Harrah’s Steak House opened on May 26, 1967, at the start of the Summer of Love, but from the beginning, the restaurant never seemed to be of its time: not the late '60s of protests and ponchos, not the 2010s of Amazon and apps.
The restaurant — a profusion of thick carpets, low lighting, upholstered booths, polished service and Continental classics — always seemed to exist out of time, somehow, in a clubby place where folks lingered over conversation, where a martini in the afternoon was no bad thing.
But timelessness, alas, is not timeless. And with the announcement Jan. 15 that Harrah’s Reno is being sold and remade into a non-gaming property, a long chapter in Reno dining history is ending.
(Chris Beavor, head of CAI Investments, the property's new owner, said he'd need permission to use the Harrah's Steak House name, even assuming a restaurant would continue to occupy the space.)
Today, when so much of American food culture is driven by hype, Instagramming and bloviating online reviews, Harrah’s Steak House might seem like an anachronism.
But if that's true, it's a glorious anachronism, one that for many years defined what it meant to drink well and dine well in the Biggest Little City.
A teacup poodle, a snoopy salad, five-onion soup
Obituaries would seem an unlikely repository of restaurant history, but in scores of Reno Gazette Journal obituaries, in these few paragraphs meant to sum up a life, Harrah’s Steak House was remembered often and fondly as a place the departed had celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, new grandchildren and the pleasure of gathering for a meal.
The Steak House was also where business and political worthies steered Nevada over snoopy salads, where celebrities dropped by when in town, where gaming titan Bill Harrah dined with a teacup poodle in his lap.
Along with a timeless look and feel, there was a timeless menu anchored by grand old standards like steak Diane and Dover sole, veal Oscar and Chateaubriand for two.
At the restaurant, lamb chops always came with mint jelly; if something could be flambéed tableside, it was.
And regulars knew to order creamy five-onion soup, served in a hollowed Caruso onion with a melty Gruyère lid, or the off-menu snoopy salad, created by a long-ago Harrah’s chef who snooped through the walk-in, grabbing iceberg, seafood, hard-cooked eggs, avocado, hearts of palm, tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes for an impromptu lunch.
It's official: Caesars confirms sale of Harrah’s Reno
Even the staff at Harrah’s Steak House seemed timeless. Managers, captains and servers stayed for decades, offering smooth, skilled, solicitous service delivered via tuxedo.
A 2017 profile of the restaurant on its 50th anniversary featured Ozzie Cabrera, a captain then with 26 years of service; maître d' Michael Kerrivan, who had been with the Steak House three decades; and captain Bong Genio, who had started as a busboy 43 years earlier.
The decline of the (three-martini) lunch
In the last 20 years, American restaurant culture has become more casual, more global, more democratic (the last largely enabled by social media).
As dining habits and preferences changed, Harrah’s Steak House faced a dilemma. Its timelessness was its appeal, but to attract a new generation of customers, it would have to change with the times, at least somewhat.
The last decade saw new chairs, new carpets, a 2011 expansion, and menu updates like calamari with Thai chili dipping sauce, rack of lamb with jalapeño jelly (not mint), and ahi tartare.
Harrah’s Reno to turn into city center: Click here to see what it will look like
Another nod to changing times: The restaurant ended its lunch service in 2012, in keeping with the decline of the business lunch.
Harrah’s Steak House has been open for more than 50 years, an eon in the restaurant business. While you still can, stop by for one last snoopy salad — and raise a martini to the passing of another bit of Old Reno.
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Johnathan L. Wright is the food and drink editor of RGJ Media, part of the USA Today Network. Join @RGJTaste on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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