Finding that new flavor: CV Steak opens its doors

Carson Valley Inn Executive Chef Gary Oien loves his potatoes, more specifically the 1-pound potato he holds in his hand while giving a brief rundown of the Valley's newest restaurant, CV Steak.

The 1-pound vegetable was grown on a Winnemucca farm and will soon become a twice-baked potato, one of three potato choices, including baked and au gratin, that comes with each entree, except pasta.

There will also be salad, table-side-tossed salad to be exact.

"It's been very well received," Oien said Friday, two days after the restaurant officially opened. "There have been a lot of positive comments about the food and service, and the ambiance."

Formerly known as Fiona's Bar and Grill, CV Steak and Bar is part of the $10 million remodel undertaken by CVI's new owners.

Those who haven't been in the casino for a while will notice a tiled walkway headed toward Katie's Country Kitchen. At the old Fiona's Bar, the tile gives way to dark hard-wood flooring and a long mesh-screen that separates the bar from the restaurant. The eye is quickly drawn into the softly lit, elegant dining space and the large panoramic painting of a mountain-bound sheepherder in the rear alcove. To the left, behind the booths, stands a glassed-paneled, illuminated wine rack, and on the perpendicular wall a host of black-and-white photographs of old Minden and Gardnerville.

CVI director of marketing Bill Henderson said the pictures, hand-picked by designer Larry Henry, evoke a sense of "local nostalgia."

"A lot of people remember when the town looked like that," he said.

However, Henderson and Oien said the decor is not overdone, but rather strikes a balance between the rustic and the elegant.

"It's casual dining in an intimate atmosphere," Oien said.

"It's just as much a place for sports coats as jeans and polo shirts," Henderson said. "Come in however you're dressed."

Aesthetics is only part of the new formula. The other, of course, is food and the pricing.

"I think we have only two entrees out of like 20 that are over $25," Henderson said. "That's the 20-ounce Porter and the steak and lobster. Most entrees are in the $15-25 range."

Not surprisingly, the menu has a lot of meat. New York, rib eye, filet mignon. Braised short rib and center-cut pork chops. But CV Steak's not all steak. There's jumbo chicken breast, either herb-roasted or Cajun-spiced, grilled Pacific salmon, pan-roasted Alaskan halibut and herb-marinated swordfish loin. There's also fettuccini alfredo, spaghetti pomodoro and seafood linguini, among other pastas.

Appetizers range from roasted portobello mushroom with herbed goat cheese to classic shrimp cocktail and seared ahi tuna. The restaurant also prides itself on featuring wines from the other side of the hill in El Dorado County, and a dessert list that varies by night - creme brulee, New York style cheesecake and tiramisu, to name a few.

The first two nights open, Oien reports, about 40 percent of customers ordered steaks, 30 percent ordered seafood, and the rest pasta.

"It's a good balance," he said. "We had a considerable amount of people in here last night and the night before."

"I haven't received one negative comment yet," said the restaurant's manager Jean-Michel Labadie. "People like the room and definitely the prices."

Originally from France, Labadie has spent 18 years in Lake Tahoe's food and beverage industry.

"I love the Valley," he said. "Our service philosophy is to be very friendly to the customers. Our team here knows the crowd. We're very much connected to the Valley. We offer friendly, fun and specialized service and know our customers' needs."

It's not just locals CV Steak is targeting.

"We're eagerly anticipating the return of some of our annual groups," Henderson said, "those who stay in our hotel and have been asking for a steak house. This is the answer."

Located inside CVI off Highway 395 in Minden, CV Steak is open for dinner from 5 p.m. to closing Wednesday through Sunday. The CV Steak bar opens weekdays at noon and on Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. For more information, call 783-6650.