Totally Unauthorized

No, I haven’t forgotten how to spell.

People had recommend the 4th Street Bistro to us, so I called them to make a reservation.  No luck, they said.  We’re closed for a private party tonight.  Rats, I cried.  But before I let them off the phone, I asked for the name of the second best eatery in Reno.  Go to Lulou’s they said, and even knew the phone number by heart.

So we motored on over to 1470 S. Virginia Street.  (Mr. B’s big Lexus didn’t quite have enough shoulder room for Tom J, Gail and I in the back seat–I persuaded/cajoled/begged Linda to sit in the back on the return trip.)

It turns out we had been there 6 years ago during the last Reno NABC, we had all just forgotten where it was.  And that’s a shame, because Lulou’s is far and away the best restaurant we have been anywhere near here in the land of the high desert.

The place is ultra-modern chic.Each of us loved our dinner.  I didn’t even bother with an entreé, managing to subsist on the crab bisque, the hamachi ceviche and the seared fois gras.  Mike is no slouch with a knife and fork, but the short ribs he ordered proved to be too much for him.  Linda helped a little with the excess noodles, but there was still more food than could be eaten.

Tom J had the filet, which comes with a marrow bone.  This is a rare treasure, which he graciously let Gail steal (enjoy). Pork tenderloin is notoriously difficult to keep moist and tasty, but that’s what Linda wanted, and the kitchen was up to the task.  Gail just enjoyed the Carpaccio, the chile relleno (which wasn’t really a chile relleno but mostly shrimp) and the asparagus which comes with a seven-minute egg that is then breaded and fried.  Death food, to be sure, but great death food.

The menu is deep and varied.  We could go back tomorrow night, and the next, just to try everything.  Service was competent, perhaps not great.  We were talking about Lulou’s in the elevator and someone asked how we would rate it. It felt like a Michelin one star establishment to us, and that’s about as good as Reno is ever likely to get.