Since 1902, the Overland Hotel and Basque Restaurant has proudly served authentic Basque cuisine. The Victorian building stands in the old-town section of Gardnerville reflecting the elegance and charm of a bygone era. Though the hotel is now primarily used to accommodate restaurant employees, the restaurant and bar are open to the public every Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Elvira Cenoz, owner and manager of the Overland, began her career in 1980 when she married Eusebio Cenoz, the then-current owner, who had continued the restaurant’s Basque tradition after purchasing the establishment in 1967.

“I am from the town of Saturrarán in the Guipúzcoa in the Basque country of Spain,” Cenoz said. “In 1969, I came to the United States. My husband, Eusebio Cenoz, opened this business with a partner in 1967. We married June 16, 1980. My husband passed away and I have been the sole owner since June 17, 1989.”

The restaurant offers what Cenoz calls “Basque family-style dining.”

“What we mean by this is that we serve our soup-of-the-day, made fresh every day, a mixed green salad with our house dressing, an entrée-of-the-day and the main course. Every meal comes with bread, wine, ice cream and coffee,” she said.

The term “entrée” at the Overland does not refer to the main dish of the meal. This term is used in the older sense of a “dish served at dinner between the principal courses.” These entrées vary each day of the week.

For Tuesday, patrons may expect lamb stew; Wednesday offers Basque red beans; Thursday, the “cook’s choice” allows for a little surprise; Friday, diners enjoy a garbanzo bean dish; Saturday features Spanish rice; and Sunday treats customers to homemade raviolis.

For main course meals, patrons may choose from lamb chops, lamb steak, top sirloin steak, fried chicken, deep-fried shrimp, a combination plate of shrimp and scallops, or grilled halibut.

“We use locally grown meats,” Cenoz said. “I buy from the Ponderosa Meat in Reno — all locally grown. Also, I buy from the 4-H Club when it sells in May. Everything we serve is made fresh every day. The soups are made with fresh vegetables and ingredients every day. We only use locally grown beef and lamb. We prefer American lamb to New Zealand or Australian because it is more moist. Everything is locally grown.”

Patrons may enter the Overland either from the street or from the parking area situated in the back of the building. Both entrances take customers directly into the spacious bar, then into the dining room. The bar has retained much of its original Victorian appearance. This includes a traditional-style bar counter with stools set along it and a few tables for playing cards, which is a popular pastime for many who frequent there.

A few of the favorite drinks served are the traditional Basque Picon Punch and the Overlando, which is sweet vermouth, gin, soda, one sliced lemon and an olive. A coffee drink that is enjoyed by many is the Winnemucca Coffee, which includes coffee, cognac and anisette.

“In the Basque country,” she said, “the traditional way of serving this is with the coffee served separately from the rest of the ingredients. The customers add how much they want into the coffee themselves.”

Situated next to the main dining room, the Overland accommodates large parties in the banquet hall, which is capable of serving 100 guests. The banquet room is composed of long tables in rows and a “speaker table” at the far end which runs the width of the room, complete with microphone and a public address system, ideal for clubs, seminars, conferences and business meetings.

“If we get too full in our regular dining room, we will open up the banquet room for our regular guests,” Cenoz said. “However, reservations are required ahead of time for special parties that wish to have exclusive use of the banquet room.”

Susan M. Botich is a freelance writer.