Best Place for Families on a Budget to Beat the Summer Heat
North Valleys Water Splash Park
8085 Silver Lake Road, Reno
Keeping kids entertained all summer long is not only exhausting; it’s expensive. Luckily, the North Valleys Water Splash Park is an awesome, inexpensive resource for all. Located in North Valleys Regional Park, the water park—open in mid-June through Labor Day—has a Reno Stead Airport theme, perfect for airplane-obsessed kiddos. Features also include bungee swings for littles, an airplane statue with water propellers, an air traffic control tower fountain, water cannons and the crown jewel of the park, a structure styled after Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon with slides and a giant bucket that dumps.
The best splash-park hack is to visit on a weekday and bring your lunch. Entry is only $5, and it’s free for kids 2 and under. Outside food and drink is allowed, as long as you don’t bring glass containers. A small snack shack sells bargain snacks for 50 cents, ice cream for $1.50, and drinks for $2. At those prices, the splash park is great for a little afternoon adventure, and you don’t have to stress if your toddler has a meltdown, or if you find that your wonderful parent self is completely over it.
—Jessi Sprocket Janusee
Best Hike for When You Just Need to Scream
Deadman’s Creek Trail
5972-6008 Eastlake Blvd., New Washoe City
Boss, sister, husband, ever-increasing bills, lifted white truck that cut you off on the freeway? It doesn’t matter what you need a release from—the Deadman’s Creek Trail at Washoe Lake State Park is the place to go to shout out all frustrations.
This hike is short (about 1.2 miles out and back) but gains a pretty little nugget of elevation, about 300 feet in six-tenths of a mile. The trek to the top gives you just enough time to ruminate on your righteousness between belabored breaths. At the peak, a lovely gazebo stands like an altar for your laments. Best of all, the incessant Washoe winds overpower all other noises, giving you a welcome shelter from judgement as you scream to your heart’s content.
Once you’ve had your fill, enjoy the absolute beauty of Slide Mountain reflected in the calm waters below. Zigzag your way down from the peak, enjoying the wildflowers growing along the water during early spring, or the contrast between dusty sagebrush and iron-rich rock any time of the year. If that didn’t quell your bad day, contemplate the trail’s name—and be glad you are not the dead man in question.
—Helena Guglielmino
Best Secret Place to See City Lights
Arrowcreek Park
2950 Arrowcreek Parkway, Reno
While the Windy Hill Scenic Overlook is justifiably popular for nighttime views of the downtown Reno skyline, there is an even better (and more private) place to take in the after-dark city views.
High up on Arrowcreek Parkway, just before it crosses Thomas Creek, is Arrowcreek Park. Pulling into a parking space, one comes across a slightly hidden trail heading up the small hill, adjacent to the street. After ascending maybe 20 feet, the hill flattens out, and two hidden benches sit among the rocks and sagebrush. Get out your blanket; turn on your favorite music (as long as it’s not bothering others); and take in the urban constellation glowing hard against the Northern Nevada night.
—David Rodriguez
Best Queer Dance Party
Pink Pony Club at The Emerson
955 S. Virginia St., Reno
A magical thing happens when the vibe, ambiance, music and crowd align—you have the perfect dance night. The Pink Pony Club originally popped up in the spring of 2023 at The Emerson. The bar’s fun, funky vibe and delicious cocktails and mocktails make it a fantastic venue for a queer dance party. Pink Pony Club takes it to the next level with stellar DJs spinning all your favorite old-school queer anthems into fresh mixes, plus a plethora of new hot jams that get the crowd singing along and dancing. The cute outdoor patio is the perfect place for a cooldown from the dance floor and a nice spot to connect with friends. The crowd is full of queer joy and self-expression, creating a wonderful, accepting environment for all.
Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without Chappell Roan’s megahit “Pink Pony Club” followed by a bar-top dance number of “Hot to Go!” by some of Reno’s most vibrant drag performers. If you ever wanted to scream-sing “Pink Pony Club” with a couple hundred radical folx, there’s truly no better place in town.
