About Regional Flavor
Las Vegas has some of everything, from high-dollar celebrity chef cuisine to affordable soul food, but Nevada’s personality north of Vegas takes on a distinct Basque accent. Meaty, garlicky, hotel banquet meals once enjoyed by shepherds when they came to town still are the highlight of a road trip across Interstate 80.
Nevada Regional Specialties
Basque Dinner
Three questions: 1. Are you extremely hungry? 2. Do you like garlic? 3. Do you really like garlic? If you answer yes to all of the above, you need to sit down for a traditional Basque dinner in northern Nevada. Legacy of shepherds who came to the American west in the late 19th century, they are big feeds designed to satisfy hungry men who have spent months living solitary lives and eating off the land. When these guys came to town, they brought formidable appetites.
Chicken-Fried Steak
There are chicken-fried steaks throughout the West. Most are bad. When we come across a good one, we shout hallelujah. That is why we list it as a Nevada specialty, which it isn't. But tuck into one at the Cracker Box in Carson City and you will understand. Flavorful chuck steak, hand-cut and pounded tender, is battered and griddle-fried and served with from-scratch gravy. A meal to remember!