Sharkey's Ribbon Cutting, Merle Haggard Concert, Mike's Horses, More

Okie from Muskogee was one of Merle Haggard's biggest hits and it was definitely a song that spoke to the era of the Vietnam conflict. What better way to warm up for Merle's Friday concert than catching this version from . . .  well, let's just say "a few years ago." While still five weeks away, the Gary Allan Concert tickets are selling quite well, so please don't miss out! Check our webpage for information on all the 2015concerts scheduled so far for TJ's Corral.

Plenty Happening at the Carson Valley Inn This Week!

Friday's Merle Haggard sold-out concert is definitely the biggest event happening at the Carson Valley Inn this weekend. But, there's plenty more including:

• The Grand Prize drawings in our $50,000 Cash and FreePlay Giveaway promotion are this Thursday at 6 and 8 PM.
• Our new Friday & Saturday B.B.Q. Platter dinner special in Katie's starts this weekend: smoked BBQ beef brisket and a BBQ chicken breast served with mashed potatoes, vegetable, corn bread, smoky BBQ sauce and cole slaw for $10.99.
• We have a Free Sharkey's Grand Opening T-Shirt (while they last) for all Inn Club members who earn 25 points on Monday.
• Our Cinco de Mayo Celebration on Tuesday includes 5X Points all day; Drawings at noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, and 6 PM for up to $5,000; $3.99 Beef Burrito or Chicken Enchilada in Katie's and $4.99 for Two Beef Tacos at the casino bars.
• A slightly unorthodox guide to sports this week at the CVI:
• Watch It Here, Bet It Here: The Kentucky Derby will be shown throughout the casino this Saturday afternoon. While Mike doesn't have a horse running in the Derby this year, he does have three horses scheduled to run this weekend: Air Pocket Thursday at Santa Anita, Five Palms Friday at Churchill Downs and Gimme Da Lute Saturday at Churchill Downs. Remember, in horse racing things can and do change right up to post time!
• Watch It Here, Can't Bet It Here:The NFL Draft will keep the talking heads busy this weekend - watch it ad nauseam at the CVI, but no bets taken!
• Bet It Here, Can't Watch It Here: the Pacquiao vs Mayweather Fight is drawing sports book action now with Mayweather a heavy favorite . . . but we will not be showing the fight.

Sharkey's Ribbon Cutting Friday

Antique Slot at
Entrance to Jackpot Cafe

The casino, Silver Dollar Bar, sports book and Jackpot Café restaurant are all fully operational so it's Sharkey's Casino this Friday at noon. Owner Mike Pegram will be there along with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County, Town of Gardnerville, Main Street Gardnerville and, you we hope!  We mentioned last week that we would include a few tidbits about Sharkey's from time to time:
time to celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand reopening of

• The large picture behind the Guest Services counter is Merle Haggard, Sharkey Begovich and Stu Carnall.
• Some of the pictures and memorabilia in Sharkey's are actually "on loan" from local residents who offered them for display to help us depict the historic character of Sharkey's. If you have something that might also help tell the Sharkey's story, get in touch with one of the Managers on Duty.
• Finishing exterior touches still to come for Sharkey's include two large murals celebrating the "World Famous Gardnerville" and the completion of the display boxes on the front of the building telling more about the Silver Dollar Bar, the Jackpot Café and antique slots.
• What's on the menu at Sharkey's? Click here and read all about it!
• In next week's blog, we may even share why the Guest Services sign is spelled Guest Service's!

Mother's Day at the Inn

Mother's Day is one of the biggest dining out days of the year . . .and between Katie's and CV Steak we provide ample availability right here at the Carson Valley Inn!

