I left the Bay Area and immigrated to Nevada County more than six years ago. The move was founded on a desire for the area’s slower-paced life, spectacular scenery, cultural opportunities, proximity to the high Sierra, friendly folks, and fly-fishing opportunities in all directions. A definition of stress in Nevada County is making the difficult decision about where to go fishing and what species to chase on a given day. An added bonus was the discovery of a small, but unique wine culture that has grown to nearly twenty wineries and a number of tasting rooms, some in the beautiful foothill countryside and others in the historic towns of Grass Valley and the Queen of the Northern Mines, Nevada City.
When I have guests up to fish the Yuba, some lesser-known creeks, or any of a number of lakes, a visit to a winery or even a food or music event is in the cards. Add this to more opportunities in neighboring Placer and El Dorado Counties, and options just get better.
Our wine/angling trail hopscotches around as if it were designed by a gerrymandering incumbent politician. On Highway 49 on the way to the North or Middle Fork of the Yuba or even farther toward the Lakes Basin, a visit to Bob and Ginny Hilsman’s Double Oak Vineyards and Winery on the San Juan Ridge is in order. This vineyard and winery is nestled on a knoll in a spectacular interface of oaks and conifers that may be at the highest elevation of any California vineyard. The flower-decked garden among the boulders is worth a stroll, and the syrah, zinfandel, and views are noteworthy. You are not far from the Middle Fork of the Yuba and Oregon Creek.
Heading east from Grass Valley on Highway 174 toward Colfax, the historic start of the trans-Sierra part of the transcontinental railroad, you pass Jacques Mercier’s Solune Vineyard. Jacques and Andrea’s small award-winning winery is very close to Rollins Reservoir and downstream sections of the Bear River. Jacques is rekindling an earlier passion for fly fishing, happens to be an international wine judge, crafts some mean wines, and lectures at the monthly meetings of the Sierra Grape Growers. Conversation in the small tasting room bar can be about the wine, malolactic fermentation, or a hatch on the river.
Nearby Rollins Lake is a sleeper. There are narrow windows of opportunity in the early spring and again in the late fall for large rainbows and browns feeding on pond smelt. I also go there during the late spring and early summer for chances at smallmouths in the Bear River arm. If you get hungry while fishing, consider a midday stop by boat at the lakeside Outrigger Grill. My dad’s favorite food was a good hamburger, and in the year before his death, I tried to take him to outdoor places where we could look at water or trees and get a good cheeseburger. The Outrigger’s deck was one of our stops. A cheeseburger and fries and a sip of Jacques’ famous Solune Barbera that we brought in a brown paper bag made for a fine outing.
On our last visit together, a group of coeds from Sierra College were gathered for Spring Break at the beach below the Outrigger’s deck. Several lovely ladies in skimpy bikinis walked up the ramp to get their beverages. When they bounced past us, Dad, in an elevated voice and with vision slightly clouded by dementia, blurted out, “Those girls are naked.” I explained that they weren’t actually naked, but were wearing the “new” style of bathing suit. A few minutes later, the girls returned, almost brushing against us as they sauntered by. Dad turned his head to follow them and spoke again as a big grin spread across his face, “I like those new bathing suits.”
There’s not much better than a good burger and a sip of red wine, particularly if you’re on the water in a beautiful place.
If you head down Highway 20 from Grass Valley toward Lake Wildwood, Englebright Lake, or the Yuba ponds or the lower Yuba River, a detour coming or going at Penn Valley would be in order. I start my bass fishing in the spring when the native California redbuds start showing their purple/red blossoms on the hillsides and when the daffodils that line the roads in Penn Valley burst forth. It’s a beautiful place any time of the year, but is truly glorious when the spring’s flowers are in bloom. There are also a number of bass ponds in the area, including Tom Moreno’s catch-and-release pond, which is open to the public for a fee and located at 18609 Biladeau Lane in Penn Valley (phone (530) 432-0555).