—Jessi Sprocket Janusee
Best Place to Break Your Diet
L.A. Bakery Café
1280 N. Curry St., Carson City
Severely limiting the consumption of sugars and starches helps people lose weight, but low-carb or low-calorie diets can get boring, prompting some dieters to declare a “cheat day”—when they gobble up whatever the hell they want.
Don’t waste those breaks by munching Big Macs or grazing on a family-size bag of deep-fried chips. Instead, experience the decadence of the L.A. Bakery in Carson City, where dough, sugar and icing are an art form, and the breakfast and lunch offerings are handcrafted.
The restaurant has a wide selection of deli sandwiches, sweets, pastries, wraps, salads, breads, bagels, croissants, soups of the day and a full breakfast menu. A long glass-front case displays rows of fresh muffins, cookies, sticky buns, cream puffs, toffee and baklava. Pies (OMG, try the chocolate cream!) and custom cakes for all occasions are available via the online store. The shop also sells acid-free coffees made with beans from Reno’s Hub Coffee Roasters, as well as espresso, cappuccino and smoothies. It’s real food, real fresh.
The family-owned business started out in 2009, selling pastries and other sweets to area restaurants and grocers and directly to consumers at local farmers’ markets. The business expanded from there. The Curry Street location has been a magnet for Carson City residents for a decade, and the owners are now planning franchises.
The restaurant also offers vegan and gluten-free menu items and plenty of “healthy choices.” But if you are on a strict diet and want to maintain it, bring your willpower, and sit with your back to the display case. If you decide to throw caution—and calories/carbs—to the wind, you’ll feel so guilty that you will resolve to remain on your diet for the next 30 days … as long as you stay away from L.A. Bakery.
—Frank X. Mullen
Most Humbling Fish and Chips
Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips
Silver Legacy Resort Casino
407 N. Virginia St., Reno
I’m a pretty good cook, so if I don’t find a stellar example of a favorite food at a restaurant near my house, I learn to make it myself. Until this summer, I could reasonably confidently say, “You want great fish and chips? Just come over.” No joke: My beer-battered cod, fried to deep-gold perfection, has turned a few heads.
Enter my nemesis. The famously cantankerous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay opened a branch of his Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips chain in the Silver Legacy in May. I generally avoid loud, bright, chain restaurants tied to a theme or a brand, favoring indie eateries, local chefs and nutritionally balanced meals. But by July, I was a regular at Ramsay’s, and I am suddenly a person who doesn’t mind driving up nine stories of the casino’s garage on a busy summer night to eat a dinner containing no vegetables from a cardboard tray. The “custard powder batter” fried fish is utterly perfect; the fries are divine; and the fried lobster and shrimp add-ons have made me a full-on fangirl. Game recognizes when game has been blown out of the water. Hats off to you, Mr. Ramsay. (But now that I know your online batter recipe contains egg whites, I think I have perhaps unearthed a clue to your extraordinary, home-chef-humbling fish chunks—and I will not stop striving.)
—Kris Vagner
Best Selection of Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Craft Wine & Beer
22 Martin St., Reno
As a sober person, when I am at a drinking establishment, I am often relegated to a limited selection of non-alcoholic beer at best, and, at worst, just a soda. But at Craft Wine & Beer, owner Ty Martin and his team treat their selection of NA items with the same care and thoughtful curation they apply to anything that lines their shelves.
Craft’s extensive collection—from canned NA cocktails to bottles of award-winning NA spirits—is plentiful and constantly changing, with new and surprising sober tipples to satisfy even the dorkiest beverage enthusiasts. As with their enormous selection of alcoholic beverages, the team at Craft has recommendations galore to ensure that your house parties are inclusive and tasty.
As part of the growing sober population, it is lovely to walk into a place like Craft and feel like what you prefer is not just a token dusty item in the back of the cooler—and know you are thought about and appreciated.
—Michael Moberly
Best Seasonal Coffee Drinks
Old World Coffee Roasters
5020 Las Brisas Blvd., Reno
104 California Ave., Reno
6500 Longley Lane (in the Sierra Medical Center), Reno
301 N. Curry St., Carson City
Some days, plain-old lattes or Americanos don’t cut it for die-hard coffee lovers. Old World Coffee Roasters can solve that craving for something more exotic with a changing slate of seasonal drinks. This summer, Old World in Northwest Reno has offered the jamberry latte made with coffee, white chocolate and blueberry simple syrup; and the Cubano latte with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Non-coffee-drinkers could try the poolside, a mix of chai tea, grapefruit juice and ginger beer topped with cardamom bitters.