• CV Steak is open for dinner on Mother's Day from 4:30 p.m. offering a selection of steaks,
  
  chops, seafood, chicken, pasta dishes and more.  In addition to all regular CV Steak menu options, there are two Mother's Day dinner specials: Alaskan Halibut Oscar with asparagus, crab and Béarnaise sauce for $32.00 and Slow Roasted Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus – a 12 ounce cut served with creamy horseradish sauce for $29.00.  Both specials are served with a choice of au gratin, baked or double-stuffed baked potato plus seasonal fresh vegetable and table-side tossed house salad.  For CV Steak reservations, call 775-783-6650.  The Sunset Menu is not available on Mother's Day.
• Katie's is open 24 hours and is serving a Traditional Eggs Benedict special from 7 to 11 a.m. on Mother's Day and two dinner specials from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Eggs Benedict includes toasted English muffin, grilled Canadian bacon, two poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce and hash browns for $5.99. Katie's Mother Day dinner specials are Pan Seared Fillet of Sole with herbed rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables and Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta with shaved asparagus and garlic bread. Both dinner specials are $11.99 and include choice of soup or salad and Katie's dinner bread. Katie's "The Chandler" dinner special will not be served on Mother's Day.
• Last Reminder: Our Mother's Day Weekend Hotel Package is still available with hotel accommodations for Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9 plus $80 in food certificates for any of our restaurants.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the last set of three April kitchen utensils.  Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Yankee Candle Gift Sets, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Lamb Shank in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Braised Lamb Shank with Chimichurri and Pearl Barley Risotto - a lamb shank braised and slow cooked with herbs, Cabernet and mustards and served with a pearl barley risotto and tableside-tossed salad for $28.00.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: George Pickard is here tonight, The Nighthawks make a one-night appearance on Thursday, the John Dawson Band entertains Friday and Saturday, and Phil Prunier takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• We Thought You Should Know: This Thursday is Oatmeal Cookie Day and we just happen to sell these tasty sweets at the Bakery Counter in Katie's! Sunday is Two Different Colored Shoes Day – come on, admit it, you've always wanted an excuse to do it for a day! Monday is Firefighters Day - and we salute and thank the men and women of the East Fork Fireand Paramedic Districts who are ALWAYS there for us when we need them!

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Sharkey's Reopens This Week, Much More

First Two TJ's Corral Concerts Feature 3 of Top 100 Country Songs of all Time

About this time last year Rolling Stone Magazine assembled a list of the Top 100Country Songs of All-Time. Two of these will be performed in TJ's Corral on Friday, May 1 by Merle Haggard: #8 'Mama Tried' (1968) and #65 'Okie from Muskogee' (1969). Gary Allan brings #81 to TJ's on Thursday, June 4 with 'Songs About Rain' (2003). Thanks to your overwhelming support, the Merle Haggard concert is sold out. However, tickets still remain for the Gary Allan Concert so don't miss out! Check our webpage for information on all the 2015 concerts scheduled so far for TJ's Corral.

Sharkey's to Open This Week!

If everything goes right we should have Sharkey's Casino reopened sometime this Thursday or Friday (much less vague than in the past weeks) with the Jackpot Café restaurant to follow fairly soon (still a little vague, huh!). As soon as the doors are open to the public, we will update this blog posting and also put the word out on our Facebook and Twitter accounts so that everyone knows!

We're really excited about the rebirth of Sharkey's Casino and hope you will share in our enthusiasm after you see all the work that has been accomplished.  Here are some things to look for:

• The brick walls you will see inside were covered with other materials but now reflect some of

  

  Original Sharkey's Table

  the history of the building.
• Most of lighting fixtures from Sharkey's were reused, but with a lot of cleaning and polishing.
• Some of the old bar and restaurant stools were refurbished and others are new. Can you tell which are which?
• The counter-top in the Jackpot Café was built from old tables that were found around Sharkey's.  Some of the more decorative tables were thoroughly cleaned and shined and are in use in the Silver Dollar Bar area and in the Jackpot Café main dining area.  