A visit to this scientifically managed bass and bluegill pond is fascinating. Tom, a retired college educator, has studied bass habits and has engineered the bottom to give each bass a territory that maximizes the biomass-carrying capacity in the pond. He is passionate about catch-and-release fishing, which is a kick for all ages. The facility includes an outdoor-themed cabin near the small lake in a beautiful year-round setting with wineries nearby. Check it out on Tom’s website at kickincabin.com.
Go south at the major intersection of Highway 20 and Rough and Ready Highway and follow the wine trail signs south through Penn Valley and out Spenceville Road to Pilot Peak Winery or north several miles to Coufos Cellars Winery near Rough and Ready, a town whose name speaks for itself, made famous by its attempt to secede from the Union during the Gold Rush. Pilot Peak often has food-and-wine events on Friday or Saturday nights. Nearby Penn Valley hosts the Penn Valley Rodeo in late May and the Smoking in the Oaks professional barbecue cook-off in early June. Wear your boots and sport a ten-gallon hat, but remember the Texas saying, “Big hat, no cattle.” This is horse, cattle, and grapegrowin’ country, and wine is available to go with the world-class barbecue. The nearby Tack Room weathered the Great Recession and has tasty steaks on an open pit. The corkage fee is still $3.00 . . . a good place to go on rodeo nights.
Naggiar Vineyards is a must-visit winery and vineyard that is accessed to the west from Wolf Road when you are coming up Highway 49 from the Auburn exit off Highway 80. The drive crosses Wolf Creek, which is a major tributary of the lower Bear River and which drops through several valleys toward inaccessible Garden Bar on the Bear, sight of a controversial proposed boondoggle dam. After you turn and cross the small bridge over another year-round creek, look in the roadside brush for exotic pheasants escaped from a bird farm and then for the American bison ranch. Last year’s bison field pies are finally just about dry enough for me to try my cooking experiment of using them for camp fuel, just like the wagon-train pioneers. I will keep you informed.
A right turn takes you past the Arabian horse farm and leads to the 124 acres of Mike Naggiar Vineyards. Signs ask you to drive slowly and keep the dust down. A tranquil bass pond that is the home of “ Walter” and some herons and turtles edges against a lawn that runs toward the terra-cotta-colored tasting room and event center. Rows of beautifully maintained vines stretch across the hillsides of a peaceful valley. Clouds coming off the Central Valley rise and pass, giving a feathery backdrop to the higher Sierra.
This is a low-key place, and the music on summer nights and the food-and-wine events retain that flavor. So do the Turner Classic Movie Nights on an outdoor screen. It can be mighty fine just sitting on the lawn waiting for “ Walter” and his brethren to blow up on a dragonfly or a small duckling. It’s so exciting that you might need a touch more of that syrah in your glass and a few more pulled-pork sliders . . . a good time to ponder how you are going to get an invitation to fish the lake at the bison ranch or get access to the lower Bear River and its smallmouths.
(A bit of history for the curious traveler: The ribbonlike Emigrant Trail over Donner Pass went through this area and ended in Wheatland on the Central Valley floor near an army outpost named Camp Far West. The Bear River was dammed in the 1920s and again in the 1960s. The dam is named after the army outpost and has blocked passage of salmon and steelhead up this west-slope river.)
There are 11 tasting rooms at last count in Grass Valley and Nevada City, mixed in with the Gold Rush buildings and their shops and restaurants. The Indian Springs and Nevada City Winery tasting rooms are a block from Tony Dumont’s Nevada City Anglers fly shop in downtown Nevada City, as is Alex Szabo’s impressive renovated tasting room (check out his custom-made wooden bar and his Primitivo). The fly shop, by the way, is an excellent place to get accurate, up-to-date information, local fly patterns, gear, fly-tying materials, and timely banter.
