It’s easy enough for us to eat and comment on food prepared at local establishments, but let’s face it—our expertise only goes so far. A lot happens in the kitchens that most of us don’t get to see. So we sent a survey to chefs throughout the region to let them weigh in on what inspires their menus. Here’s what they said.
Kevin Ashton
Zozo’s Ristorante, 3446 Lakeside Drive, 829-9449
Time at Zozo’s Ristorante: Eight years
Educational background: Graduate of Western Culinary Institute, class of 1992.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?:
I am surrounded by people who inspire me. They show me pictures or talk about a meal they had, and I’m inspired to to make my version of it. My kids are a big inspiration as well as my customers. Most of my inspiration comes from a life long dream of being a chef. As a kid, my friends were outside playing with Tonkas while I was inside playing with Tupperware!
Adam Bronson
Old Granite Street Eatery, 3065 W. Fourth St., 622-3222
Time spent at Old Granite: Almost two years.
Educational background: Johnson County Community College/ Culinary Apprenticeship program; USA Olympic Apprentice Culinary Team Member, Germany 2000; ACF Junior Culinary Team National Champion, Chicago 1999; International “Scot Hot” Student Team Champion, Scotland 1999.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Always trying to do better today than yesterday. My sous chef Brandan Bryan, Modernism, Classicism, the region, the history, the tradition, breaking the rules, the heart … the seasons, local farmers, ranchers, harvesters, foragers and most importantly … giving my guests what they deserve, not expect.
Will Burns
Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, 10007 Bridge St., Truckee, Calif., (530) 587-5911
Time spent at Moody’s: Two years.
Educational background: [I graduated from] the French Culinary Institute in New York City in 2007. While in culinary school, I staged at multiple restaurants in New York City.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: My brother—he’s the one who got me in the kitchen.
Leonard Curtis
The Gold ‘N’ Silver Inn, 790 W. Fourth St., 323-2696
Time spent at Gold ‘N’ Silver Inn: 18 years.
Educational background: 28 years in the restaurant business.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: From customers. From observing new trends. From old-school traditional items that tend to be timeless and remain customer favorites as a lot of our “comfort foods” are. An example for the Gold ‘N’ Silver would be our biscuits and gravy. Come up with a great homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe, and make the best scratch recipe country gravy, and you have an instant classic that sells like crazy.
Adam Daniels
Bimini Steakhouse, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St., 689-7114
Time spent at the Peppermill: Five+ years.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Some of my favorite recipes have come from home, cooking with my daughter. Bimini is a traditional steak house, but with our seasonal menus I am really able to give our guests an experience, step outside of the traditional steakhouse mold.
Mark Estee
Campo, 50 N. Sierra St., 737-9555
Time spent at Campo: One year.
Educational background: AOS Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales in Providence, Rhode Island.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: I read a ton. I have cooked in many places, and I have always taken working vacations. I pay attention to what is going on around me, in the area, in the cities that are up and coming, in the cities that are the world’s best. I read reviews, I try to see what is working out there, and then I always put my own twist or spin on what I see or interpret.
Barb Giacomini
Daughters Café, 97 Bell St., 324-3447
Time spent at Daughters: Six years.
Educational background: Masters degree in Anthropology. Archaeologist for 20 years. My cooking love/experience began on a stool in the kitchen, beside my mother, aunts and grandmothers.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: My inspiration comes from favorite family meals, where every day was a holiday! Also from my world travels for pleasure and work—next to amazing architecture and geology, food is a splendid travel adventure. Ingredients and lovely meal presentations are my most vivid travel memories. One that is particularly poignant right now is of my children and I boarding an early morning bus in Hama, Syria—we purchased lush, moist cinnamon rolls for breakfast. They were black pepper rolls, though…
Ryan Goldhammer
PFPCo’s Noble Pie Parlor, 239 W. Second St., 622-9222
Time spent at PFPCo.: Opened restaurant with Trevor J. Lappek in August 2010.
Educational background: Marketing degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. In 2004, [I] took over sole responsibility for providing the entertainment for Reno’s most successful music venue, Satellite Cocktail Lounge. While in this position as Director of Programming, Satellite Cocktail Lounge went on the win Best Bar in Reno and Best Live Music Venue for five straight years. With the guidance and mentoring from some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest young chefs, [I] bring this same passion to the kitchen with PFPCo.’s Noble Pie Parlor. Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Same philosophy as Trevor—using seasonal foods and looking everywhere for inspiration.
Don Hamilton
Executive Chef, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St., 689-7114
Time spent at the Peppermill: 15+ years.
Educational background: Not provided.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Everywhere. I try to travel at least 3 or 4 times a year, seeking out new flavors, trying new restaurants, visiting with chefs.
Nancy Horn
DISH Café, 855 Mill St., 348-8264
Time spent at DISH: Founder and owner since November 2002.
Educational background: Attended UNR’s Visual Art and Print Journalism Departments. I’m a self taught cook and baker, starting at a very early age in the professional and home kitchen.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Ingredients inspire me. Seasonal ingredients REALLY inspire me. I can have a dinner menu planned out completely then hit the farmers’ market or take a giant delivery from a local farmer for winter squash and go left where I thought I was making a right. The taste, smells, memories, sounds and textures of being at home, in the kitchen, feeling well cared for, inspires me.