As you visit Sharkey's Casino in the coming week, here are some things to ponder:

Looking from Bar to Counter Area

• The Silver Dollar Bar has a few hundred inlaid silver dollars. . . Any idea how many?
• As many of you know, the bulk of Sharkey's memorabilia was sold at auction a few years back by the folks who bought the casino from Sharkey's family. We actually bought back a few of the signs that were sold at that auction. Look around and see if you can figure out which fit this category.
• If you enter from the south door, that's the parking area where the Aladdin Flower Shop/Pyrenees Hotel used to be, you'll see some charring on the brick. What past event caused this charring?

Some of the many behind-the-scenes improvements you will not be able to see:

• The plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems are all new.
• The building has undergone structural seismic stabilization. There was probably a simpler way to say this, but the three-word quasi alliteration rolled off of the architect's tongue so smoothly we just had to use it!
• The refrigeration unit for the many beers on tap at the Silver Dollar Bar is in a most unusual yet near-to-the-bar location . . . can you guess where?

There's more to tell you about, and more to see  . . . So check back each Wednesday as we post our new blog. Or, better yet, stop by Sharkey's Casino and check it out!

$5.99 Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs is Camera Shy! Katie's $5.99 Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs is in the final round of Breakfast Wars, another food roundup by carsonvalleytimes.com. The finalists were invited to a photo shoot and . . . well our stellar special declined because, no matter which angle you point the camera, there's just no way to make a chicken fried steak look glamourous in a picture! So, let's try this description: The Chicken Fried Steak is a hearty portion, the Biscuits are made fresh, the Gravy is as tasty as it gets and the Two Eggs are served the way you order them. It tastes fantastic, it fills you up and it's one heck of a bargain . . . . but it just won't sit still long enough for a picture! Nevertheless, this hearty special would sure appreciate your vote by 6 p.m. this Thursday, April 23!

Upcoming Events

• The Sertoma Music & Craft Fair is this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 & 26 in and around
  
  TJ's Corral here at the Carson Valley Inn. The food, fun, music and crafts for the whole family run from 10 AM to 5 PM each day and admission is free! This annual fundraiser benefits many Carson Valley non-profit organizations and activities.
• Mother's Day is less than three weeks away and we guess there's a few of you who still haven't made your plans. So, just a quick reminder about our Mother's Day Weekend Package that includes hotel accommodations for Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9 plus $80 in food certificates for any of our restaurants!
• Our Food Truck Festival is coming up on Saturday, May 23 with a variety of offerings from different food trucks plus beverages, free live entertainment, and a giant inflatable obstacle course for the kids. We're adding new trucks as the event gets closer, so check this page for the latest information.
• World War II Bomber Rides will be available at the Minden-Tahoe Airport, located just five minutes from the Carson Valley Inn, on Monday through Wednesday, June 1 – 3. Click here for more information on this incredible display of World War II aircraft by the Collings Foundation.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the third set of three April kitchen utensils.  Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Earth Day themed baskets from Heartstrings Gallery and Gifts, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Roasted Stuffed Quail in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Roasted Stuffed Quail with prosciutto, wild rice and plum port glaze . . . Served with tableside-tossed salad and  vegetable for $28.00.
• Mike's Horses Last Weekend: Whiskey Ticket won the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course and Chasintheaces  posted a third place finish at Santa Anita.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Jonathon "JB" Barton is here tonight, Midnight Express entertains Thursday thru Saturday, and George Pickard takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights. You can also catch the NBA Playoff games, NHL Stanley Cup matches, horse racing and Major League Baseball!
• We Thought You Should Know: Today is both Earth Day and Jelly Bean Day – how does that make sense? Tuesday is Prime Rib Day . . . but you can celebrate it this this Friday or Saturday night in Katie's when we feature a half-pound of slow-roasted prime rib of beef with au jus, twice-baked potato, creamed horseradish sauce and choice of soup or salad for $9.99.  Hungrier? Step up to a ¾-pound cut for $12.99 or a full pound cut for $15.99.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Gary Allan Tickets On Sale, Sharkey's Casino Update, CVI 5th Anniversary, Much More

Gary Allan Concert Tickets On Sale!