There are no vineyards off of Highway 20 east of Nevada City, but if you drive up the grade, you’ll come to the Old 5 Mile House Restaurant, where you can have a cocktails or an interesting meal within an historic road house. Along with the ambiance, some nights you’ll have live music. (A featured band is Ragged but Right.) The restaurant is at the intersection that leads to nearby Scott’s Flat Lake and its smallmouths, trout, and lakeside campgrounds. Higher up the road is the turnoff to Bowman and Fuller Lakes, the upper Bear, and Grouse Ridge. Another sleeper is Lake Valley Reservoir at Yuba Gap. Last fall, we got blown off Stampede and ducked over the pass for a couple of hours on the upper end of the lake.
Don’t forget Truckee. It is Nevada County’s largest town and is the home of the Truckee River Winery. Their pinot grapes come from an acre and a half on the world-renowned Gary’s Vineyard on the Santa Lucia bench in Monterey County. It’s worth a visit to their tasting room, which has moved and now can be found at 11467 Brockway Road, near Highway 267. The wines are fabulous, and you can relax outside and play bocce ball if the Truckee River’s trout decide not to open their mouths for you.
Visitors from out of town, out of state, and even out of the country have heard about Napa and Sonoma Counties and often overlook California’s less well-known wine regions. These latter areas offer more intimate experiences and fine wines that are a lot less expensive. The same applies to restaurants and accommodations. With the price of gas at new highs, it’s wiser to stay longer and add dimension to an angling adventure. You can find information on regional vineyards through Sierra Vintners (formerly North Sierra Wine Country). Phone: (530) 205-3016; on the Web at http://www.sierravintners.com.
The Outrigger Grill
The Outrigger Grill is part of the Long Ravine Campground and boat launch complex at Rollins Lake, very close to Colfax on Highway 80. The restaurant is a summer burger joint with a deck overlooking a beach and marina. It opens in May and closes seasonally in the fall. The cheeseburgers are outstanding, and I’ve never ordered anything else other than a cold beer. We try to arrive by boat. There is usually a tie-up spot, and it’s a short climb up the ramp to the burger deck.
The Outrigger Grill at Long Ravine, 26909 Rollins Lake Road, Colfax. Phone: (530) 346-6188. Burger-joint fare, $4.95 to $8.95. Beer and wine. Seasonal hours — call to be sure.
The Tack Room
The Tack Room simply belongs in Penn Valley. A Western motif is complemented by period memorabilia. You are comfortable wearing just about anything, but boots and cowboy hats fit in well. I buy my fresh ranch eggs just up the road, and the rodeo grounds are nearby. This steakhouse is a fun place for a tasty, moderately priced meal. Live music can be found in the adjacent lounge on weekends. Prime rib is the special on Sundays and Tuesdays. I steered Trout Unlimited’s David Lass toward the cowgirl cut, but he wanted the big thing after an evening’s fishing on the lower Yuba. He didn’t finish it. Steaks are cooked by a friendly waitress on an openpit grill that dominates the main dining area. They serve decent wines at fair prices. You can bring your own bottle from the nearby Pilot Peak or Coufos Cellars wineries for a $3.00 corkage fee. You can’t beat that, and a steak with potatoes goes down real well after a day on the river.
The Tack Room Restaurant and Bar, 17356 Penn Valley Drive, Penn Valley. Phone: (530) 432-1126. Open seven days a week. Lunch, 11:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.; dinner, 5:30 to 9:00 P.M. Entrées, $10.25 to $21.90. Full bar, beer, and wine. Visa and MasterCard accepted.
The Old 5 Mile House
This restaurant, five miles up the grade on Highway 20 from Nevada City, was remodeled and reinvented by the present owners after a several-year closure when the original proprietor got busted on drug charges after he was reported by neighbors for kicking his dog. The new owners have enhanced the cozy mountain ambience, and after some shaky evenings when the organization and service weren’t fine-tuned, they have the place running well. Each month features a different country’s cuisine, in addition to the regular menu. Recently, the specials were from Argentina. An Argentine churrasco skirt steak with an authentic chimichurri sauce hit the spot on a cold late-spring evening. The restaurant features dining outside on the patio in the summer with live music. On colder days, a band plays inside. As I write, I’m hoping that the smallmouths at nearby Scott’s Flat will be hitting top-water bugs tonight. I might just stop for a brew after fishing and listen to a song or two from the band.
