Hungry?  Head to Ike’s Quarter Cafe in downtown Nevada City.  Serving New Orleans style food made with local and organic ingredients.  When I stopped by the other week for a fabulous outdoor lunch the Farm Fresh board included shout outs to: Dinner Bell Farm, Riverhill Farm, Mooney Flat, Backbraken Acres, First Rain Farm and Grinding Stone Meadows.  Local and sustainable ranchers were James Ranch and Niman Ranch, plus flour and grains from Grass Valley Grains.  Open Wednesday-Mondays for breakfast and lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturday, check out their menu online, I’m sure you’ll be hungry by the time you finish checking out the specials.

© 2012 InnSide Nevada City

Grass Valley Grains is a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for grains.  Reed Hamilton’s one man farming operation mills wheat, oats, rye, barley, dry beans, and flour corn.  His monthly pick-ups could include any flour, cornmeal, polenta, ground oatmeal, cracked grain, or baking mixes. His products can be found in a number of local restaurants, including Ike’s Quarter Cafe, New Moon Cafe and Flour Garden Bakery.

Ike loves Grass Valley Grains because “everything is fresh.”  They use a number of products in their restaurant, but Ike says his favorite is probably “the cornmeal.”  He loves the flavor and the variety of the yellow, red, white and blue cornmeal.  Peter at New Moon’s personal choice is the white polenta.

The Outside Inn product test crew decided to try out the muffin mix and they were a huge hit in our household.  Sign up for your monthly … Read More »

Ike’s Quarter Cafe is a place not to be missed in Nevada City.  The restaurant is known for its New Orleans style menu, and just about everything on the menu is mouth watering.  They’ve got vegan, vegetarian and gulten free options on many of their dishes. Now is a great time to sit outside in their patio area because the cherry tree is in full bloom.  Ike’s does a great job of supporting local farmers, they day I went for lunch they had ingredients from Riverhill Farms, Dinner Bell Farms, Grass Valley Grains, Backbracken Acres and the James Ranch.  Closed on Tuesdays, but open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Monday and dinner on Friday and Saturday, definitely stop by next time you’re in town.  My children especially loved the bookshelf full of kids books, so bring the little ones … Read More »