We were going to take a week off from mentioning anything about the Aviation Roundup on August 22 and 23 featuring the USAF Thunderbirds . . . But in viewing Gary Allan's top-10 hit Watching Airplanes (video above) . . . Well, the two subjects just tied together. Anyway, tickets for the June 4 Gary Allan concert in TJ's Corral are on sale and we hope you'll plan to attend! As for the other concerts we covered last week: the Merle Haggard concert on May 1 is sold out – Thank You to all who bought tickets as your support of our concerts helps us bring in more artists to the incredible mountain-view setting of TJ's Corral.  A list of  our six concerts lined up so far are at this link. In addition to the two concerts mentioned above, you can click through to information on  The Davisson Brothers Band (June 12), Rodney Atkins  (June 27), 38 Special  (July 23) and Mo Bandy and TG Sheppard (August 8).

The Outside Sign Shows Up Again - Now Inside in a Most Unusual Location!

When Is Sharkey's Going to Open?! 

This is the most common question we hear these days at the Carson Valley Inn. The way things have been progressing in the last week, we are unofficially projecting we will be open before the end of April - a purposely vague projection because we will open as soon as we're ready! Some more things still have fall into place, but the rapid progress gives us cause for optimism.

In the next few days, you'll see more visible outside progress as some of the signage starts

One of the Many Chalk Witticisms
Over the Counter in Sharkey's Restaurant

going up and the paving begins on the lot immediately adjacent to the building. Inside, carpeting will start being installed as soon as it arrives later this week or early next week. The bar is just about completed and the booths for the restaurant have all arrived . . . But there's much more still to do over the next couple of weeks. There's that small matter of all the slots and videos to be delivered, installed and connected. There are many more decorative and memorabilia-related items to go up on the walls and in the nooks and crannies.

The coordinated efforts of the many trades and subcontractors will soon give way to a well-choreographed "step over each other gingerly" performance by the various vendors whose products and services bring us down the home stretch towards the finish line of opening.

So why haven't we been touting all of the features of Sharkey's and profusely blabbing about how great it will be? The answer is simple: if you have never had the honor of watching Mike Pegram and his architect, Larry Henry, do a project like this, you just simply can't appreciate how much time, thought and creativity goes into taking advantage of every opportunity to make improvements along the way. What we might've announced as something "really cool" a couple of weeks ago has now been tweaked into an approach that even better preserves the history of the location, the legacy of Sharkey Begovich or the customer experience. So, just take our word that the final product will be unique, comfortable and an exceptional "no corners cut" addition to the core corner of Gardnerville!

5 Years Already??? Yep, it's actually been over 5 years since Mike Pegram and his partners bought the Carson Valley Inn. The first few months were a frenzy of remodeling, refurbishing, refreshing and rejuvenation . . . so we had the grand opening of the casino in April of 2010. Next week, we are celebrating our 5^th Anniversary under Mike's ownership so please join us on Tuesday, April 14 for double points from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., free cake and champagne in the casino from 1 to 2 p.m. and again from 7 to 8 p.m., and free anniversary t-shirts distributed randomly throughout the day while they last. Then come back on Wednesday, April 15 for five times points from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Our resident entertainment manager Stew Stewart has been lining up some new acts for our Cabaret Lounge and two of them are performing this weekend.

• Jonathan "JB" Barton finishes up his four-day stint tonight.
• The Kool Shifters Band is in for one night Thursday with a great mix of music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, country, blues and swing. 
• River Road takes the stage on Friday and Saturday nights entertaining with their diverse backgrounds in country, pop, rock, R&B and jazz.
• Steve Lord handles the early week gig Sunday through Wednesday.
• And just a little peek ahead: on Thursday, April 16 we will be featuring Karaoke with Anthony Janssen.