Bob Katausky
Executive Chef, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, 855 Mill St., 824-4411
Time spent at Atlantis: 23 years.
Educational background: Started career in Los Angeles in the 1970s and later moved to Reno working under top European chefs for Harrah’s Reno.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: [I] strive for greatness and continue to improve the quality and variety of Atlantis’ food products and offering to meet guests’ needs.
Steve Krizman
Executive Pastry Chef, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St., 689-7114
Time spent at the Peppermill: 10+ years.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Reading and traveling, conferring with chefs who are on the cutting edge. Many recipes come from trial and error. Some great confections have been born of errors!
Trevor J. Leppek
PFPCo’s Noble Pie Parlor, 239 W. Second St., 622-9222
Time spent at PFPCo.: Opened restaurant with Ryan Goldhammer in August 2010.
Educational background: A marketing degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. [My] background consists of [my] former role as brand manager and an expertise in the development of Timepieces and consumer products from the initial concept to production grade product. [My] passion of development crosses over to [a] love for food and wine. Having worked at multiple taverns and fine dining establishments over the years, [I] have gained knowledge of the restaurant business through observation and hands on experience. These experiences have also ignited his insatiable hunger to learn classical training in his home kitchen as well as the latest techniques the culinary world has to offer.Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Through experimentation with different flavor combinations, traveling to lands near and far, the changing of the seasons and finding ingredients that are fresh and as local as possible.
Roger Morris
Romanza, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St., 689-7114
Time spent at the Peppermill: 10+ years.
Educational background: Not provided.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: I enjoy experimenting with older recipes, making them fresh again. I want ingredients to stand for themselves, not be masked but enhanced by the layering of spices and flavors.
Guillermo Plasencia
Great Basin Brewing Co., 846 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 355-7711
Time spent at Great Basin Brewing Co.: 15 years.
Educational background: Self-taught.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Beer and food go wonderful together—many people always think of wine in cooking, but different beer styles offer so much in flavoring and complementing different foods. Beer is where it’s at when it comes to Great Basin Brewing Co. We like to showcase what we can do with it besides using it as a beverage, and we have accomplished this by using our beer in many of the offerings we have on our menu, as well as in daily specials.
Josh Polon
Men Wielding Fire, 180 E. First St., 250-4956
Time spent at Men Wielding Fire: 12 years.
Educational background: Graduated from Reno High school in 1980.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: When it comes to my food and the recipes that I use, the inspiration comes from the want and need to prepare delusions food. I look to my fellow workers, other cooks who cook delicious foods. I eat at a lot of other restaurants to find inspiration for cooking methods and different types of foods. I read a tremendous amount of cook books and watch as many cooking shows as I can. My wife is also a chef with a vast background in Asian foods specializing in Japanese and Korean foods. Owning a barbecue joint and Sushi bar makes for great experimentation with Asian and American fusion. When people love your food and express it with fanatic delight that is the best inspiration of all. All food is attached with memories and experiences. If you can tap into peoples’ emotions and leave a positive reaction with your food it is a great feeling of accomplishment. Food is the number that effects people so deeply. Second only to the opposite sex. To quote Gael Greene, “Great food is like great sex—the more you have, the more you want.”
Natalie J. Sellers
4th St. Bistro, 3065 W. Fourth St., 323-3200
Time spent at 4th St. Bistro: 12.5 years.
Educational background: Culinary school graduate, [from] the California Culinary Academy, in 1989.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Classics, cookbooks, internet, previous chefs, customers.
David Silverman
Silver Peak Restaurant and Brewery, 124 Wonder St., 324-1864
Time spent at Silver Peak: 14 years.
Educational background: AOS degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?:
Eating, reading, experimenting [and getting] input from my staff and guests.
Clay Slieff
Bistro Napa, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, 124 Wonder St., 324-1864
Time spent at Bistro Napa: 10+ years.
Educational background: Graduate and guest instructor of CIA and certified Executive Chef. [My] career has taken [me] around the world as a chef at the America’s Cup, Equestrian Olympics and for the military in Dubai.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Inspiration comes from diverse cultures and trends.
Frank Stagnaro
Edgewood Restaurant, 100 Lake Parkway, Stateline, 588-2787
Time spent at Edgewood: 20 years
Educational background: Merritt College in Oakland, Calif.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: I like to travel and find inspiration from dining out, reading industry magazines and online research. Overall, I believe that all inspiration for my menu comes from within.
Alyssa Starr
Great Basin Brewing Co., 5525 S. Virginia St., 355-7711
Time spent at Great Basin Brewing Co.: 2.5 years.
Educational background: Self-taught.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Same philosophy as Guillermo Plasencia (chef at Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks). Beer is a great complement to food.
Benny Tsang
Chi, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St., 689-7114
Time spent at Chi: 10+ years.
Where do you find inspiration for your menu?: Chi features traditional high-style Hong Kong cuisine, a place to fuse ancient recipes with modern palates.