If you’re fishing Pyramid Lake and would like dinner afterward, something more than whatever you might prepare if camping at the lake, you have two options: the Pyramid Lake Lodge or, 45 minutes to the south, the eateries of the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area.
The Pyramid Lake Lodge serves nachos, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, and other fast-food items. “I wouldn’t call it a dining room,” reports Bob Gaines, who wrote this issue’s Pyramid Lake story. “I’d call it a bar and grill. You order at a counter, and they bring the food to your table, or you can do takeout. The food is pretty good, and they usually have a daily dinner special.” Bob notes that it’s a “great place to stop and grab a bite after fishing.” He also says that the bar sometimes has live music and “can get a little rowdy.”
If you seek a different sort of meal and perhaps a less rowdy ambiance, then make the drive to “the biggest little city in the world.” In fact, a number of anglers who visit Pyramid prefer to stay in the Reno area — it’s a well-known gambling destination, after all, and thus has a huge number of hotel rooms and many places that serve good and even great meals.
Living nearby in Truckee, the Artist and I like to head down the hill to Reno every month or two to buy supplies for her studio and also enjoy an evening out in “the city.” I see these trips as a splurge, involving a cocktail and a nice dinner that we’ll take our time savoring. One might think this would lead to a pretty substantial hit to the wallet, but fortunately, competition in Reno usually means prices are relatively affordable. We tend to steer away from casino restaurants, not because of concerns about quality, but rather because we like restaurants that rely on a local clientele. Our favorites — Midtown Eats, La Vecchia, and Rapscallion — did not survive the pandemic. These losses, though, have given us an incentive to explore Reno’s thriving dining scene again.
Von Bismarck
One of the restaurants we visited recently had opened just months before Covid hit, but it came through OK, perhaps because of its outdoor dining and drinking area, which very much has the feel of a German Biergarten — appropriate, certainly, when the name of the place is Von Bismarck.
Von Bismarck’s indoor space, a renovated transmission garage, has a lightfilled, airy, modern feel. The rear wall, however, is dominated by a large oil painting of Otto himself, uniformed and severe, the German Empire’s “Iron Chancellor” and victor of the Franco-Prussian War. If he could speak, I suspect he would say something like “Yes, this might look like a hipster joint, but don’t you dare take it, or me, less than seriously.”
Dining at Von Bismarck tends to be communal (intentionally). If you’re seated at a large table, expect to share it. If you’re feeling nonsocial, you can instead grab a stool along a window or at the bar, which is what the Artist and I like to do. The dinner menu, which changes seasonally, is divided into five sections: “A Little Something” (appetizers), “Best Schnitzel” (meats breaded and fried), “A Little Bigger” (notable in this section is the schwenkbraten, a slow-smoked and wood-fired pork steak that, on our visit, was so huge it fed a small group at a neighboring table), “Sides” (such as spätzle and sauerkraut), and “Best Wurst” — sausages, of course. The drinks menu includes German-style wines and beers, plus cocktails, schnapps, and krauterlikor. On a visit this past autumn, the Artist and I shared the jaegerschnitzel ($18; a “hunter’s” pork cutlet with mushroom gravy), along with cheese spätzle ($10) and a potato gratin ($9). The meat was succulent, not at all dry, and more than enough to feed the two of us and also provide leftovers to take home. The two sides were wonderful, as well, perfect accompaniments for a chilly fall evening. With a cocktail, glass of wine, and a beer, the total hit for two was $66.04, including tax, but not tip. We walked out satisfied and will be back.
Von Bismarck, 805 South Wells Avenue, Reno. Reservations accepted. Phone: (775) 622-3687. Website: vbreno.com. Open from 3:00 p.m. to 10-ish, Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 10ish, Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday. Hearty, rib-sticking food to help one endure cold wind and water at Pyramid Lake. Suitable place for a group.
Brewpubs
Speaking of beer, if you’re seeking a casual place where you can hoist a pint or two of local brews and dig into a juicy burger or platter of ribs, Reno and Sparks have a lot of options. Google “Reno Brewpubs,” and you’ll get a feel for their number and location, and their websites will tell you what’s on tap and what’s available from the kitchen. The best known is the Great Basin Brewing Company, which has three sites, one of which is in Sparks, close to Pyramid Way off Interstate 80, making it very convenient for Pyramid Lake fly fishers.
Great Basin Brewing Company, 846 Victorian Avenue, Sparks. Phone: (775) 355-7711. Website: greatbasinbrewingco.com. Open Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Other notable elements of the Reno/Sparks dining scene include all-you-can-eat sushi bars, a Basque restaurant that still serves its meals family style, and a small place that has specialized in hot dogs for 43 years. If you have a particular craving, you can probably satisfy it in Reno or Sparks.
And the fly-fishing opportunities, by the way, aren’t limited to Pyramid Lake. You have the Truckee River flowing through both cities, and there’re rumors of flycaught carp at the Sparks Marina Park. This area a good place to live, or even just visit, if you’re a fly fisher.