Breakfast Wars: Joey Crandall, the man behind carsonvalleytimes.com is at it again with another Food War – this time it's Breakfast Wars and two popular Katie's favorites are on the nomination ballot: Our Giant Ham Steak & Eggs and our Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs. These hard-to-beat specials are worthy of your vote by 5 p.m. this Friday, April 10. Sure we are biased, but your positive comments have been numerous! 

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Mike's Horses: Horse racing – not for the faint of heart . . . Mike had four horses scheduled to run at Santa Anita last weekend. One scratched, two finished out of the money, and one took first place. The light at the end of the tunnel? The winner's name was Gimme The Lute!!
• Best of Nevada: Voting ends April 17 so please indulge us this last request to give us your consideration in the Best Casino, Best Hotel and Best Restaurant (CV Steak) categories in the Nevada Magazine Best of Nevada poll.
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the second set of three April kitchen utensils.  Also enjoy hot seat drawings for gift baskets from the Blue Cow, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Field Set for Free Roll Poker Tournament: The action starts Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and a full field of 40 will compete for $2,000 after qualifying in February and March. Just one of the many special games and promotions in our Poker Room!
• The April CVI Blackjack Tournament is Tuesday, April 14 with all entry fees and re-buys going to the prize fund. Sign-ups are from 5 to 6 p.m. and the tournament starts at 6:00 p.m. The tournament is open to all INN Club members and the prize pool is distributed to the top three finishers.
• Braised Buffalo Short Ribs in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Braised Buffalo Short Ribs; one and a half pounds of American Bison short ribs braised and slow cooked finished with natural pan sauce, served served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $29.00.
• We Thought You Should Know: Thursday is Name Yourself Day – apparently the one day of the year you can change your name for the day. Friday is Golfer’s Day when we celebrate, not the game itself, but the men and women who play it . . . including the few thousand golfers who stay at the CVI each season while playing our area courses and taking advantage of our group packages or special events like the upcoming Spring Stag. Sunday is Walk On Your Wild Side Day - a chance to do something no one would ever expect you to (like read all the way to the end of our weekly blog).

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Four More Concerts Announced, Secret Circle a Big Winner, Easter at the Inn, Much More

Some of this broke at the last minute yesterday so please excuse us not getting all the concerts in order by date!

• 38 Special Concert July 23: Hold On Loosely is just one of the many Southern Rock hits 38 Special will be performing live in TJ's Corral on Thursday Night, July 23. With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with this and other arena-rock pop smashes such as  “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more. Watch for ticket information soon and make your plans to attend!
• The Davisson Brothers Band June 12: An up and coming group with a unique style fusing a blend of country, southern rock, and bluegrass to create a distinctive sound that, combined with the band's talent and energy, has gained them an incredibly loyal and rapidly growing fan base. The band recently worked with acclaimed producer Keith Stegall on their first national single Jesse James.
• Gary Allan Concert June 4:  Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, April 8.
• Merle Haggard May 1: SOLD OUT . . . However, we will be putting a few Standing Room Only tickets on sale today.
• Mo Bandy and TG Sheppard August 8: Both Mo Bandy and TG Sheppard Sold Out when they last appeared in the Carson Valley Inn's Valley Ballroom . . . so we're bringing them together in the much larger TJ's Corral for a special concert night featuring both artists!
• Rodney Atkins June 27:  Atkins has received six nominations from the Academy of Country Music and two from the Country Music Association, winning Top New Male Vocalist from the former in 2006. His #1 hits include "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)," "Watching You," "These Are My People," "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" and "It's America." 

Mikes Horses: two of Mike Pegram's horses were in the winner's circle last weekend: Secret Circle won the $2 Million Dubai Golden Shaheen on Saturday and Five Palms finished first in a race at Santa Anita on Thursday. All was not roses at Santa Anita as Chasintheaces finished out of the money and Secretsatmidnight was a last-minute scratch. Mike has more horses running this week at Santa Anita. The crew at our Race & Sports Book can tell you the particulars and and we'll give you an update in next week's blog. Kudos to Steve Coburn's California Chrome who put up a valiant effort and finished second in the $10 Million Dubai World Cup last Saturday. 

