In The News – Hidden hot spot offers unique Tahoe dining experience
February 2, 2024 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune on 2/01/24, Written by Robert Galloway
If you have driven by the old Mellow Fellow building at the state line in North Lake Tahoe and wondered what has gone into the space, you’re not alone. While the inside and outside of the building has gone through a complete makeover, there is no signage out front to let people know what lies inside.
Even searching online brings up limited information, which is partly by design by the restaurant that’s serving up a unique dining experience for its guests. Smoke Door – Lake Tahoe Saryo doesn’t currently have a website and the only way to contact them is via phone – or by walking through its doors.
“The owners definitely don’t want to have a sign. They want to be very incognito,” says maître d Ria Kim. “They want to be very hidden and the people who know, know, or don’t, don’t.”
Published in Live Work Play (Fall 2023), Written by Kayla Anderson
The mother/daughter interior design firm behind Bridget Giroux Design has taken Incline Village by storm ever since it was incepted in fall of 2022, and its client base and business continue to grow.
Both named Bridget (as well as a baby Bridget who was just welcomed into the world this past September), it all started when Bridget Giroux moved to Incline Village in 2021.
Giroux grew up in the Bay Area, and her parents Bridget and Bob Crowe moved to Incline Village 13 years ago. As the Crowes built a life on the East Shore, their daughter Bridget pursued a career in design. Giroux moved to the Midwest and went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Upon graduation, she worked at a luxury workroom that specialized in bedding and linens at one of the top designers in the area and later got a job with renowned American designer Holly Hunt working in design and product development. Giroux traveled all around the world for that job for six years and then covid came, bringing her traveling to a halt.
“Covid changed the way we thought about what life would look like,” Bridget Giroux says.
Being back on the West Coast again, Giroux found a remote job continuing interior design, met her husband, and they thought for the first time ever of moving out of the city.
“At that point I knew how the industry worked and two things struck me about Incline: 1) I couldn’t believe how many artists are here; and 2) there are so few places for them to show their work,” Giroux adds. “No one in Incline was really embracing that, so we saw an opportunity here to bring in this new perspective.”
The pandemic also brought a new demographic of residents moving to Northern Nevada who had an appreciation for contemporary fine art and home decor.
At the same time Bridget Giroux Design was launched, longtime Incline Village resident Piper Monika Johnson moved her fine art gallery from Incline Village to Truckee. Piper M. Johnson and the Bridgets met, and they began sharing artists. In the small office space above Drink Coffee Do Stuff, the Bridgets started hosting popup exhibitions. Its first few artists had roots in Incline, such as abstract artist Susan Watson, still life/landscape artist Mary Nagal Klein, illustrator Liz Paganelli, and mixed-media artist Jason Forcier. Since Giroux has such a sophisticated eye for design and a small showroom that does not keep regular hours, the Bridgets are highly selective in what artists they work with.
“The pop-up model works well because it creates a sense of urgency,” Giroux says.
“There’s a nice mix of longtime locals and visitors who come to these popups, and it’s never crowded at our events. We have a targeted mailing list and personally invited people via email, so it feels more exclusive, although anyone is welcome to attend,” she says.
However, hosting popup exhibits for local artists is more of a passion project; the main breadth of their business is derived from more extensive interior design projects.
Bridget Giroux Design has worked with at least 10 Incline Village residents on their house projects, everything from full-on remodels to light interior refreshes. They’ve done four very large renovations, replacing all the furniture, window treatments, cabinets, sinks. Bridget Giroux Design also does art consultations, and helps people figure out what’s worth keeping or getting rid of.
“That’s our bread and butter, redoing the flooring, trim, paint, lighting,” Giroux says.
They recently began a project where they helped gut an entire home down to the studs, putting in new tile, cabinetry, backsplash, vanity sinks- pretty much everything- in the kitchen and bathroom.
They’ve worked with clients and their homes as far away as Maui to Kings Beach, Glenbrook, and Glenshire, but they’re mainly focused on Incline Village.
“We take on different projects of different scales,” Giroux adds.
In December 2022, Bridget Giroux Design also hosted a monthlong Holiday Sip and Shop on the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. It’s something that they will bring back this winter season since last year’s popup was so successful.
“People wanted to shop locally and support artists,” says Giroux.
