Often, when I sit down to compile a list of eateries for an area I’ve visited a lot, I can’t help but get transported back in time, thinking of all the great meals I have had there. And I have had many great meals, cocktails, and good times in the Sierra foothill communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City.
This area isn’t just rich in history — it is rich in places to fish. You have the Yuba River, plus Scotts Flat, Bullards Bar, and Englebright Reservoirs for stillwater fishing. You can enjoy a day of trout fishing on the North Fork of the Yuba and then have a great meal in a building in downtown Nevada City that has been there for more than a hundred years. The history and the fly fishing combine with great food and drink for a truly wonderful experience.
Sergio’s Caffé, Grass Valley
Sergio’s Caffé wasn’t on my radar until I asked Tom Page at The Reel Fly Shop what his and his wife’s favorite restaurant is in Grass Valley. Without hesitation, he said Sergio’s is the best.
Sergio’s is located on a beautiful little street that the City of Grass Valley has made into a closed courtyard. It’s basically an outside mall where you can shop at local boutiques and candy and ice cream stores. There are places to sit out in the courtyard and just people-watch, if you like. Kirsten and I had a great meal at Sergio’s. The service has been a tad slow each time we have been there, but their food is fantastic. “Caffé” is the Italian spelling of “café,” so it’s no surprise that my favorite dish at Sergio’s is the veal piccata. It’s almost better than mine, but then, I usually make pheasant piccata, rather than veal. Sergio’s gives you two veal cutlets with a combination of olive oil, capers, garlic, and lemon juice that is perfect with just a touch of freshly ground pepper. It is served with mashed potatoes and roasted seasonal vegetables. The mashed potatoes are great. Sergio’s wife, Lena, told me the secret is that they make several fresh batches of mashed potatoes throughout the evening.
Kirsten’s favorite so far is the chicken Marsala. She loves the wild mushrooms that they use in the dish. She says the cream sauce with sweet Marsala wine is heavenly. Like the veal piccata, the organically raised chicken breast is served with mashed potatoes and mixed seasonal vegetables.
Kirsten doesn’t like shellfish, but I have ordered the fresh clams and mussels for an appetizer a couple of times, and the garlic-wine sauce they come in is out of this world. The freshly baked toasted bread is a great addition to the dish, too. I haven’t had a bad meal at Sergio’s.
Sergio’s Caffé, 109 Mill Street, Grass Valley. Phone: (530) 274-2600; website, www.sergioscaffe.com. Open Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Humpty Dumpty Kitchen, Grass Valley
The first time I ate at this Grass Valley institution was decades ago. Coming back from Reno one morning, Kirsten and I were looking for breakfast, and Humpty Dumpty Kitchen is what we found. The appearance fools you a little. It looks like it is a greasy spoon inside a nice house that sits in the middle of Grass Valley, but the food is better than at any greasy spoon — large portions cooked to perfection. I have had folks tell me that you can’t screw up making breakfast, but let me tell you, you can screw it up. This place doesn’t.
Randy Hodges, the owner and operator, is all about having a family atmosphere and great food. His staff is wonderful, and if the kitchen is backed up, they make sure your coffee cup never gets cold. This is a place where you know when you sit down that you will have a good meal at a reasonable price.
I really like their corned beef hash and eggs, but my favorite dish, which I order every time now, is the Monterey omelet. This is a perfectly portioned three-egg omelet loaded with bacon, avocado, Monterey jack cheese, and tomatoes. Ask them to add some cream cheese to the omelet, and you’ve got yourself a breakfast you will never forget. My sides for this dish are hash browns and an English muffin. Kirsten loves their spinach omelet because of all the fresh veggies packed into this dish: spinach, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes, along with Monterey jack cheese. Humpty Dumpty also serves lunch, but I’ve only had lunch there once, because I usually just order breakfast, since it is served until 3:00 p.m. each day.
Humpty Dumpty Kitchen, 1711 East Main Street, Grass Valley. Phone: (530) 272-2251. Open from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday; on Sunday, open at 6:30 a.m.
Charlie’s Café, Grass Valley
I have been to Charlie’s Café only a couple of times, once for lunch and the other time for breakfast. For lunch, I ordered iced tea and the Reuben sandwich — I hadn’t had one in years and it sounded good. My iced tea came first, and it was amazing. The Reuben was amazing, too, piled high with freshly sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and homemade Thousand Island dressing, all on grilled rye. Just writing about that sandwich makes me hungry. It came with French fries, too.
I was also there for breakfast with Kirsten. We usually go to Humpty Dumpty, but the line was out the door that morning, and we didn’t want to wait. We both ordered the iced tea this time, and she loved it, too. Kirsten is an iced tea expert, so if she likes it, it really is good.
I asked the waitress what she recommended for breakfast, and she didn’t hesitate. “The hash,” she said. So I ordered the corned beef hash and eggs. She was right. The hash was spot on: fresh corned beef (the same as in my Reuben), green peppers, onions, and homemade potatoes covered with two eggs over medium. This kid was in heaven.
