Interstate 80 is the main gateway to the north-central Sierra, to northern Nevada, and to Lake Tahoe. Angling opportunities abound along this route, including the trout-fishing opportunities of the Truckee and Little Truckee Rivers, Pyramid Lake near Reno (recently resurgent with the rise of the Pilot Peak strain of Lahontan cutthroat trout), and numerous streams and lakes scattered through the public forests of this section of the Sierra. It is possible to drive I-80 and find food, liquid refreshment, or a place to fish all year long.
In the past few years, my friends and I have found fun places for dining in and around Colfax. Several offer such interesting and well-prepared food that we make the journey from our homes in Nevada County a regular basis or dally on the way home from fishing at Rollins Lake and in the Bear River complex around Dutch Flat. You also could pause coming or going from fishing the North Fork of the American River down the notorious and scary Iowa Hill Grade south of Colfax. Or, frankly, just stop if you are hungry and passing by on I-80.
Colfax was a mining town and the western jumping-off-point for the construction of the transcontinental railroad once it rose out of the Central Valley and lower Sierra foothills. It was here that the going got tough and where the famous Cape Horn passage that overlooks the American River in the canyon far below was cut into the mountain by Chinese laborers. A trip into the historic town is worth your time and will get you away from fast-food restaurants near the offramp. You can catch Amtrak in Colfax for a spectacular ride into Truckee and on to Reno and the Great Basin. Downtown is pretty much two blocks of false-front Gold Rush–era buildings with several restaurants, an old railroad station, a railroad yard, several bars, and antique shops. It’s Truckee more than a half-century ago. Colfax’s annual garden and home tour is worthwhile, showing off treasures tucked away in the high foothills.
A narrow-gauge railroad ran along much of present-day Highway 174 into Nevada City. It is said that mining magnate George Hearst received an early tip on an assay result from an ore sample that came directly from Virginia City. Knowing the train schedules, he and several co-conspirators jumped on the narrow-gauge railroad to Colfax, then the transcontinental railroad to Reno, on to Carson City, up the mountain to Virginia City, and bought up mining stock before the word got out on a new silver strike, thanks to the unscrupulous assay chemist who let the cat out of the bag for a bribe.
Last December, my wife and I were hunting cut-your-own swift silver Christmas trees in nearby Alta. After an invigorating climb on a brisk winter day and a ride with our freshly cut tree on a tractor-pulled wagon, we took photos of a restored trout stream on the property and headed back down the mountain on a frontage road, looking for a lodge that we had heard about. At the Dutch Flat off-ramp, we hit pay dirt — the Monte Vista Inn.
It was two weeks before Christmas. Log-cabin architecture and mountain décor, combined with artfully placed Christmas lights and stunning holiday decorations, painted an inviting picture. We arrived close to the inn’s opening. A seat at a wooden bar got us a glass of good pinot, and the hostess found a table open at 5:30. They were fully booked the rest of the evening with corporate and small-business Christmas parties from down the hill and friends gathering for a taste of winter ambiance.
This is a mountain resort, and the menu reflected that. Steaks, chops, pasta dishes, shrimp, and fish-filled out the menu. My wife ordered a seafood pasta dish that was a bit above average, but not extraordinary. I chose a rib-eye steak special that came with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed baby carrots. The steak was tasty, but a bit tough, the carrots delightful. My steak wasn’t the quality of meat that you get in top-level steakhouses. Still, what could be better before Christmas?
Monte Vista Inn isn’t gourmet fine dining, and I would rate the food as just above average — fairly typical for roadhouse places in mountain areas. You can’t beat the ambiance, though, and you might strike gold on a streak or prime rib special.
On the east frontage road, South Canyon Way, coming uphill into Colfax on I-80, is the Dine n Dash Pub and Grill. The building sports a Western-type facade using reclaimed beams and timbers, possibly from a mine head frame or trestle, to create an interesting ambiance. The restaurant, which is tucked between some car dealerships, is neat as a pin and very clean. In the summer, I meet angling friends from nearby Chicago Park for lunch there, and we sit out back next to a water feature made from a smelting cauldron. Other garden art includes an ore cart. Weathered timbers and hewn beams support the roof. A craft beer on tap from their extensive offerings hits the spot on a hot summer day. Possibilities include Double Nut Brown, Modelo Especial, and Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Both locals and knowing travelers eat here. One reason is a very nice wine list and cellar — rare for these areas. On several occasions, I have run into Bay Area friends who are headed to or returning from mountain homes and destinations.
Their burgers, fries, and sandwiches are top rate. I’ve never being disappointed after the drive over. Recently, I met two angling friends for breakfast. Two of us chose the corned beef hash with homefry potatoes. The corned beef was lightly caramelized, fresh, and tasty, and it retained moistness and flavor . . . outstanding! I’m adding it to my Sunday breakfast-out list.
Café Luna, the most noteworthy restaurant in historic Old Town Colfax, features made-from-scratch Mexican cooking that changes daily and includes one of the best and most unusual dishes I have ever eaten, a heavenly chile relleño burrito with layers and layers of flavor. The chile itself and a delicate chorizo filling are peppered with red and green salsa and a modest amount of rice and black beans that marries the flavors. This restaurant sits in the middle of the historic main drag across from the old train station.