“We curated the popup tight- every single in the store was super special, nothing you could find anywhere else,” she says, explaining that they target high-end customers looking for heirloom-quality home furnishings. Most items they sell during the popups are $600-$1400 apiece, which could include handwoven throws, fresh floral arrangements, and even high-end candles that smell like Hidden Beach. Bridget Giroux Design works with a porcelain ceramist who lives in South Lake Tahoe and creates dishwasher-safe “modern fine China” dish sets that cost anywhere from $200-$450.
“Our ethos is in the popups and art exhibits. We shop, and use as much local as we can, trying to support art and the artisan ecosystem.”
“We learned so much last year from those. We’re going to bring back a ton of bestselling items,” Giroux explains, adding that people were calling in July asking if they’ll have certain things back in stock. Everything that the design team carries is handmade, artisan quality. The fall/spring holiday popups are great because you can get specially curated items right here in Incline Village without having to worry about driving to Reno.
In looking towards the future, along with getting ready for the holiday popup, Giroux says the business is currently focusing on their existing clients and will be taking on new clients this November for 2024. The Bridgets pride themselves on their ability to find upscale items that complement a relaxed mountain lifestyle.
“It’s possible to live with beautiful things that are not necessarily precious but aesthetically comforting, special, that tell a story,” Giroux says. Like Adrienne [Belair’s] porcelain ceramic work that’s dishwasher safe, easy to live with, yet handmade and artistic. “People want their homes to be practical,” she says.
“We are unique in that my mom and I come to every single appointment; the two of us are there throughout the entire process from start to finish. People seem to appreciate that we live here in town, understand the nuances of living in Tahoe, and work personally with them on their needs,” Bridget Giroux says. Her mother Bridget Crowe is active in rotary, the Incline Business Exchange, board of realtors, and does a lot of volunteer work.
“We do ‘everyday luxury’ projects and are trying to establish ourselves as a design resource for people. Our mission is to share these cool people who are making amazing work,” Giroux says.
“We are still evolving and growing,” Bridget Crowe says.
This year’s Bridget Giroux Design Holiday Sip and Shop popup will run from the day after Thanksgiving from 5pm-8pm and then open Fridays-Sundays from 11am-4pm through December 23rd. For more information about Bridget Giroux Design, visit www.bridgetgiroux.com.
GilanFarr – Full Service Architectural Design Firm
October 12, 2023 | Member Submitted
GilanFarr Architects operates as a full-service Architectural Design Firm that includes Interior Design and Construction. The firm was established in October of 1989 and is based out of Incline Village, Nevada. A broad Residential and Commercial Design background serves our clients in all aspects of their projects.
We strive to exceed our clients’ expectations by incorporating their wants, needs, and budgets into a comprehensive result. When creating designs for our clients, we aspire to embody their personal relationship with the home or business as well as the surrounding natural environment.
Our firm provides professional architectural services that include Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, Estimating, Bidding and Permitting. In addition, we offer Energy Conservation Analysis’, Master Planning services, Long Range Growth Planning / Feasibility Studies and Site Evaluations.
GilanFarr Interiors provides exceptional Material, Fixture, and Furniture Procurement, as well Custom Drawings, Space Planning, and Consulting Services. Oversight of purchasing and installation is also offered. Our design-build system ensures that clients go into any type of renovation or new build project well informed and with all of the specifications.
GilanFarr Construction is a full-service design-build operation providing comprehensive construction management for the entire building process.
GilanFarr Architecture has worked extensively through the entire permit process with all the governmental agencies in the Tahoe-Truckee area, including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. We look forward to completing any vision you may dream of for your business or home.
Lara Pearson, aka Lara the Lawyer who Loves Law, moved to Incline Village in 1998 while she was still in law school. She first interned for the Honorable Justice Miriam Shearing on the Nevada Supreme Court and then for the Nevada State Public Defender’s Office before graduating from Northeastern University School of Law in the spring of 1999. Lara was licensed to practice law in Nevada that same year as well and has practiced trademark law from Incline Village ever since.
Lara will be the first to tell you that her law firm, Brand Geek, is an intellectual property law firm that’s run by and for soulfulpreneurs. Brand Geek is a proud Nevada Certified Green Business, as well as having the honor of being Nevada’s first legal benefit corporation. Brand Geek has been a member of 1% for the Planet (businesses donating a minimum of 1% annual gross revenue to environmental groups) since January, 2006 and a Certified B Corporation (a company that measures and manages its entire social and environmental impact) since February, 2008. Brand Geek is also thrilled to have received the honor of Best for the World in Governance from B Lab this year (as well as in 2019).
