not an unwritten rule because it’s constantly being broken. A true unwritten rule for hiking trails would be something that rarely ever gets broken, like “wear pants at all times.” Really, the leash thing is more like a wish list for society, alongside such things as:

Don’t mow before 8 a.m.
Signal your turns and lane changes.
Merge when you see a lane closure ahead, not at the last minute. (Yes, make all your arguments about how last-minute merging saves space. It all amounts to “I’m going to cut ahead of everyone else and pretend that it’s for the greater good.”)
If you’re driving a large vehicle, park at the far end of the lot.
Several more things about driving, actually.

But let’s move on. I’ve been wracking my brain to think of actual “unwritten rules” for Northern Nevada that outsiders might not grasp right away, and I didn’t come up with many. But here goes:

It’s not rude to keep your favorite spots a secret, even from friends and family: Got a favorite local park or Lake Tahoe beach? You’re not even required to tell your own mother about it, because word will get out and everything will be ruined. We value our personal space, and the community is too small to keep anything under wraps.

Side note: You can’t do this with businesses, because you need your burrito spot to stay crowded and busy. If nobody goes to your secret hot springs, it’s not going to suddenly go out of business and turn into a vape shop.

On Tahoe beaches, you can claim one beach towel’s worth of space per person, and that’s it: If word gets out about your favorite beach, you’ll have to start your day battling for a parking spot (bonus unwritten rule: You can’t reserve a parking spot by standing in it.)

The slightly less annoying ― but still difficult ― territory battle will be on the beach itself. Everyone but you will have a pop-up tent, several coolers and some sort of sound system. But societal convention dictates that any group can only claim the square footage of one beach towel per person, and leave ample space to walk between their beach site and the next one over.

Twenty minutes is a long drive in Reno-Sparks, but four hours is completely reasonable if you’re heading out of town: Recent transplants from more urban places like the Bay Area or Las Vegas will drive for 45 minutes to get to the one Target they like best. Around here, that sounds like hell.

On the other hand, driving for several hours to go see ichthyosaur skeletons or attend a Basque festival or go to a Giants game is completely reasonable. I can’t explain why this is. It might have something to do with hatred of stoplights.

Settle in a bit before complaining about outsiders: Yes, we know you just got here, and you want to prove your worthiness by complaining about Californians or Southern Nevadans, because that’s our local sport.

On average, we’re not nearly as closed off as people say; only about one-quarter of Nevadans were actually born here, so most of us know what it’s like to be the new kid. But at least wait until you’ve unloaded the last box from your U-Haul before you start griping about how new arrivals are pricing everyone out.

You, on the other hand ― you, the person reading this article right now! ― know a lot more unwritten rules for Northern Nevada. Either that, or you have ideas on what should be unwritten rules. Send them my way at bmcginness@rgj.com, and we’ll debate all of them next week.

Guys, we’re bringing back Shopko

What lost places in Reno-Sparks should we bring back? That’s the question I posed last week; here’s what you said:

Let’s start with department store ShopKo, which had the highly underrated slogan, “Say hello to a good buy.” We had three ― on South Virginia, Mae Anne and Oddie Boulevard. Lauri Ferguson wrote in to compliment the selection, and noted “their products lasted too.” Sadly, the entire chain disappeared nearly a decade ago, so bringing them back might be the heaviest lift ever.

“Bring back Famous Murphy’s,” wrote E. Pollard. “Can’t believe it ever closed and was then bulldozed and has been an empty dirt lot for more than 25 years.”

For the record, it’s actually been 18 years since it closed and 11 years since it was bulldozed, but the point stands.

“The purpose of the demolition is to make way for a new development being planned at this site,” developers told the RGJ in 2015. Anyway, it’s still an empty lot.

And finally, I had lamented over the lost Century Theaters dome on South Virginia, but Kurt Kinder mentioned one even more venerable, but equally lost: the Granada Theater, which originally opened in 1916, burned down in 1953 and reopened in 1954. It was torn down in 1997 and is now the site of the Palladio.

Brett McGinness is the engagement editor for the Reno Gazette Journal. He’s also the writer of The Reno Memo — a free newsletter about news in the Biggest Little City.

Subscribe to the newsletter right here. Consider supporting the Reno Gazette Journal, too.

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Nevada

Nevada veterans exposed to radiation, toxic chemicals near recognition under new bill

Published

22 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

Nevada veterans exposed to radiation, toxic chemicals near recognition under new bill

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada veterans who say they were exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals at the Nevada Test and Training Range are one step closer to getting recognized and help.

Senator Jacky Rosen and Congresswoman Susie Lee are introducing an updated “Forgotten Veterans Act,” now renamed the Sergeant Dave Crete Forgotten Veterans Act, to force the Defense Department to document contamination on the range and identify every service member who served there.

Veterans say years of classified work have kept them from proving their exposure and getting VA benefits, even as they deal with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Under the bill, the Pentagon would have to formally list the range as contaminated, unmask where veterans served the VA, and clear up a path for them and their families to qualify for care and compensation.

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Nevada

City of Reno, RPD leaders mourn Detective

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

City of Reno, RPD leaders mourn Detective

The City of Reno and the Reno Police Department are mourning the loss of Detective Thomas Lopey, who served the department for nearly 13 years and was known for his dedication, leadership, and mentorship.

Lopey also served four years in the U.S. Army as an infantry mortarman, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later continued his service in the National Guard as a combat engineer.

He began his law enforcement career with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office before joining RPD, where he worked in patrol, the Regional Gang Unit, SWAT, and later became a detective. He also served as president of the Reno Police Protective Association for three years.

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City and police leaders praised Lopey as a committed public servant whose work strengthened both the department and the community. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

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