Friday, November 1, 2013

2nd Annual Reno Bites Week (57 photos)

Opening night at...

Last week I photographed some of the signature events at the 2nd annual Reno Bites restaurant week.

Running Monday through Saturday, Bites week featured prix fix menus and special dishes at 21 Reno eateries.

Working with organizers Clint Jolly (Great Thyme Catering) and Natasha Bourlin (Biggest Little Group) and their social media team Loren Condron and Chris Ewing (Dotted and Crossed Marketing), I covered five events in six days, ate pork belly, drank whiskey and had a helluva time.

Food aside, the highlight was hanging out in the kitchen, photographing dinner service at some of my favorite Reno restaurants.

Here are some of my favorite images from the events. Photos are from the opening night Farm Bites event at Bowl/Rawr, Campo, SoDo's icons of Napa Dinner, Wild River Grille and the 2nd annual Chef Showdown at Czyz's Appliances (think Iron Chef Reno).

Congrats to showdown winner Adam Bronson of Rapscallion (sorry I missed Friday night's event there). And thank you to Clint, Natasha, Loren and Chris.

Mangia!

...Bowl.

Brett Kendall of Rawr.

Tom Stille of the River School.

Jaci Goodman of Edible Reno-Tahoe.

Wendy Baroli of Girl Farm.



Amanda Burden, Goodman and Baroli.

Day two: Offal Offal at Campo.

Owner/chef Mark Estee.


Offal à la carte.

Sweet breads.

Pig.

Neon pig.

Estee.

Wood-fired.


Day three: Icons of Napa at SoDo.

SoDo owner/partner Joel Giandalia.

Estee.

Plating the first course.

48-hour pork belly—Dough Catering.

Tiger prawns—SoDo.

Venison—SoDo.

Cauliflower soup—Süp.

Sweet breads—Campo.

Short ribs—Great Thyme Catering.


Pumpkin Budino—Campo.


Clockwise from left:

Mark Estee, Campo;
Clint Jolly, Great Thyme Catering;
Debbie Reetz, Campo;
David Stern, SoDo;
Christian Chirstensen, Süp;
Josh Deri and Whitney Reichman, Dough Catering.

Day 4: Wild & Whiskey at Wild River Grille.



Chefs Joe Bell and Jessica Marrufo.

Bison tartare.

Pheasant.


Marrufo.

Boar.



Grand finale: Chef Showdown at Czyz's Appliances.

Jacob from Hungry Mother Organics.

Loin.

Nevada Grown produce.

Christian Christensen and his son Soren.


Co-founder Clint Jolly announcing the secret ingredients:
qual, butternut squash, hawaiian baby ginger and...

...live tilapia.

Christensen.

Estee.

Bill Gilbert of Beaujolais Bistro.


Owner Tom Czyz.



The winners:
Adam Bronson of Rapscallion;
B.J. Mueller, Sauce Wagon;
and Pim Marshall, Lanna Thai.

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