Nevada Meals by Ruth Paget
Everyone in the Western United States knows that casinos often serve very good food at reasonable prices in quiet restaurants.
My favorite state for casino cuisine is Nevada. My favorite casino town is Carson City, Nevada. Carson City is the capital of Nevada. Gold and silver were discovered there in 1859 and one of the town’s family tourist spots is a railroad museum.
The place I like for casino cuisine is Bodines Casino. We took Florence with us and would get the following meal for the three of us:
-garlic bread
-prime rib
-baked potato with sour cream, butter, and chopped parsley
-salad
-chocolate lava cake
-glasses of Napa cabernet sauvignon for Laurent and me
-soda for Florence
-fizzy water for the three of us
The cost for the three of us was $25 per person in the 1990s. That is a deal.
When traveling in the Western United States, check out highway billboards for deals. They usually list price and a lead menu item. You can always ask hosts to look at menus for deals as well, too.
There is a big shopping mall in Carson City that probably has restaurants, but I think Lake Tahoe residents go there for clothes and books in a state with lower taxes.
Another place I like to go is the Palais de Jade (Jade Palace) in Reno, Nevada.
Florence twisted her head upon entering this restaurant looking at all the items inside.
“See those dragons at the entrance. Those are called fu dogs and they protect people inside the restaurant,” I told Florence.
“The water tinkling in the fountains and the mirrors that make the restaurant look very large are examples of Chinese feng-shui, wind-and-water design,” I said.
We sat in a circular booth up two steps in a jade-blue colored, circular booth. It was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside and the air conditioning felt great.
I had a true Nevada moment there. Despite being in the middle of the desert, I was able to have kung pao squid that tasted as if it had been freshly caught in addition to egg rolls and rice. Florence had her usual Mongolian beef, and Laurent had walnut shrimp.
We all drank jasmine tea, which smelled like perfume.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, which also cost about $25 per person in the 1990s. On the way back to Monterey, Laurent said, “Casino cuisine is a good deal.”
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
