There are not a lot of roads or towns in northern Nevada. While driving through states we usually like to stay off the Interstates and take the two lane highways. The late Charles Kuralt once said, "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything." We like to drive through the small towns and the landscapes that shape the turns in the road and see things. That wouldn't work in this state so we zipped east along I-80 and stopped over in Elko just like a lot of motorists do when travelling between Salt Lake City and Reno.
McAdoo's
Elko, Nevada
AMBIENCE: McAdoo's can be found about a half of a block off the main highway that runs through town. Next door to McAdoo's at Cowboy Joe's you get a latte or espresso. And next to Cowboy Joe's is the Stray Dog Pub and Cafe where you can you get a designer cocktail and a Mediterranean pizza. Some people in this city with a deep cowboy and mining tradition refer to it as "Yuppie Row". You're just as apt to find a Mercedes-Benz parked out front as a Chevy Silverado.McAdoo's
Elko, Nevada
McAdoo's is relatively new, having been opened by a young couple in 2012. The inside of the cafe has an appealing design. It looks like a food establishment that could easily be transplanted without any modifications to the upper east side of Manhattan. It is a small space with tables set close together. In one corner is found the "bar" with four chools (my term for a combination chair and stool), fancy hanging lights, and fresh flowers adorning the counter.
There is a lot of artwork on the wall, exposed brick, and large front windows that allow ample light into the room. I was particularly taken with a painted sign on the wall that said, "TODAY I WILL BE HAPPIER THAN A BIRD WITH A FRENCH FRY". The decor of the room, the early morning sunlight, and the hipster music playing in the background all contributed to that french fry feeling.
I am lowering my ambience rating by a half point because we were sitting at one of those tables that wobble. Wobbly tables are not an uncommon occurrence in our breakfast adventures and it irks me to no end. I urge all proprietors to periodically check that their tables are level. Stop the wobble!!
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
FOOD: The menu was surprisingly pricey and upscale with 7 menu items that emphasized fresh and healthy ingredients. There are also pancakes and french toast for the random cowboy who might wander in.
I journeyed way outside my comfort zone and ordered an open-face Canadian bacon and egg sandwich with tomatoes, arugula tossed with a shallot vinaigrette, and shaved parmesan on toasted ciabatta. It came with "house-made" roasted potatoes.
Wow. There was more green than I ever saw growing on the ground during the entire 6 1/2 hour drive from California. This looked like the cardiologist's answer to the the "leaning tower of lard" I had for my New Hampshire breakfast. Basically this was bacon and eggs disguised as a salad.
I'm not the biggest fan of arugula but I figured the peppery taste would complement the egg. Due to the large quantity of arugula, the greens instead dominated the egg as well as the bacon. I think a little less arugula would have worked much better. Nevertheless, it was a good tasting salad and much more nutritional than that bird's french fry. The roasted potatoes were decent and appeared to be flecked with some sort of bread crumbs which were almost tasteless but possibly healthy.
The Healthy One breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the menu. Given the western feel of the town, I think she was expecting bull testicle omelets or such. She ordered the quiche special that contained roasted veggies and dill havarti. She eschewed the roasted potatoes and requested two pancakes which came with lemon syrup and the requisite mega-blob of butter.
She found both the quiche and the pancakes to be delicious. I got to taste the pancakes and immediately regretted choosing the potatoes as my side.
4 out of 5 stars
COFFEE: I'm a big fan of glass coffee mugs so I was gratified when the coffee arrived at the table in such a mug. The reason for my infatuation is that I derive joy from pouring the white cream into the mug and watching it swirl through the black coffee. I guess I'm easily entertained but I find it as cool as a lava lamp.
The freshly roasted coffee was a step above your average cup. I wonder if McAdoo's was supplied by their next door neighbor, the highly regarded Cowboy Joe's.
4 out of 5 stars
The freshly roasted coffee was a step above your average cup. I wonder if McAdoo's was supplied by their next door neighbor, the highly regarded Cowboy Joe's.
4 out of 5 stars
SERVICE: Our server named Connie took good care of us which was easy to do since there was only one other customer in the place. She was high energy and chatty and made sure our coffee was refreshed and our needs were met.
5 out of 5 stars
A FEW WORDS ABOUT ELKO:
The famous radio and television newscaster, Lowell Thomas once called Elko "the last real cowtown in the American west". That was more than 60 years ago and things have changed somewhat. Due to a boom in gold mining, Elko has become a bustling little city of over 18,000 people with a convention center, museums, and upscale restaurants. But the buckaroo (the locally preferred term for cowboy) culture stills survives in a big way. Large cattle ranches are common in Northern Nevada and Elko is the only place where the buckaroos came come and shop, drink, and gamble.
Elko sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and offers a beautiful panoramic view to the south of the Ruby Mountains that rise to an elevation of 11,387 feet. It is the largest city on I-80 between Salt Lake City and Reno which helps explain its 35 hotels and motels, 6 casinos, numerous restaurants, and even some legal bordellos. The city hosts a couple of large events when all these hotels and motels sell out : The Cowboy Poetry Gathering held every January and the Basque Festival in July.
Elko was born as a railroad town in 1868. One curious remnant of the Western Pacific train presence is a immense five block parking lot smack in the middle of the downtown area. This is where the main train switching station was located before it moved in the 1980s.
The State of Nevada produces more gold than all but four countries. Much of that gold is mined in the Elko area. There was a major gold boom in the mid-1980s. In one 12 month period beginning in July, 1986, Elko's population grew by 21%. The gold boom eventually went bust in the late 1990s but a new gold boom starting in 2009 continues to fuel Elko's economy.
BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:
The famous radio and television newscaster, Lowell Thomas once called Elko "the last real cowtown in the American west". That was more than 60 years ago and things have changed somewhat. Due to a boom in gold mining, Elko has become a bustling little city of over 18,000 people with a convention center, museums, and upscale restaurants. But the buckaroo (the locally preferred term for cowboy) culture stills survives in a big way. Large cattle ranches are common in Northern Nevada and Elko is the only place where the buckaroos came come and shop, drink, and gamble.
Elko sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and offers a beautiful panoramic view to the south of the Ruby Mountains that rise to an elevation of 11,387 feet. It is the largest city on I-80 between Salt Lake City and Reno which helps explain its 35 hotels and motels, 6 casinos, numerous restaurants, and even some legal bordellos. The city hosts a couple of large events when all these hotels and motels sell out : The Cowboy Poetry Gathering held every January and the Basque Festival in July.
Elko was born as a railroad town in 1868. One curious remnant of the Western Pacific train presence is a immense five block parking lot smack in the middle of the downtown area. This is where the main train switching station was located before it moved in the 1980s.
The State of Nevada produces more gold than all but four countries. Much of that gold is mined in the Elko area. There was a major gold boom in the mid-1980s. In one 12 month period beginning in July, 1986, Elko's population grew by 21%. The gold boom eventually went bust in the late 1990s but a new gold boom starting in 2009 continues to fuel Elko's economy.
BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:
After breakfast we walked down to the Humbolt River and strolled up and down a paved bike path. We then drove to Logan Utah where we did an extensive 5 mile stroll through neighborhoods and the campus of Utah State University.
June 11, 2018
NEXT UP: UTAH
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