Owners Loren and Marco feature Baja fish tacos made with cabbage, tomato, lime, cilantro, and white sauce. Other dishes include bacon-wrapped shrimp, Cajun salmon with grilled asparagus and mango salsa, a delightful carnitas taco dish, chicken tortilla soup, and the tripe soup known as menudo. A standout definitely worth mentioning is Lola’s carne asada. If you’re a fan of hamburgers, I rank Café Luna’s hand-formed burger and hand-cut fries a 9 out of 10. A touted burger at Claim Jumper’s in Old Town Auburn got a 5. (See “Better Burgers at Home and in Camp” in the September/ October 2013 issue of California Fly Fisher.) A meal at Café Luna includes an animated, singing chef, and this delightful, funky little restaurant, with several tables on the sidewalk and a seasonal backyard patio, now serves a single-meal evening special on Thursdays and Fridays. I like that new ideas show up on the menu.
A storefront pizza parlor sits on the right side of Main Street as you head toward Old Town Colfax. Il Pizzaiolo serves thin-crust pizzas that rank very high. Restaurant pizza often features mounds of low-quality cheese and greasy meats on a disappointing crust. When the mood for pizza hits, my wife and I rarely go out, choosing to make our own. Our favorite creation uses an artichoke bruschetta spread mixed with high quality extra-virgin olive oil as a sauce on homemade, thinly rolled dough. Next comes bits of Fontina cheese and thinly sliced Spanish Serrano ham. Last, garden tomatoes, sliced olives, a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh arugula.
Pizzaiolo imports a three-flour blend from Naples for their thin-crust dough. It is fermented for three days. Their wood-burning oven bakes at temperatures of 800 degrees or more and can cook a pizza on its brick floor in two to three minutes. The owner spent time in Italy learning all about pizzas, which in-country are more of an appetizer than a main meal — thus, less cheese and fewer greasy meats and more creativity. Pizzaiolo salads were fresh and crispy, but a little raising of the bar would turn this simple place into a destination restaurant. Beer and wine have been ordinary, but they are starting to serve craft beers on tap. A call ahead will have your pizza ready to take up the mountain without a long wait. If you are hungry, it may never get to Donner Summit. We’ve been known to order several for an evening concert on the lawn at nearby Montoliva Vineyard in Chicago Park.
Don’t forget the Red Frog on Highway 174 as you leave Colfax on the way to Rollins Lake. I’ve mentioned it before. Funky art in the trees out back and $1.00 Taco Tuesday, as well as cheap burgers and beer, draw folks in. On a warm evening, you can sit on the deck and watch the Amtrak California Zephyr whistle, disappear, and then reappear with glimmering lights as it climbs into the Cape Horn bend.
The Outrigger Café at Long Ravine’s campground and marina has closed, and their great cheeseburgers will be missed, but last year, the Beach Hut Deli opened in the same location for the summer season, offering tasty gourmet sandwiches and draft beer overlooking the water. The owners let you pass through the campground/marina kiosk for free if you say you are going to the restaurant. Sometimes we knock off at noon when fishing Rollins and there come by boat.
If You Go . . .
Café Luna: 38 North Main Street, Colfax; www.cafelunacolfax.wordpress.com; (530) 346-8833. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dine n Dash Pub and Grill, 1516 South Canyon Way, Colfax; www.dinendashpubandgrill.com; (530) 3461000. Open Thursday through Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Monte Vista Inn: 32106 Ridge Road, Dutch Flat (Dutch Flat off-ramp from I-80); (530) 389-2333. Open Friday and Saturday, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Sunday through Friday, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Il Pizzaiolo: 230 South Auburn Street, Colfax; www.ilpizzaiolowoodfiredpizza.com; (530) 388-8412. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. There is another location at 3640 Taylor Road, Loomis, CA 95650.
The Red Frog: 1601 Highway 174, Colfax; (530) 346-1010. Open seven days 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Beach Hut Deli at the Outrigger, Highway 174, Dutch Flat, (530) 346-6188.
Book Review
The Sea Forager’s Guide to the Northern California Coast, by Kirk Lombard. Published by Heyday, 2016; $22 softbound.
Although catch-and-release is a practice now common among fly fishers, for millennia humans have seen fish as food, and what was caught went onto the cooking fire, or was smoked or dried for future consumption, or even eaten raw. And heavily-stressed species aside, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t still harvest from the sea. When I catch fish along the coast, they’re usually destined for the frying pan or soup pot. And when I’m fishing the coast, I’d also like the opportunity to bring home shellfish and other types of wild edibles.
Kirk Lombard’s The Sea Forager’s Guide to the Northern California Coast will especially help anglers take advantage of the bounty of our North Coast. Nearly 60 percent of the book focuses on fish, presenting angling advice for 29 species that range from sardines to sharks, and noting too when a species is on the ropes and should not be harvested (like the eulachon) or is potentially toxic (like the kingfish).
A number of the fish species discussed by Lombard are catchable by fly fishing, and he includes a brief discussion about our sport in the book’s first appendix. But you and I already know how to fly fish, and if you’ve been reading this magazine for more than a few issues, you’ve also learned at least a bit on how to hook fish using flies in the surf zone. The interesting challenge for us, given the number of species covered in The Sea Forager’s Guide to the Northern California Coast, is figuring out how to regularly bring to hand fish other than the surfperch and striped bass that we usually focus our attentions on. Lombard’s observations may help us achieve success in this endeavor.
The remaining, roughly 40 percent of the book covers shellfish and seaweed. These chapters, for me, have very high utility, because my knowledge of shellfish and seaweed extends no farther than what is in the seafood section at the supermarket. In other words, I’m a newbie at harvesting these items in the wild, and know nothing about the where, why, how, and hazards. I’m looking forward to future trips to the beach, where I’ll bring not just fly rod and reel, but when appropriate, shovel, thick gloves, and knife.
— Richard Anderson
