Stone House Revival

(Non-fiction) "When I was served vegetarian lasagne that looked like a bowl of liquid Soylent Green and tasted like a warm unblended veggie smoothie, I was disappointed."

The Smokin’ Rose cocktail at Stone House in Nevada City, CA

Stone House Revival

by Annie Hendrix

A historic building that was once a brewery for Gold Rush era miners houses Stone House restaurant and venue in Nevada City, California. Two years ago I went there for a theater performance and was disappointed by the quality of the food. Now they have a new menu prepared by Michelin-starred executive chef Scott McDonald which delivers sustainably sourced, seasonal ingredients. After exploring some nearby hiking trails, Travis and I went in for a late lunch. The experience started with a fragrant and light Smokin’ Rose cocktail and ended with the best tiramisu I’ve ever had.

Sketching a stone 02.07.25 Photo by Travis Hendrix

The Before Experience

When I heard a new musical by a local playwright was premiering at Stone House in June 2023, I bought a dinner theater ticket and planned a mini vacation from my demanding life as a 24-hour caregiver. I was happy to have some time to myself and had no concerns or expectations regarding the quality of the food or entertainment. When I was served vegetarian lasagne that looked like a bowl of liquid Soylent Green and tasted like a warm unblended veggie smoothie, I was disappointed. Still, I ate the food without complaint while local actors dressed as Gold Rush era prostitutes flawlessly delivered broad comedy. When I opted to receive my receipt via email, I ended up on the Stone House mailing list.

The Power of a Newsletter

Despite the sub-par dining experience, I didn’t unsubscribe from their newsletter. Their emails were relatively infrequent and Stone House is an inviting, historic venue. Even though I had no intentions of braving their food menu again I wanted to stay informed about more opportunities to see local entertainment and would have made the trip to enjoy a show and a drink from their fully stocked bar. I’m glad I stuck around, because on January 22nd they sent out an email detailing their new menu. I was so excited for them I decided to plan an excursion to Nevada City just to check it out.

The After Experience

Travis and I arrived at the granite-clad restaurant after a chilly walk in the woods. Inside, an electric fireplace flickered at the back of the tavern. There was a coat rack inside, which is rare in California, already adorned with jackets and hats. The music was a curated playlist of relaxing, medium tempo vocal tunes: a refreshing diversion from the high energy pop anthems flooding a majority of public spaces I’ve been to recently.

The server delivered lunch menus printed on luxurious linen paper. He introduced himself by name and told us about Stone House Farm, where they grow their own seasonal produce, and the restaurant’s partnership with local, regenerative, family-owned farms.

Travis ordered the Bike Dog Stout and my Smokin’ Rose cocktail with mezcal, grapefruit, rose, and lime was fragrant and lightly sweet. I usually complain about too much sugar in cocktails, and for the first time ever felt this one could have used a little more, but the balance of the flavors was on point. The presentation included a frozen rose in the drink and crushed rose petals adhered to the outside of the glass. Gorgeous.

The Red Little Gem salad did not disappoint. The quartered lettuce was crisp and covered with a creamy green goddess dressing, lemon, pepper, and slices of tangy daikon radish. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it!

The Shroom Pizza stole the show, as does pizza. In my opinion, any pizza is good pizza, but this pizza is among the top three best thin crust pizzas I’ve had in California. The crust was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The toppings featured rich mascarpone, sweet caramelized onion, and a generous smattering of a variety of mushrooms. Yum.

I don’t typically indulge in dessert at a restaurant, but I couldn’t help seeing what the Pistachio Tiramisu had to offer. Despite the liberal use of almond extract, of which I’m not typically a fan, I wasn’t disappointed. The strong flavoring didn’t totally overpower the pistachio and the textural variety provided by the crunchy chopped nuts, fluffy ladyfinger pastry, and velvety mascarpone was divine.

Travis and I turned down the offer for another round of drinks, gave our compliments to the staff, and drove away from Stone House in a state of bliss. We’re eager to return in the future to take advantage of their cocktail hour prices, see a show, or get the full dining experience during dinner hours. The Stone House already had welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff, and now has created an attractive destination for sensational food.

Check out the Stone House restaurant and venue HERE

Thanks for reading!

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