The special menus change with the seasons. The year-round coffee menu includes vanilla-lavender latte and mocha dragota with chocolate, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne pepper. There’s also a year-round menu of non-coffee drinks such as cocoa, matcha green tea latte and other teas. Try them iced when the outdoor temperatures spike. The shops offer a number of packaged coffees as well.
—Frank X. Mullen
Best Cheap Chinese
Taiwan Restaurant
5150 Mae Anne Ave., No. 208, Reno
This Northwest Reno strip-mall Chinese place, adjacent to Safeway, runs an “all day special” for less than $10 that includes, along with your main dish, a choice of hot and sour soup or egg flower soup; steamed white rice or fried rice; and an egg roll. Wow, what a deal!
Taiwan has lightning-fast service and is efficient with orders, which are bagged and tagged with your name, and are usually waiting for you at the counter as you walk in. When you call ahead for takeout, they have your last order on file in case you need to jog your fried, dinnertime-brain as to what you have had before.
Taiwan offers standard Chinese fare and some interesting items such as Singapore rice stick, bubble tea, and ho-fun wide rice noodles with protein. The decor is colorful and bright, with the obligatory aquarium full of fish at the front entrance. Lucky fortune cookies, of course, accompany your order—but don’t feed them to the fish on the way out, as the fish may not want to know their fortunes.
—David Robert
Best Casino Bartender
Larry “The Legend” Ciccarelli
Legends Bay Casino
100 Legends Bay Drive, Sparks
I don’t usually go to casinos, but when I do, I go to Legends Bay Casino in Sparks. I like to play a little nickel poker at the sports bar and listen to the various live bands that play there. I discovered Legends Bay when it opened up in 2022, and I saw an ad in the RN&R touting indoor food trucks, live music and fine dining. Sounded great!
It’s a nice place—cozy with a very modern decor. I found a little niche at the sports bar and met Larry Ciccarelli, bartender extraordinaire. Larry, as I learned, is an avid photographer and artist, so we have a lot to talk about while he supplies me with ample bottles of Guinness. Larry can read my mind and my body language, and he often has another dark, silky bottle waiting for me as I take my last sip, before my empty bottle hits the bar. Also, Larry is a true professional—he often comes out from behind the bar, wipes it down, and tidies up the chairs. As the old song goes: See ya soon, Larry; it’s been a while!
—David Robert
Best Gym Resurrection
Parkway Athletic Club at Saint Mary’s
645 N. Arlington Ave., Reno
When Saint Mary’s Fitness Center shut down in February 2023 after 18 years in business, its patrons scattered to other local gyms, many of which lacked a pool and other amenities present at the Saint Mary’s facility.
It seemed the three-story, 55,000-square-foot fitness center would be shuttered permanently. But in November, the gym reopened, thanks to the Parkway Athletic Club, which has a fitness center in South Reno at 9400 Double Diamond Parkway. Prime Healthcare, the previous owner, hadn’t quite kept up with maintenance, a situation corrected by Parkway.
Today, the facility has even more amenities, and includes exercise machines, a track, steam rooms, a sauna, childcare, a warm water therapy pool and junior Olympic pool. Fitness classes and swim lessons are back as well. The facility is clean and well-maintained and boasts a friendly and knowledgeable staff.
The reopening was particularly good news for seniors who are covered by Senior Care Plus, Renown’s Medicare Advantage program, who are eligible for free memberships. Parkway also offers memberships to patrons who are signed up with Renew Active, Silver & Fit (Premium), Active & Fit (Premium), Silver Sneakers, and Prime with proof of eligibility. The gym gives discounts on membership fees to first responders, teachers, students and seniors, and it has a corporate membership program.
We didn’t know what we had until it was gone. And now it’s back—better than before, and free for hundreds of locals, depending on their health insurance.
—Frank X. Mullen