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Restaurants

Diego’s Restaurant In Grass Valley

Outside seating in Diegos - Photo by John J. O'Dell
Outside seating in Diegos - Photo by John J. O'Dell

By Sherri L. Reynolds

Diego’s located in Grass Valley,Ca. at 217 Colfax Ave, (530) 477-1460

Hours:  Monday 4 pm to 9 pm , Tuesday – Thursday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday 11 am to 9:30 pm, Saturday 12 pm to 9:30 pm, Music provided on Friday nights.

For an authentic style of South American flavor, ” Diego’s ”  restaurant in Grass Valley, Ca. provides an experience for family and friends to gather for a very special meal of Chilean cuisine. Established in 2004, the owners, June and Diane have put together a place where dining is comfortable, affordable, fun and charming.

Their style of food ranges from starters, such as Empanadita’s (these are small fried empanada’s filled with mozzarella, jack and feta cheese) breaded and fried calamari to homemade mushroom soup. The salads are made fresh with organic greens and grilled seasoned veggies. The local favorite is the Ensalada Diego, served with your choice of grilled chicken, steak, pork, tofu or barbequed vegetables. All salad’s are served with homemade dressings. My favorite is the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette…very tasty !

Sandwiches are made with fresh baked pan bread and served with seasoned grilled veggies or you can order a side of garlic or sweet potato fries.One I like is the grilled chicken breast with guacamole, tomato, mozzarella or you can choose to spice it up with their traditional South American spice paste with smoke and pepper flavors. They also have anything from grilled steak, Portobello, roasted pork, veggie, bratwurst to burgers ( Nevada County, Ca grass-fed/naturally raised).

Specialty dinner entrees include a diverse selection of filet tilapia, crab relleno’s, stuffed Portobello with sautéed tofu and savory crepes filled with chorizo pork with grilled pineapple. All fish dishes are wild caught and meat dishes are range-free with no hormones or antibiotics added. All breads and corn tortillas are house made.

Specialty dinner entrees include a diverse selection of filet tilapia, crab relleno’s, stuffed Portobello with sautéed tofu and savory crepes filled with chorizo pork with grilled pineapple. All fish dishes are wild caught and meat dishes are range-free with no hormones or antibiotics added. All breads and corn tortillas are house made.

Thursday’s are fish taco day and these are absolutely delicious ( a sure winner) and a choice I recommend highly. For drinks/beverages they have organic teas, coffee, sodas, wine and beer. They are known for making Sangria’s and their house favorite is the “Electric Lemonade” made with rice distilled vodka or agave wine.

There is an outdoor covered patio for dining and a chalk board that welcome’s you with a quote for the day. One quote I happen to read said ” God bless is all, everyone of us” by Tiny Tim. The patio is decorated with a water fountain, chimes playing in the breeze, soft colored red clay walls imbedded with flower planters, an evening light in the shape of a star to make it an inviting and pleasurable experience.

Diego’s provides great service, good quality food and friendliness. It makes you feel like you’re somewhere else having an authentic experience. As Diego’s puts it ” Love is everything” and they do put a lot of love into their cooking. Try it out and explore a whole new taste in exceptional food.

” Enjoy life and the taste for it ”

Bon appétit,
Sherri L. Reynolds
sreynoldsjb@yahoo.com
freelance/poet/creative writer

 

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Call or email:
John J. O’Dell Realtor®
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O’Dell Realty
9530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com

Entertainment, History, Nevada County Information, Restaurants

The Willo

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The Willo at Highway 49 and Newtown Road
The Willo at Highway 49 and Newtown Road

Driving out two and one half miles north on Highway 49 from Nevada City you might notice a non-descriptive building with a sign “The Willo” along with a small florescent martini glass. You may wonder why there are so many cars and trucks parked outside.  Your first thoughts might be, this must be a really great watering hole!  So unless you live in Nevada County or  a good friend has told you about this restaurant there is no hint that this has been voted the best steak house in Nevada County.   

Once you park and start to walk inside, you will notice a sign near the left hand door that finally tells you that this is a steak house. Walking in, you are in a different world, with dark paneling, cedar walls, pictures hanging in some kind of random order and a picture of the Bay Bridge with lights flashing on the wall. Once your senses have gotten acclimated to the scene, you are in for a treat with excellent service and good food. You have a choice of three portions of New York Steak, small, medium and large (16 ounces). You also have a choice of pork, chicken and three kinds of fish, or even a garden burger. You can cook the steaks yourself, but for an extra fifty cents, they’ll do it for you. By the way, the prices are excellent and won’t break your budget. 

The Willo is owned by a very friendly, very nice couple, Mike Byrne and Nancy Wilson. They have kept up the tradition of the Willo which started its history at its present location as follows: 

Beginnings of the Willo 1947
Beginnings of the Willo 1947

In 1947 Bill Davis purchased a surplus WW II Quonset hut from the U.S. Army.  The hut was located at Camp Parks in Sacramento and was disassembled and transported to the site of the Willo at the corner of Highway 49 and Newtown Road. It was re-assembled and opened as Bill Davis Hut, a popular watering hole for the lumber and mining work force. It was later sold to a local couple and it became The Hut. 

In 1963 Bob and Peggy Tucker purchased the Hut and renamed it Tuck’s Hut. With a truck load of lumber from a local mill they enlarged the bar and added a covered structure on the east side where they built a grill pit and served hamburgers through the window to the bar patrons. A “Gold Miners Special” (burger and beer) cost sixty cents. In 1969, the Tuckers leased the property to a local tavern owner, Frank Williams, who was forced to move from Grass Valley to make room for construction of the new “Golden Freeway”.

Together with Veda Folden who with the help of her husband and brothers, converted the covered structure into the main dining room and the Willo Steakhouse was born. The banquet room was added in 1973. How did the Willo get its name instead of the Willow?  What happened to the W on the end? Well, it’s a combination of one of the prior owners names, Frank Williams last name and his wife’s first name Lola.  I advise you to call ahead for reservations, for they are always packed. Their telephone number is  (530) 265-9902

Google shows two locations for the Willo. Don’t know why, but location B is almost the true location. You have to drive a little farther from Nevada City then point B, it’s at the corner of Newtown Road and Highway 49.


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