House rules

Reno’s burgeoning Midtown district has plenty of interesting locations for lunch, dinner and drinks, but with the opening of Little House on Center St., the area finally has a decent breakfast/brunch option.

Formerly home to a sandwich shop, the brick house was built in 1919 and converted for restaurant use over a decade ago. The new owners have revamped the kitchen and launched their cafe with a pretty decent menu. Breakfast offerings ($5.50-$10.99) include Benedicts, omelets and scrambles, with seafood and tofu options, pancakes, and a really decent cup of coffee ($1.75). Lunch features some sandwich, burger and salad choices ($7.99-$9.99), with a fish and chips plate thrown in for good measure. They even have a basic kids menu ($6.50-$7.50), which is probably unique for a Midtown establishment.

Although our server didn’t know a lot about the food—any question about ingredients sent her to the kitchen for answers—she had no hesitation when asked for her favorites. I settled on her favorite, the spicy seared tuna sandwich ($9.99), but couldn’t decide between salad or fries. When in doubt, order both. They only charged me a couple of bucks extra for the salad, so it was an easy choice.

The salad was basic, with plenty of fresh mixed greens, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, onion and what had to be a house-made blue cheese dressing (big chunks of blue cheese crumbled on top of the salad). The fries were crinkle-cut and just average. Not bad, but next time I’ll stick with the salad.

The sandwich itself was completely delicious, and among the best I’ve ever had. The tuna filet was about an inch thick, seared and seasoned perfectly, sliced into strips and placed on a thick, crusty bun (provided by Truckee Sourdough). By itself that fish would have been excellent, but drizzled with a creamy aioli, spiked with Thai chili sauce, and placed on the above-average bun with some onion and tomato, the result was a fantastic blend of texture and flavors. If the other lunch items are even half as good, this place will have no trouble keeping busy.

However, my wife’s biscuits and gravy breakfast ($8.50) was a little disappointing. Rather than the big, fluffy biscuits she was expecting, Little House’s version is more akin to a scone. A pair of small, dense, quick bread discs that seemed lost in the gravy. My wife said everything had good flavor, but just didn’t match her expectation of “big, beautiful biscuits and gravy.” Her eggs and bacon strips were cooked well enough, but the fried potatoes weren’t very crispy or well-seasoned. Perhaps they’re still working out the kinks on this dish.

My daughter ordered oatmeal with milk ($3.99) and seemed happy with the result. Her young man ordered huevos rancheros ($7.99), and the eggs were good, the chorizo was mild (served with a selection of hot sauces on the side), and the whole thing was served atop a bed of tortilla chips. Different presentation than the norm, but he must have enjoyed it, because it quickly disappeared from his plate.

The cafe retains a homey charm, complete with stone fireplace, yet has ample seating including counter stools and al fresco tables for warmer months. The service was fast, friendly, and we were never wanting for beverage refills. Being that they’ve only been open for two or three months, things will only get better as they find their footing among Reno’s plethora of brunch cafes. I’ve heard good things about their burgers and Benedicts, but the seared tuna was so good it’s going to be tough ordering anything else on my next visit to the Little House.