I sit in the warmth of a baywindow, sunlight dancing in, and talk to the father of Stone House Café, Paul Abowd. The comfort of the old house turned café is as intoxicating as the meals served next to me. His large brown eyes twinkle as he re-caps sixty years of culinary adventure. San Francisco coffee shops and nightclub dining in Oakland are a few of the many restaurant endeavors brought to life by Paul and his late wife, Adele; also among them, located in Carson City, is her namesake restaurant, Adele’s, now owned by their son, Charlie Abowd, another talented restaurateur.

“We focus on locals,” states Abowd. “We are a neighborhood establishment and love the families.”

It is not just the clientele that flock in families. The Stone House staff is a hard-working happy crew with Abowd at the helm.

“A friendly young couple has been my chef team for almost sixteen years,” Abowd says. “Without them there would be none of this.”

Abowd’s youngest daughter is also an intricate part of the Stone House family as host and manager. And just in case Abowd isn’t busy enough with the restaurant and his family staff, he has in total four children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren with whom to share his time. Phew!!!

Taste the dishes at Stone House and you know family is involved. Simple fresh ingredients meld into tasty treasures that are delicious as they are colorful. The restaurant’s warm lighting and cozy layout make the indoor seating romantic. And on the warmer days, the grand stone patio, fairytale garden, and gentle white lights make the Stone House Café the place to be.

The recipes Abowd shared are easy, and the same ingredients are incorporated in all three.

“We wanted to give the readers something easy to find at the grocery store and not expensive,” Abowd explains. “These dishes take little time to prepare and taste great. The ingredients can be used three nights in a row for different meals, saving time and stress.”

So make things easy on yourself, and enjoy some fantastic cuisine!

Hannah Hind is a Reno-based freelance writer, who enjoys a good cheese-stuffed burger.

Ingredients for All ( these 14 items will sereve you 3 tasty dishes)

• soy sauce

• 7-ounce salmon fillet

• sweet chili sauce

• coconut milk

• 1 bag spring mix

• gorgonzola

• dried cranberries

• ¾ pound ground sirloin

• cream cheese

• vinaigrette dressing

• hamburger bun

• lettuce (optional)

• tomato (optional)

• onions (optional)

Stuffed Burger

Preparation: Start with ¾-pound ground sirloin. Mix 2 tablespoons of gorgonzola with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese. Mix until a ball forms. Roll meat in to ball and flatten into patty. Place cheese in center and fold beef over it so all cheese is covered. Flatten into patty again.

1. Grill on low heat for 7 minutes on each side.

Optional: lettuce, tomato, grilled onions

Thai Salmon

Preparation: Marinade salmon in soy sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Grill salmon for 5 minutes on each side.

Sauce: Mix ¼-cup sweet chili sauce with ¼-cup coconut milk

1. Sprinkle with dried coconut to garnish.

Salad

• 1 bag mixed greens

• Gorgonzola (add at will)

• Dried cranberries (add at will)

• Favorite vinaigrette dressing

*Serve salad as a main with protein on top, or as a side for the salmon or burger.

Stone House Café

Location: 1907 S. Arlington Avenue, Reno, NV 89509

Telephone: (775) 284-3895

Open: Sunday–Thursday 7 a.m.–9 p.m. | Friday–Saturday 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

Breakfast: 7 a.m.–4 p.m. | Lunch: 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Dinner: 4:30–9 p.m.

www.stonehousecafereno.com