Winnemucca, NV

Basquing in Winnemucca

Winnemucca, Nev., is a paradox. The wide boulevards leading into this town of 8,000 give the impression of a modern suburb. But as you pass street names like Potato, Malarkey, and Jungo, you realize this place, along with its varied past, doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Emerging from humble beginnings in the 1830s when beaver trappers camped here, Winnemucca, first called “French Ford,” was little more than a wagon crossing over the Humboldt River for emigrants traveling the Oregon and California Trails. Its first two buildings were a trading post built about 1850 and the 1863 Winnemucca Hotel—still standing today and still serving Basque meals.

Although the town’s name comes from a famous Paiute American Indian, Chief Winnemucca, Basques are a major influence. Today, Winnemucca boasts more Basque restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the United States.

In the early 20th century, the Basques came to Nevada from the Pyrenees Mountains in northern Spain and southern France. Many became sheepherders due to the need for them in the mountains during the summer. Often, they sent for their families after they became established in the community, and their families, bringing with them their love for good food and drink, then opened restaurants or boarding houses. The Basque restaurants in Winnemucca now reproduce this wonderful food traditionally but in a more modern setting.

The Martin Hotel still considers itself a boarding house, not unlike those in which the original Basques lived when they weren’t tending sheep. Food is still served “family-style” in most Basque restaurants.

The Martin has been serving its family-style food in the same dining room since the hotel first opened in 1908. The meals are hearty, full of garlic and Mediterranean spices. Most of the menu is red meat, with a little salmon, halibut, and chicken. Meats are grilled, fried, or served in a sauce—like the roast chicken in pimento sauce.

Side dishes are what truly make a Basque meal plentiful and filling. Martin side dishes include green salad with a light garlic oil dressing, Basque beans (similar to baked beans, but not sweet), green beans with bacon and potato, Basque potatoes, (like au gratin potatoes, but with lots of cheese and herbs), and garbanzo beans with seasonings. Basque dinners include soup, all side dishes, fresh hot Basque bread, entree, dessert, coffee, and wine. The menu changes daily, varying with the chef’s whim and what’s available.

Winnemucca celebrates its Basque legacy every June at the Basque Festival. This event, featuring contests of strength and agility, Basque dancing, and of course, lots of Basque food, has become part of a major push by the Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring visitors to the community.

History isn’t strictly Basque, however. The town is home to the Buckaroo Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum. The Historical Society Museum occupies a former church and exhibits antique automobiles, mining, and ranching memorabilia.

But though Winnemucca’s heritage may be rich, like so many towns in northern Nevada, its economy is directly tied to the mining industry, which has cooled considerably over the last few years. Consequently, Winnemucca is looking for other ways to diversify and grow. The second largest industry is agriculture—mostly potatoes. Pringles® potato chips are made in Winnemucca, and Winnemucca Farms operates the largest potato dehydration plant in the world, while also claiming to have the largest potato field globally.

Rich Stone, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and a city councilman, chose to put down roots in Winnemucca because “it’s the most welcoming and friendly community I’ve lived in.

“Several local groups work together to bring in events that will attract tourists,” Stone says. “We really work well together, it takes everybody to promote the community.”

Sherril Steele-Carlin is a freelance writer from Reno, Nev.

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