Locally, Brand Geek supports Mountain Area Preservation (MAP) and the League to Save Lake Tahoe and encourages other area businesses to collaborate with these and other local NGOs which are dedicated to protecting the land and communities in which we live, work and thrive.
Having served the North Lake Tahoe community since 2020, we are both thrilled and grateful to expand our services in the community even further by opening a second Grocery Outlet in Incline Village. We have had the great privilege of presently working with local organizations such as Sierra Community House,Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF), and several other non-profits as a family. Now located in the heart of the Incline Village community, we are so excited to further build and strengthen our relationships with the numerous local organizations that make Incline Village into the unique and vibrant community that it is.
As business owners, we strive to bring you the best high-quality, fresh products at exceptionally affordable prices compared to other grocery stores. As locals, we cannot wait for the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our family to you. Please don’t hesitate to stop in and say hello!
ABOUT GROCERY OUTLET:
At Grocery Outlet, we love brands. Like, really love them. That’s why we work so hard every day to bring our customers the brands they love at prices that are nothing short of pure bliss. In fact, we’ve been helping customers save big since 1946. That’s when our founder Jim Read opened his very first store, selling military surplus at deep discount prices.
The rest, as they say, is history. And today, the third generation of the Read family is leading the way, with over 400 stores across the nation and more than 1.5 million shoppers hitting the aisles each week. That makes Grocery Outlet the nation’s largest extreme value retailer. A feat we’re more than proud of.
Discover Comprehensive Wellness at Backcountry Chiropractic’s Open House Event this Friday
August 23, 2023 | Member Submitted
Join us at our Open House event on Friday, the 25th, from 12 PM to 3 PM, as we showcase an array of transformative services designed to elevate your well-being. We offer a range of specialized treatments tailored to your needs.
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS: Experience relief and alignment through expert chiropractic adjustments, targeting spinal misalignments for improved overall function.
SOFT TISSUE THERAPY: Relax and recover with targeted soft tissue therapy, which alleviates muscle tension and enhances mobility.
FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT EXERCISES: Enhance flexibility, strength, and coordination with personalized functional movement exercises suitable for various wellness goals.
DECOMPRESSION THERAPY: Discover relief from pressure and promote healing with gentle decompression therapy, ideal for conditions like herniated discs.
LOW-LEVEL LASER THERAPY: Experience non-invasive pain reduction and tissue repair through advanced low-level laser therapy.
HOLISTIC HEALTH ADVICE: Beyond physical treatments, our practitioners offer valuable health advice, including nutrition insights, stress management, and lifestyle tips.
During the Open House, engage with Dr. Malley, explore our offerings, and enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. Join us on Friday to embark on a holistic journey toward lasting well-being.
The snow melted and the chickadees are singing, marking the time for residents and visitors alike to come out of their dens and start enjoying the outdoors. But there is so much to do between biking, kayaking, and paddleboarding…where to start?
It usually depends on what kind of equipment you have, who you’re with, and the easiest/safest way to get to the beach.
Fortunately, Tahoe Multisport is a small locally owned business located in the upper corner of the Village Shopping Center (on 797 Southwood Boulevard Unit #10 next to Tahoe Family Solutions in Incline Village) run by JP Donovan and Belinda Quené. They are both passionate about the outdoors, extremely knowledgeable about the East Shore (and greater Truckee/Tahoe basin) and are open year-round to ensure that you and your friends have a good time.
On a warm sunny afternoon, Quené is outside rearranging their quiver of kayaks and paddleboards. Inside is an inviting reception area and rooms of equipment including cross-country skis, poles, boots, paddles, and e-Bikes.
Many people in the IV/CB area know of JP Donovan, who grew up in Incline Village and spent a lot of his life running cross-country and competing in triathlons. Quené was born in South Africa and relocated to the United States with her parents when she was young, then moved to Lake Tahoe in 2014 after college when she got a job at Northstar California.
“I came here to ski, and liked the idea of living by a lake,” she says. After that first winter season, she stayed in the area and continued working seasonal jobs until she met Donovan at the climbing gym the following year.
Before Donovan met Quené, he was renting out paddleboards as a side job, storing them at his house, and delivering them to customers when they booked the gear online. As his side hustle grew, he acquired more SUPs and eventually needed more space to store them all.