Kirsten ordered her standby bacon and eggs with sourdough toast and fresh fruit. When it came to the table, her eyes lit up. The fresh fruit look great, and the bacon was thick and cooked to perfection. She is a bacon-and-eggs girl.
Charlie’s Café, 145 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley. Phone: (530) 2741839. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Jernigan’s Tap House and Grill, Nevada City
Jernigan’s Tap House is just that — a tap house with more than fifty beers on tap. If you don’t see your favorite, just ask the staff. They have many kegs tapped in the back room. This little joint also offers great food.
On a recent trip to Nevada City with my buddy Gene Bullard, we went to Jernigan’s for lunch. I ordered an IPA and Gene ordered a Hen House Oyster Stout, then we looked at the menu. I was tempted by everything, but ordered the special of the day, the buffalo fried chicken sandwich with their original fries. It came with thick applewood bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and an aioli sauce with lettuce and a giant slice of tomato. It was wonderful — spicy, crispy with the bacon, and creamy with the blue cheese. A party for the mouth. The homemade French fries hit the spot, too. Gene ordered the beer-glazed burger with a side salad. The burger looked outstanding, and Gene said it was wonderful. It comes with caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms, chili aioli, Swiss cheese, and bacon. He ate everything that was in his basket.
Since then, I have had many items from their menu. Everything is good, and it always comes perfectly prepared. What’s hot should be hot and what should be cold is cold.
Jernigan’s Tap House and Grill, 123 Argall Way, Nevada City. Phone, (530) 265-6999; website, www.jernigansgrill.com. Open Monday, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friar Tuck’s Restaurant and Bar, Nevada City
Friar Tuck’s is a restaurant I love to visit. It offers elegant and complex, but down-home food combinations that are done perfectly, and there’s a welcoming greeting when you walk into this bar and bistro.
Many years ago, Kirsten’s family held their family Christmas in Nevada City. We would have a big party in the Odd Fellows Hall. During the day and sometimes late into the night, we would walk the narrow streets of Nevada City looking for the perfect bar or meal. I’ve spent many hours at Friar Tuck’s while I played hooky from the family festivities. I knew Greg Cook, the original owner of Tucks. He and I spent many days talking about everything while I sat at the bar. He had a great sense of humor, and every time I would walk in over the years, if he was there, he would ask, “Where’s the family?” The bartenders had a long pour with all their cocktails, too.
Greg passed away, and the restaurant is now under new ownership. I haven’t met the new owners yet, but this eatery and bar is still outstanding. Kirsten and I were there recently, and the food and cocktails are as good as ever. That night, I ordered the lamb and Kirsten ordered the scallops. My dish was a plentiful one-half rack of lamb — New Zealand organically raised lamb, cooked to medium-rare perfection, with grilled fresh seasonal veggies and scalloped potatoes. The lamb was excellent, and the scalloped potatoes were velvety smooth and creamy.
Kirsten’s scallops looked amazing, and she didn’t leave a bite for me to taste: four large ocean scallops, pan-seared and covered with an Asiago garlic cream sauce that she said was great. This dish is on my list to order the next time I am at Friar Tuck’s.
Friar Tuck’s Restaurant and Bar, 111 North Pine Street, Nevada City. Phone: (530) 265-9093; website, www.friartucks.com. Open Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Lola, Nevada City
One night, Kirsten and I wandered into Lola. We were caught by the name, since our elderly yellow Labrador is named Lola. This restaurant is a nice higher-end restaurant and has great food. Kirsten and I were not dressed up (you don’t need a tie to eat here), but the staff invited us in, and we had a fantastic meal. I ordered one of their crafted cocktails that was close to a Vodka Press, and Kirsten ordered her iced tea. For starters, I got the Lola chowder, while Kirsten went for the dinner salad. The chowder was creamy and loaded with potatoes, smoked salmon, cod, and bonito flakes, and served with soda bread. It was wonderful. Kirsten said the salad was good, too, But who wants salad when you can have chowder?
For dinner, I ordered the lamb shank risotto. I love lamb, though Kirsten looks at me like I’m crazy every time I order it. After being married to her for 25 years, I still explain to her the difference between lamb and mutton, and she still doesn’t believe me. This dish is perfect. It is served with peas, marinated feta, and a touch of mint.
Kirsten ordered the ribeye, and I know this steak was wonderful, because I ate what she couldn’t finish. I love Kirsten’s leftovers. This huge, 16-ounce Niman Ranch ribeye was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The rub they put on the steak was porcini mushroom, which bumped up put the steak to the next level of taste. It was served with garlic fingerling potatoes and steamed fresh broccolini. The presentation of the dish was art. Kirsten and I have agreed that we need to spend more time at Lola!
Lola at The National Exchange Hotel, 211 Broad Street, Nevada City. Phone: (530) 362-7605; website, www.thenationalexchangehotel.com/dining/lola. Open Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday until 10:00 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
