Wendy DamonteChannel 2 News
A walk down West Street takes you by a spot the city of Reno had such high hopes for. West St. Market was supposed to be a hub of activity. A place that made locals come back downtown. But businesses came and went with the seasons. Well now, a new glimmer of hope. A dynamic duo giving the market a shot. And all because their original location no longer wanted them. Larry Dunning is the co-owner, "our landlord wouldn't renew our lease so we had to close up shop and move away."
Larry Dunning used to own Sezmu on Mt. Rose Street. So when Sezmu closed, he teamed up with one of his chefs, Carlos Leon and together they've created a unique concept for a restaurant. They call it Bowl. "The concept is everything is in a bowl. It's fast, it's healthy, it tastes good and it's reasonable priced," says Leon.
They fill white bowls with dishes they call simple. They might be simple compared to Sezmu standards but it's not your typical mac n' cheese. The sofrito braised chicken is a Puerto Rican combination of fried chicken, red beans, rice and fried plantains. The pork shoulder is placed over hominy, chayote and oaxacan chile. They even offer rabbit. And everything is 15 dollars or less.
Larry decided to open a new restaurant instead of move Sezmu to appeal to all kinds of people. "I kinda wanted a restaurant I could go to every week and Sezmu I couldn't really afford to go to every week and this is a lot more affordable."
On the backside of Bowl, in the common area of West St. Market, where Bowl is going to expand. It's going to be a raw bar and Larry isn't just talking the fish. "It's going to be small, about 15 seats and it will be pretty much in the same vein as Sezmu but everything will be raw."
Bowl. Exactly what West St. Market has needed.
Bowl is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. It's closed Mondays. For more information, call 775-327-4443 or go online to www.thatbowlrestaurant.com