“Then we started doing this full-time,” he says. Seeing what Backroads was doing, Donovan also had the goal of hosting tours and needed gear to do that. At that time, stand-up paddleboarding began taking off and he responded to the growing trend by investing in some inflatable ones.
“The equipment has gotten better in the last 10 years and there are a lot of advantages to paddleboarding- it’s easier to get on the water and you’re able to see down to the bottom of the lake. I also saw the advantages to inflatables- I like that you can take them in a backpack and not have to get one only on a beach,” Donovan adds.
However, he says he felt stifled in putting on tours while trying to keep up with purchasing enough equipment, so he decided to rent out the equipment first. “Then I met Belinda, and we started working and growing the business together,” Donovan explained.
They opened their brick-and-mortar business in March of 2021, and being in a place like Tahoe and operating an outdoor multisport company during the pandemic helped sales (when businesses were allowed to reopen).
“We got busy when covid hit,” Quené adds. Tahoe Multisport started renting out SUPs first, but then found that when the lake got colder their customers preferred kayaks since there was less of a risk of falling in.
Providing not only the boards, boats, and bikes but other accessories as well (like bike trailers, baby seats, and dog carriers), Tahoe Multisport noticed that people would bike down to the beach with a kayak trailer or inflatable SUP. Customers were renting multiple types of equipment in one transaction, which is how they came up with their business name.
“The other day we had people renting snowshoes, kayaks, and bikes all in the same day,” Donovan reiterates, back in the springtime when we still had an abundance of snow.
“When we moved into this shop, we bought a bunch of bikes to offer an activity when it’s windy out, too,” Quené says.
No matter where they’re coming from, people tend to rent equipment and take it to the beach or on the bus that runs to Sand Harbor, as Tahoe Multisport is conveniently located next to the temporary/future transit center as well.
Considering that the local beaches are always a bit vague on how many people they let in, when, and who, Tahoe Multisport can also be a vital resource for how to best enjoy the lake or surrounding trails no matter what time they arrive.
“People come here and don’t know where to go, and we can help save the day…if parking is full or it’s a busy time and people just drove from a long way away to experience Tahoe,” Donovan says. Especially when taking a tour with someone who intricately knows the area.
Open year-round, Tahoe Multisport also provides winter equipment. The owners have rented out cross-country equipment to the Gateway Mountain Center, different Boys & Girls clubs around the Tahoe area, Tahoe Expedition Academy, and Strider Gliders. Tahoe Multisport has equipped the Incline middle school high school with snow equipment, and they store winter gear for UNR at Lake Tahoe.
At that moment, a local guy brought back a pair of kids’ cross-country skis that he rented for the season, grateful that he didn’t have to buy and store them at his house.
Since business was picking up even when there was still a lot of snow on the ground, I wondered if they ever ran out of equipment.
“We do sell out of bikes sometimes, but we offer online bookings for all tours and rentals. We accept rentals as far as a year out, and we do last-minute walkups. There’s about a 50/50 of each [people booking online and just coming in],” Donovan says.
“Unless it’s a holiday weekend, you can usually reserve gear the night before,” Quené adds.
With the ease, convenience, and accessibility to Tahoe’s East Shore beaches, going to Tahoe Multisport for all your summer outdoor equipment needs is a no-brainer.
“We’re set up to be the emergency last minute outfitter for the outdoors,” Donovan says.
For those of us lucky enough to call it home, North Lake Tahoe is a mesmerizing destination that beckons adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike. With the inception of the destination organization in 1989, as well as the rebrand to Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) in 2022, our group of destination experts set our sights on encouraging travel experiences that support a vibrant economy, enhance the community character, and foster environmental stewardship practices. TNTNV is dedicated to promoting the limitless recreation opportunities of North Lake Tahoe and driving responsible tourism through tourism management.
Our organization takes pride in being a leader in sustainable visitation. In fact, we allocate a significant portion of our annual budget to sustainability projects, with 10% of the budget dedicated to such initiatives. By doing so, TNTNV ensures that the natural beauty and resources of Lake Tahoe are preserved for future generations to enjoy.
One of the standout events that TNTNV is excited to present this year is the 2nd Annual SkyShow, taking place on the Fourth of July. This event is an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional fireworks displays. By opting for drones instead of fireworks, TNTNV is demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing the impact on the local ecosystem. The exciting display of lights and creativity will spark excitement among visitors and locals alike, and cultivate a greater understanding of eco-friendly practices altogether.
