Dirty Martini at Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery

After a show, my pal Stacy (of Utility Players fame) and I went to get some after show drinks and snacks at Silver Peak in Midtown.

It was fairly late at night and we sat in the bar area.  Service was a bit slow, but after a little while I finally had a dirty martini in front of me.  It was shortly afterwards that I found the specialty drink menu hidden under some things under the table.  Next time I'll order off of that one.


I asked for it very dirty, but it came out slightly naughty instead.  It tasted very much like the well drink liquor version of the "Well Mannered Martini" from Cheesecake Factory.  (Note to self, go there next.)

Nothing great, but their grilled cheese is my favorite in town.

Silver Peak Restaurant and Brewery 
124 Wonder St
Reno, NV 89502
775-324-1864

Open Sunday-Thursday 11:00 AM- 10:00 PM
Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM-11:00 PM

Dirty Martini at Shea's

I was assured that I never wanted to step foot inside Shea's Tavern.  Along with Foxy Olive, it was the diveiest of dive bars.  Still, it is right next door to Good Luck Macbeth, so it was bound to happen eventually.

I always choose to test a new bar with a dirty martini, as I'm sure you are well aware if this isn't the first post you've read.  I understood that this is a dangerous venture in a dive bar, but I decided to take a risk. 

As you can see from the picture I made everyone go outside after ordering, the smoke was way too gross inside, and it was a pretty nice day.  I didn't even really stay to order, one of the amazing cast actually got me this drink, so I suppose it is a sponsored post in that sense.

The glass was mostly clean, which I was surprised about.  Honestly I was a little surprised that it came in a glass at all, I fully expected it to come in a red off-brand solo cup, since that is what they had stacked on their bar inside.  It was actually some pretty nice bar ware, but it only came with one olive at the bottom of the glass.  Call me nit-picky, but I like at least two olives on some sort of toothpick so it's easier to eat.  I love snacks with my drink, and I think that's why I like a dirty martini so much.

I'm sure I'll end up at Shea's again, but since they don't have a craft cocktail menu, it's unlikely I'll find the state drink here.

The Pipeline Lounge Dirty Martini @SandsReno

A few weeks back my good friend Ali of Raven and Rabbit agreed to meet up and see a Utility Players Show.  She and her business recently moved from Denver to the Reno area, and I couldn't be more happy to have a friend from my old digs.

When I got the diet talk from my doctor, she told me I had to go low carb.  I was sad of course, but I managed to look up some low carb cocktails and see that a dirty martini was the only one I was interested in.  I'm in for any drink that also comes with a small snack.  I was a little spoiled in Vegas when I tried my first one at Studio 54, and it was delicious.  The next best one was at GoldSpike, although their glasses were always just a tad too dirty for my taste. It's not the glassware that is supposed to be the dirty part, to all you dirty martini beginners.

After all that Vegas Neon, the Sand's is a little more colorful of a casino than I'm used to.  Let me put it this way...their ceilings are really low.  The filtration system could also use some work.  That being said, they have an awesome show in the Utility Players, and a nice bartender at the Pipeline Lounge.  I'm not much of a beer person, so I ordered a dirty martini with a pink tinge to my cheeks.  He didn't even make fun of me, he just asked if he could serve it in a regular glass, as they didn't have any martini glasses.  I was relieved that I wouldn't stand out with an obnoxious glass and wholeheartedly agreed.

As if to remind me that I was no longer in Viva Las Vagueness, an awesome retired gentlemen offered to pay for our drinks.  Ali and I ended up talking with him for bit while we waited for the doors to open to the show, and my cocktail was pretty darn good.  It's pretty easy to screw up a dirty martini, but this man was sitting up and paying attention in bartender school. Had I been wearing a hat, I would have tipped it to him.

Since it is one of my favorite drinks, I'd love to consider it for our state drink.  However, it does not have a local ingredient.  In fact, growing an olive tree is actually not that cool here.  Seeing as how olives pretty much make a dirty martini, it looks like the search continues.

Sands Regency Hotel & Casino
345 N Arlington Ave.
Reno, NV 89501
775.348.2200
Open 24 Hours