The Old 5 Mile House, 18851 California Highway 20, Nevada City. Phone: (530) 265-5155. Breakfast, 8:00 A.M. to noon; lunch, noon to 4:00 P.M.; dinner, 5:00 to 9:00 P.M.; closed Mondays. Entrées, $8.99 to $21.99. Full bar, beer, wine. Visa and MasterCard accepted.
Other Dining Options in Nevada City and Grass Valley
By Richard Anderson
My brother is dating a school teacher, Liz, who lives in western Nevada County, and for Liz’s recent retirement, he treated her to dinner at the New Moon Café, a restaurant that both he and she consider the best for fine dining in Nevada City. I had eaten there several years ago and had enjoyed the experience, so I jumped at the chance to visit again when my brother invited me to make the hour drive from Truckee and join the celebration.
The dining room of New Moon Café is airy and elegantly simple in decoration, implying a confidence that is reflected by a short, but well-crafted menu. (A few tables are also set up outside on the covered porch for diners who prefer the open air, such as a couple who had brought their dog to the restaurant while we were waiting to be seated.) We started with homemade duck confit ravioli, moved on to roasted beet and Caesar salads, and finished with entrées of quail, salmon, and onaga (a snapper from Hawaii). Everything we ordered was well prepared, and prices were comparable to those in fine restaurants elsewhere, meaning you should expect to pay from $20 to the mid-$30s for your entrée. It’s also a restaurant that takes its wines seriously, and its beers, too: nearly a quarter of the four-page wine list consists of specialty brews. The New Moon Café is located at 203 York Street in Nevada City. Reservations are recommended; phone (530) 265-6399.
For other dinner options, my brother and Liz also enjoy the Italian cuisine of Cirino’s at 215 West Main Street in Grass Valley, Sushi N the Raw at 315 Spring Street in Nevada City, which is so popular that reservations are definitely a good idea (phone [530] 478-9503), and, for burgers, pizzas, and casual dining, Lefty’s Grill at 221 Broad Street in Nevada City. Note also that a well-regarded Thai restaurant, Sopa Thai Cuisine, is situated across from the New Moon Café’s parking lot. For steak-house fare, Liz suggests Friar Tuck’s, nearby at 111 North Pine Street.
All three of us are early risers, so the morning after dinner, we tried to find a restaurant serving breakfast at 7:00 A.M. It wasn’t easy — breakfast joints in Nevada City and Grass Valley tend to open an hour later, at 8:00 A.M. We ended up at Lumberjack’s Restaurant in the Brunswick Basin area of Grass Valley. I’ll just note that its carb-heavy fare echoes the restaurant’s previous life as a Lyons. If you would prefer tastier, healthier food, consider sleeping in and hitting the South Pine Café, 110 South Pine Street in Nevada City and 102 North Richardson Street in Grass Valley, Ike’s Quarter Café for Louisiana-influenced cooking at 401 Commercial Street in Nevada City, or the Nevada City Classic Café, open since the 1950s at 216 Broad Street.
Reader’s Suggestion: Sasquatch Tavern and Grill
While visiting my best and oldest friend who lives in the Del Webb development Sierra Canyon at Somersett, which is west of Reno in the general Verdi area, we tried a new eatery that had been strongly recommended. We found the food excellent, so I would like to suggest that readers of California Fly Fisher try the Sasquatch Tavern and Grill in Verdi. It is a small place right on the main drag and not far from the Truckee River. Address: 775 Highway 40, Verdi, NV; (775) 657-9207.
SARGE REYNOLDS
Woodland
