Insider: Old meets new in Grass Valley and Nevada City

OLD MEETS NEW IN GRASS VALLEY & NEVADA CITY
The iconic Nevada County Bank building in downtown Grass Valley has sold, and the new owners have imaginative plans for the historic building. We’re excited about the potential for 131 Mill St., widely considered the second-most architecturally unique building in all of downtown Grass Valley behind the Del Oro Theatre. The building will undergo an extensive interior remodel to make it more open and airy, and two stories will dedicated to office and retail space.

Meanwhile, the historic National Hotel in Nevada City could soon be sold, according to our sources. The hotel is an anchor on Broad St., the town’s main drag. It is a registered historical landmark and the oldest, continuously operating hotel west of the Rockies.

SACRAMENTO: NATION’S BEST UP-AND-COMING FOOD CITY
“Sacramento is on the cusp of making it a must-visit town for anyone who loves food, and people are beginning to notice,” reports Thrillist, the online food, drink, travel and entertainment website. “It’s the hub of America’s most abundant agricultural region, has access to more ingredients than any other city, and for a number of reasons, is finally attracting talent and investment to match its gardens.” In its latest issue, Sunset magazine named Sacramento and Truckee among the best places to live in the West.

TWO CHICKS JERKY
Two enterprising local women—Shannon Ronan and Breelyn MacDonald—are selling beef jerky that stands apart from others because it is grass-fed beef, sustainably raised, and free of hormones, nitrates, gluten, and antibiotic—and hand crafted in small batches. The beef jerky is carried throughout Northern California, including BriarPatch Co-op, SPD Markets, ol’ Republic and Kitkitdizzi in western Nevada County and 70 other locations in California and other states.

THIRSTY BARREL TAPHOUSE & GRILLE
Downtown Grass Valley is home to a new tap house and restaurant, Thirsty Barrel Taphouse & Grille. The doors proclaim the owner’s motto: “Beer and a Dream.” It features craft beers on tap, including many local ones. The imaginative menu includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a children’s menu. The tap house also offers music.

The new tap house comes amid a boomlet in craft brewing: ol’ Republic Brewery is opening a Roadhouse on Hwy. 20 outside of Nevada City and Grass Valley Brewing Co. opened in Grass Valley.

NEW FOOD BUSINESSES
New food businesses that have opened or are planned in our region include the Wild Eye Pub in Grass Valley, and HOLA Tortilla and Purveyors Pantry in Nevada City.

(Photo: Kial James)