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Most small towns in the Sierra Nevada have at least one restaurant. Standard American fare is the norm, but you'll also find sophisticated cuisine. With few exceptions, dress is casual. Local grocery stores and delis stock picnic fixings, good to have on hand should the opportunity for an impromptu meal under giant trees emerge.
Start your day the way scores of locals do—with a stop at the slick Black Velvet espresso bar for Belgian waffles, baked treats, and coffee drinks made from small batches of beans roasted on-site. Then return in the afternoon to hang out in the upstairs wine bar (open 3 to 6) where tastings are offered Thursday–Sunday ($25). It's also a great place to come for a steamy cup of organic tea or to grab a craft beer and log onto the free Wi-Fi.
Breakfast is served all day at this spot known as much for its cheerful atmosphere as for its large portions—including a breakfast burrito so packed with applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, eggs, and potatoes that it requires two hands to hold. For lunch, consider the coffeehouse burger with candied bacon or the chickpea curry bowl with roasted chicken and garnet yams over brown rice. Even if you're just passing through, be sure to grab a coffee to go (perhaps the house favorite known as the Dirty Hippie).