But the sustainable festivities don’t end with the SkyShow. Throughout the year, TNTNV actively promotes responsible tourism. We encourage visitors to explore the vast array of recreational activities available in North Lake Tahoe while respecting the natural environment. To ensure that visitors and locals can enjoy Lake Tahoe without generating extra emissions, the Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) provides public transportation options for the local community through TART Connect. TART Connect, funded by TNTNV and partner agencies, operates several bus routes throughout North Lake Tahoe, providing convenient access to nearby towns, shopping, and recreational areas. TART Connect is an affordable and reliable way to get around North Lake Tahoe, and it is a great way to help reduce traffic and pollution in the area.
Whether it’s hiking through pristine trails, kayaking on crystal-clear waters, or skiing down the magnificent slopes, TNTNV is dedicated to ensuring that these activities are enjoyed responsibly and with utmost care for the region’s ecological balance.
TNTNV recognizes that sustainable tourism is not only beneficial for the environment but also for the local community and economy. By preserving the unique character and charm of North Lake Tahoe, we aim to support the local businesses and ensure a thriving economy that benefits both residents and visitors alike.
By investing a significant portion of our annual budget into sustainability projects, we hope to lead the way in environmental stewardship in our region. Travelers to Lake Tahoe can look forward to a destination that not only offers limitless recreational opportunities but also values the preservation of its natural beauty, community character, and economic vitality.
Walking into Thania’s Juice Bar on one of the warmer Incline Village afternoons, Thania Medina and her mom Julia are surrounded by fresh fruits and veggies that are just waiting to be blended up into smoothies, juices, or made into healthy meals.
Thania’s Juice Bar has been around for several years, opening before the COVID pandemic in July 2019. Although the pandemic did hinder business, it was a time when people were looking for healthy sustenance to boost their immunity. With delicious drinks like the Detox (made up of carrot/beet/apple/celery) and Stamina Booster (pineapple/carrot/turmeric/orange), you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu if you need something to help get through the rest of the day.
Thania was originally born in Mexico and later emigrated to Carson City when she was a teenager to be with her mother. She attended Carson High School and Western Nevada College, then worked at Lupita’s for 10 years. Thania always wanted to work for herself, though, while staying in the service industry, so Julia encouraged Thania to open a Mexican-style juice bar.
It took Thania two years to remodel the space and get it open but then she ran into kind of an odd problem- she didn’t know how to explain to people what an authentic Mexican juice bar was.
“I wanted to serve traditional Mexican fruit snacks and aguas frescas with an emphasis on made-to-order, good-for-you, healthy food. I wanted to show off my culture because I’m proud to be Mexican,” Thania says. Customers that were coming in started suggesting items that were doable but not on the menu, so Thania paid attention, researched, and adjusted the menu to meet their requests.
“I listened to people coming in and saw that they loved the smoothies and the juices. They suggested acai bowls, avocado toast, and matcha drinks,” she says.
Gesturing towards the chalkboard on the wall, Thania says, “Everything on the menu, it’s like the customers said they wanted it, and I figured out how to make it my own.”
It’s obvious that she’s passionate about the food as she talks about how she came up with a protein bowl full of a green mix, cucumbers, shredded carrots, apples, and celery topped with her own homemade vegan organic dressing. Thania added food items that are gluten and dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian, crafting a menu that appeals to the locals.
Sipping on a creamy Chocolate Monkey smoothie, Thania explains that when she was growing up, her grandmother had papaya and lime trees, cactus, herbs, chickens, and the eggs that they laid. Her offerings at the juice bar are heavily influenced by her grandmother and time in Mexico and she hopes that the atmosphere will carry over, too.
“My grandmother believed in natural medicine. She had homemade remedies for everything. She would say, ‘You want to lose weight?’ And hand me pineapple, nopales, orange and celery blended together. And she had aloe vera to cure almost everything.
“I want people to feel when they come here like I felt at my grandmother’s house, and to be able to cook and have a conversation at the same time. I want this to be their living room with their family, their second home away from home, and for them to remember our juice, and come back to Tahoe just for that.”
Thania’s Juice Bar is on 868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 7 in Incline Village and is open Monday-Saturday from 8am-3:30pm.
