Ike's Quarter Cafe
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

401 Commercial Street,
Nevada City, CA 95959,
(530) 265-6138

"Our mission is to create a comfortable restaurant where there is something for everyone," says Ike Frazee of the restaurant he and wife Adrienne started seven years ago. A look at their menu would suggest that they have succeeded. Attending the Louisiana Jazz and Heritage Festival year after year led Ike and Adrienne to a love of New Orleans-style cooking, and Ike's serves both Cajun and Creole influenced dishes, with an emphasis on fresh, local, and organic ingredients. Ike's is a family-friendly place, and Ike and Adrienne's children, Jezra, Piper, and Violet, can often be found "helping out."

Ike has been working in local restaurants all of his life. Mentored by local-favorite Peter Selaya in his high school years, Ike was the first sous chef at Peter's New Moon Café when it opened. Ike credits Peter with being, "one of my early influences as far as using top-quality ingredients", such as free-range meats and organic vegetables. Ike is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco. He chose New Orleans-style cuisine for his restaurant, because it is "an old cuisine, a combination of mystery and common sense", with many different influences. As he says, "It's what California Cuisine tries to be."

When they say, "cooking from scratch", they really mean it: there are no processed or frozen or ready-made ingredients in the house. They buy their produce fresh direct from local organic farms in season and from valley farmers as a second choice. Naturally raised free-range beef comes from Nevada County Free Range Beef, and from Five Dot Ranch near Susanville. Hormone- and antibiotic- free pork comes from Niman Ranch, a consortium of family farmers raising animals the old-fashioned way. When lamb is on the menu, it comes from James Ranch, a small, local operation. The honey used in their baked goods is local, and grains are from California.

Start your day at Ike's with a frittata, grits, biscuits with andouille sausage gravy, flapjacks or French toast, a tofu scramble, potato boat, or a regular two-egg breakfast; or try some homemade biscuits, toast, muffins, or homemade organic granola. Stop in for lunch and try a free-range burger; or maybe some gumbo, jambalaya, a muffuletta, some red beans and rice, pecan crusted catfish, or crawfish etouffee. Lunch and dinner offerings also include soups, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian delights. Dinner specialties include Gospel Road BBQ Tri-tip, Bourbon St. Pork Tenderloin, Gris Gris Penne, or Oysters Rockefeller, to name a few, with additional options for non-meat eaters. And their specials bring unexpected delights every day.

If that's not enough, Ike's makes delicious fresh baked goods and treats. Scratch-made organic cookies, tarts, muffins, cheese cakes, pies, handcrafted breads, rolls, and biscuits, can be a part of your meal, or you can pick them up to go. For special needs, they can do dairy-free or wheat-free goodies. Ike's also does catering, either buffet style or with table service, with an extensive menu to choose from. You will also find Ike's at a number of local events and festivals - just look for the lines.

When it comes to beverages, Ike's has something for everyone there, also. Organic coffees, teas, hot chocolate, and coffee with chicory compliment the breakfast menu, along with organic whole milk, dairy-free milk alternatives, and fresh-pressed juices. With your lunch or dinner, choose from their ever changing selection of wines, bottled beers, and beers on tap; or try an organic milk shake, fresh-squeezed lemonade, or organic soft drink. Join them for Happy Hour, 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Not satisfied with just turning out excellent food, Ike's works hard at being good stewards of the earth as well. They don't use any Styrofoam packaging, and what plastics they do use for take-out are corn-based or recycled. Ike's is certified by the Green Restaurant Association.

Ike's Quarter Cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week, from Wednesday through Monday, at the corner of York and Commercial Streets in downtown Nevada City. Stop in for a dining experience to remember, and let the good time roll!

By Richard Gorman, KVMR Underwriter Coordinator