Nevada City Restaurants

I prefer not to go to a place that is a chain restaurant. However Beach Hut Deli is a small chain of sandwich stores that started in Granite Bay that makes great sandwiches with fresh and high quality ingredients.

Having had a bowl of soup earlier for lunch I wanted to have something quick for an early dinner before heading back to Sacramento. Nearly across the street from the Chamber of Commerce set in a redeveloped old building was Beach Hut Deli.

I needed something to open my jaws so I went for the Shark Bite Sandwich. The sandwich consists of Hot Canadian ham, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, tabasco sauce , barbeque sauce onions, peppers, bacon, lettuce and mayo on sliced and toasted garlic cheese sourdough bread. It was excellent and the sourdough bread was very fresh.

The inside of the deli is neat and clean and the two staff people were helpful and friendly.

Favorite Dish: The Shark Bite which again consists of hot Canadian ham, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, tabasco,
BBQ sauce, onions, bacon, lettuce and mayo on sliced and toasted garlic cheese sourdough bread.

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Eating when traveling does not always need to be at a fancy sit down place with waiters or waitresses. Some of my fondest memories are of little places that you order food from the counter or to go and the food is outstanding. This was one of those places.

This is not a restaurant nor a take out place. When I talked to the owner Caroline Szekely she calls this place sort of an "eco convenience and restaurant store." I was drawn into the store y the sign that said fresh sushi and soups daily. According to the owner the store has only been open since January. From doing a little internet research this store had been eagerly awaited as an all natural and environment friendly restaurant.

Trying to decide what to have for lunch I saw many sandwiches, sushi and fresh soups. Being a cold and windy December day I went for the soup. It was an all organic Russian Chicken Vegetable soup. The best soup I have had in over a year. Thick pieces of free range chicken, little red potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and other goodies. I was very impressed by the quality of the fresh soup. They also had an organic vegetable.

The owner and staff were also very friendly. As I sat by the window we talked a lot about Nevada City and I encouraged her to look at Virtual Tourist. This was the best of four food stops in Nevada City.

Favorite Dish: The Russian Chicken Soup. Out of this world!

You won't find this crepe place on the internet and it doesn't have a fixed address. As a matter of fact Elvensies is actually located in a tent like structure in a parking lot. However the crepes he makes in his little outside tent are fantastic! It reminded me of the open air crepe stands in Paris. You can order a crepe with cinnamon, powdered sugar, nutella (just like Paris), or fresh fruit. For just a few dollars its like having a wonderful treat for breakfast that would cause a lot of mess in your sink. This was my first stop in Nevada City and I called it breakfast.

Favorite Dish: Nutella crepe!

Caffe Mekka is something of an establishment in Nevada City. It's located on the lower end of Commercial St., a block off Broad, in one of the many old buildings in town. This coffeehouse is rather unique, a far cry from your neighborhood Starbucks chain place.
The atmosphere is quirky, with exposed brick walls, wood beams, portions of walls with Victorian era flocked red wallpaper, and mix matched wood chairs. For years it has been a hangout for younger locals with an alternative intent: dreadlocks etc. But with an economy that depends on tourism, you won't be out of place whatever your look or style. They have a good variety of coffees and teas, and baked goods. The service seems indifferent. If the barista looks at you like you are invisible, don't take it personally. And if you are in a hurry and just want a quick coffee, you might want to go somewhere else.

This is one of several good options for dining in Nevada City. Ike's is especially popular for lunch on the deck in the back, where you can sit under shady trees and eat on tables covered with colorful oilcloth.
The menu is varied, with some creative twists on familiar items. But the specialty here is New Orleans style food.

We visited the Nevada City Classic Cafe' for breakfast. A good-sized crowd of apparent locals filled the tables. This we regarded as a good sign. The interior is that of a classic diner. The menu matched the decor. The breakfast was quite good and the service great. I would recommend this cafe' for breakfast.

I tried a breakfast crepe that was on the special menu. I discovered that this was an experimental dish when the owner came over and asked if I liked it. I hope they keep the crepes as a regular item, as it was quite good.

The New Moon Cafe offers fine dining in an elegant atmosphere. This is one of Nevada City's finest restaurants. Starting with the best of ingredients, the chef will prepare a wonderful dinner. Their wine list should well complement any meal. Reservations are a good idea here as it can fill, up especially on a weekend.

Citizens Restaurant is located within the historic Citizens Bank building on Broad Street. The casual eatery serves pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches. Regional wines and micro-brew beers are also served. We enjoyed some sandwiches for lunch one afternoon at Citizens.

This is a pretty good place with a mixed French-Italian-American cuisine. It's a fairly informal, relaxed place and the food is generally good. However, it is somewhat uneven in service and food quality. For example, the eggplant parmesan was good, with the eggplant perfectly prepared, but the sauce was a little too heavy on the herbs, especially oregano. The basic salad isn't bad, but is a little sparse and basic.

It's also pretty cute, inside and out, if a little dark inside. There's also a patio, but we haven't eaten there.

Overall, it is good and certainly worth a try, especially since it seems a little less expensive than the average for the town.

This is an enjoyable place that is definitely an updated hold-over from the 1970s, when it first opened. It really took me back to the type of place I'd go with may parents back in the 1970s and early 80s, friar motif, fondue, bricks, wrought-iron and all. It still serves several different types of fondue, plus steaks, prime rib, salads, and similar food, and has a pretty good kids' menu.

Favorite Dish: Fondue.