Nora Heston Tarte

San Francisco

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Travel Editor at San Joaquin Magazine

Columnist at East Bay Times

Contributor at This is Reno

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Articles

Andelin Family Farm hosts 'Baby Animal Days' for a month of family activities

1 week ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

Watching a baby goat being birthed was not on my bingo card for 2025, but thanks to Baby Animal Days at Andelin Family Farm, it’s an unknown bucket list item realized. To read this article for FREE, please sign in to your account or sign up for a free account.
More than 2,100 attend world's largest whiskey tasting and sports event at Reno-Sparks Livestock Center

2 weeks ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

More than 2,100 people showed up for what organizers are calling the largest whiskey tasting and outdoor sports event in the world on April 5, 2025. Held at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Center, Team Whiskey Bonanza featured local distillers, a mechanical bull, a surfing simulator and more. This article requires a paid subscription to read. Please Sign In or subscribe here. Your subscription goes directly to paying our journalists to report local news. Paying subscribers also see far fewer ads. Thank you.
Easter in Reno: Buffets, brunches and festive events

2 weeks ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

Easter falls among those occasions in Reno that seem to call for themed buffets and prix fixe menus. So, if you’re looking for a place to gather with friends and family in your Sunday best, look no further than the local hotspots listed below. Plus, we’ve rounded up some other themed events around Reno. This article requires a paid subscription to read. Please Sign In or subscribe here. Your subscription goes directly to paying our journalists to report local news.
I finally tried Thai restaurant Moo Dang, and now I can’t wait to go back

3 weeks ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

I can’t tell you the number of times someone has recommended that I eat at Moo Dang. It seems to be hailed as the best Thai food in Reno. Why I took so long to try it, I really can’t defend. It just happened. But now that I have, I agree—it probably is the best Thai food in Reno. And I’ll probably be back in the next month, if not sooner. This article requires a paid subscription to read. Please Sign In or subscribe here. Your subscription goes directly to paying our journalists to report local news.
Toro Bravo brings high-end Mexican cuisine to Reno's Riverwalk

4 weeks ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

When Smith & River closed, it left a gaping hole on the Riverwalk, but—luckily for us—it was swiftly replaced by Toro Bravo, a Mexican steakhouse unlike anything else in Reno. This article requires a paid subscription to read. Please Sign In or subscribe here. Your subscription goes directly to paying our journalists to report local news. Paying subscribers also see far fewer ads. Thank you.
Lillo Eatery opens under same ownership as former Pola Poke Bowls

1 month ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

When Brittany Walshaw announced Pola Poke Bowls would close in November, many fans of the Plumb Lane counter-serve poke shop were devastated. But Walshaw didn’t leave the industry; she opened her next venture in the very spot Pola occupied. Lillo Eatery offers a menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner options focused largely on bowls and salads, plus some breakfast items and a few poke options. This article requires a paid subscription to read. Please Sign In or subscribe here.
Reno’s most famous burger is resurrected at Baldini’s

1 month ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

If you ever found yourself searching for a late-night meal after a night downtown, you likely stumbled across The Little Nugget on North Virginia Street and into the back room for a greasy burger and fries. The most popular item on the menu was the Awful Awful, a stacked burger served atop a basket overflowing with skinny-cut fries and sprinkled with seasoning. The loaded burger came with melted cheese, thick slices of tomato, lettuce and sliced purple onion.
Having a ball at the 34th annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry

1 month ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

Held every March on the Comstock in Virginia City, the historic Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry brings professional and amateur cooks together to serve up their best tasting and most creative dishes using rocky mountain oysters. This year’s festival was March 15, coinciding with St. Patrick’s Day festivities. To read this article for FREE, please sign in to your account or sign up for a free account.
Death doula's role includes emotional support and coordination of end-of-life care

1 month ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

A death doula is someone who assists with end-of-life care through a social, emotional and practical lens rather than a healthcare lens. People seek out a death doula at all stages of life—perhaps after a terminal illness diagnosis, during advanced age, or even in their 40s and 50s, simply wanting to prepare themselves and their families for the end. Melissa Chanselle-Hary started Sacred Transits, her Reno-based business, combining three arms of her profession.
A new mobile bar with a twist joins the Reno business landscape

1 month ago | thisisreno.com | Nora Heston Tarte

Christine Johnson has been a lifelong entrepreneur. Originally from California’s Central Coast, she spent the bulk of her career building and running her family’s pet crematorium. She laughs when she talks about the oddity of the business model, but also says it helped her uncover a desire to help others through entrepreneurship.