Nevada

The image of Nevada is dominated by populous, gaudy, party-a-minute Las Vegas. There are places that use far less electricity but have more power to dazzle the spirit. Like water and rocky terrain? Lake Mead, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Tahoe have beautiful scenery and great outdoors activities. You can experience the culture of Basques and cowboys around there too. Check out the Western Folklife Center in Elko, which hosts the Cowboy Poetry Gathering every January.

Jose Andres, Chef Matsuhisa, and Todd English are no doubt wonderful, but some of us don’t have the bank account to play blackjack AND go to fancy restaurants. Try Vegas’s Chinatown, popular with locals. Other Asian food includes Japanese robata with yakitori skewers, steaming bowls of udon noodle soup, or oden snacks boiled in broth; or Northern Thai food at a place east of the strip which Gourmet magazine called the single best Thai restaurant in North America. The battle for supreme steak in Vegas is intense, and there’s grass-fed strip steaks, grilled quail, and bison with bourbon and scotch at the MGM Grand. Adult milkshakes and seasonal, sustainable seafood seem to be buzzwords. The list of interesting food in Vegas is seemingly endless, and even the buffets are getting serious.There’s soul food in a strip mall; Salvadoran pupuserias; amazing seasonal, vegetarian food at Mandalay Bay; seasonal tasting menus including langoustine with seaweed ice cubes; vegetarian, health-conscious cuisine in a Greenwich Village-themed eatery; spa cuisine; vegan doughnuts; and Chinese health elixirs.

In Reno, enjoy organic, local specialties with artisanal mixed drinks and seasonal craft beers; organic sandwiches and pizza; raw falafel and other items; and organic juices. Try organic raw vegan enchiladas and burgers, or go to an organic all-you-can-eat salad bar at an Indian bistro. Reno and Elko both have exemplary Basque restaurants. You can find macrobiotic and raw foods in Henderson, plus garden burgers, Thai food without processed ingredients or MSG, and the fairly ubiquitous salad bars and fresh juices. Next to a wine bar in the Lake Mead area, have fresh sandwiches, salads, or gourmet cheese plates. You don’t have to find the neon lights to eat great, healthy food in Nevada.