When I was a kid I always wanted to order from the Over- 55 menu and now that I’m an adult I want to order from the Kids Menu. I haven’t reached 55 yet, but I’ve noticed it’s hard to find special menu items anymore so I was extremely pleased to see a full page of “Over-55” items served all day at Baldini’s. That was only the beginning of a very pleasant lunch at Baldini’s. My friend wanted to try the “All You Can Eat Shrimp Combo” which I’m afraid I ate most of so it was lucky it is “All You Can Eat” and they mean it at the Empire Diner – all we needed to do was indicate we were out of shrimp and more were on the way. My favorite was the popcorn shrimp and my companion took the healthy route and enjoyed the skewers of grilled shrimp (we could have built a log house with the skewers once finished). The fried shrimp are large and perfectly prepared with a nice crunch. The cocktail sauce they serve with the fried shrimp has a nice hit of horseradish giving it a spicy tang. When I wasn’t busy eating my friends shrimp I was tucking into my own “All You Can Eat Barbecue Platter.” The meat basically fell off the bone and the chicken was moist and had that nice deep fat fried glow. Now I’m not a big beef/pork eater – so our plan was to share and so we did. The piece of brisket was deliberately and slowly sliced, so the lines were long. The house barbecue sauce is a nice balance of sugar with vinegar and mustard and it comes close to being an all-purpose condiment I’d like to have more of. Spare ribs are meaty and juicy, with a smoky outer ring the color of coca-cola. Make sure you take a trip to Baldini’s and if you are Over-55 enjoy the menu. Baldini’s Sports Casino, 865 South Rock Blvd., Sparks – (775) 358-0116 (baldinissports.com)
Once upon a time when I was a little girl (like every little-girl) I fancied myself a bit of a princess. In my case I wanted to be a space princess with my own rocket-ship and assorted staff to fly it. I loved to watch videos of the first moon walks and imagined myself on the moon in a really cool space suit with my dog in an equally fashionable space suit. When I was invited to meet contemporary artist Trevor Paglen who has a fourteen-foot diameter Mylar balloon hanging in the Donald W. Reynolds Grand Hall at the Nevada Museum of Art, I jumped at the chance. Mr. Paglen proposes to launch a similar balloon into orbit as a purely artistic gesture – his work is known as the Orbital Reflector. I urge you to visit the museum and to read more about Trevor Paglen who is truly a renaissance man, extremely talented, and frankly, a charmer. This evening was at an iconic home in Reno located by Washoe Golf Course with a rolling lawn that dead-ends into the homes tennis court. I kept waiting for The Kennedy’s to materialize and start a football game on the lawn; it’s simply one of those types of homes. After being treated to drinks on the patio and a presentation by Trevor, we were directed into the dinner that was hosted around the pool. All during cocktails I wondered what the other building was, I thought a guest cottage, but it turned out to be the pool house, so you’ve got the house image, elegant. When I sat down to dinner at a space age looking table I was having a space princess moment imaging myself on Trevor’s Mylar balloon reflecting in space until my balloon burst and I saw a pony glass for wine at my space age place setting . Really, a pony glass, usually used for liqueurs or cordials – or sometimes beer pours. The first course was assorted Taxi Heirloom Tomatoes with a Whipped Burrata which was simply phenomenal and one of the best tomato courses I have ever eaten. Second course quickly arrived of Seared Day Boat Scallops with Lobster Newberg Sauce and Rice Fritters, again delicious. My argument was I had a sip of wine with these two lovely courses out of my pony glass. The food was from chez Louie and Mark Estee so I was surprised he would allow the wine service to falter. Mr. Estee was missing from the event and this might have been the reason for the pony glass faux pas. The main course arrived a square-cut beef tenderloin wrapped in a puff pastry shape and was served on a potato puree. The puff pastry appeared to be very Diana Vreeland-ish like a scarf carelessly thrown around the meat and was so appropriate for the evening and the artist – a wonderful flourish. Of course, a moon pie finished off the evening. Congratulations to the Nevada Museum of Art staff, headed by Executive Director David Walker, who really did have everything under control, they threw a lovely event. I would be happy to blast off in my trendy space princess suit and have David Walker and his staff at mission control. Trevor Paglen (paglen.com) Nevada Museum of Art 160 West Liberty Street, Reno (775) 329-3333 (nevadaart.org)
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