Car Winner Takes Magic Carpet Ride: Helen Brownfield won the Chevy Sonic at CVI on Saturday but decided to take the $10,000 Cash to help pay for new carpeting and flooring this spring. Interesting story about Helen: she was not planning to come to the CVI on Sunday night, but her husband talked her into it because she had two Golden Tickets for the car drawing. She acquiesced, they both came in and she was playing the penny slots. When the last finalist's name was called it was not hers. However, that person was not present (spouse not as persistent?) so one more name was called . . . Helen's and she wound up being the grand prize winner! Throw whatever cliché you want at this situation but it's proof once again that "it's never over till it's over!"

Poker News:

• Tournament Winners: Donna Negrey and Janice Tucker "chopped it two ways" at the end of
  
  our Ladies Bounty Tournament last Sunday. For those non-poker players (like the guy writing this blog), that means they were the only two left and agreed to split the first and second place prize money between the two of them.  Veronica Pardee finished third.  The next monthly ladies-only tournament is on Sunday, May 3.
• Special Stuff: The crew in the poker room continues to make improvements to their growing list of promotions and special games. The newest is Aces Cracked Spins the Wheel on Wednesdays. Monday and Friday night cash drawings have also been tweaked slightly. You can get all the information on the poker room promotions and special games at this link.

April at the Inn:

• Katie's Nightly Dinner Specials (2 to 10 p.m.) have a new twist on Tuesdays: we'll have a different Chef's Special every Tuesday, always tasty and always value priced. The popular Prime Rib Dinner special continues on Friday and Saturday nights and we've also added a second special: Charbroiled Salmon, a fresh boneless, skinless filet charbroiled with lemon, garlic and butter and served with rice and vegetable for $9.99. Click for more on all the Nightly Katie's Dinner Specials.
• The CV Steak Sunset Specials continue to be a hard-to-beat dining value at just $19. The Sunset Specials are available from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights.
• $50,000 Cash & FreePlay Giveaways with drawings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights highlights our April Casino promotions. Also in the mix: spell CA$H days, ladies nights, 3X points days, 5th Anniversary extras, the monthly blackjack tournament and more.

Easter at the Inn:

• CV Steak is open for dinner on Easter Sunday from 4:30 p.m. In addition to the regular CV Steak menu, two Easter dinner specials will be offered: The Duet of Filet Mignon and King Crab includes a 6 oz. Filet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Sauce and Half Pound of King Crab Claws with legs, drawn butter and lemon for $36.  The Grilled Salmon Oscar includes crab meat, asparagus, béarnaise sauce and port wine glaze for $29. For CV Steak reservations, call 775-783-6650.  Note: The Sunset Menu is not available on Easter Sunday.
• Katie's is offering two Easter Sunday dinner specials from noon to 9 p.m.: Baked Ham with orange glaze and rice pilaf for $12.99 and Roast Leg of Lamb with minted pan gravy and mashed potatoes for $14.99.
• Get the Easter Menus for both restaurants by clicking here.

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Tickets Now on Sale for the Aviation Roundup: we've been writing a lot about the Aviation Roundup on August 22 and 23 and its cast of performers including the USAF Thunderbirds. Tickets are now on sale on the Aviation Roundup website.
• Job Opportunities: The always-helpful staff in our HR Department asked that we remind our blog readers that we still have openings here at the Carson Valley Inn and also at the soon-to-open Sharkey's. Your best bet: stop by the HR office at the Carson Valley Inn or call 775-783-6663.
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the first set of three kitchen utensils . . . a total of 12 such utensils will be given away on Wednesdays in April.  Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Chocolate Shoppe Baskets (what else on Easter week!), ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Roasted Rack of Venison Friday in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Roasted Rack of Venison with Cherry Port Demi - a 4-bone venison rack seasoned with fresh herbs and served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $32.00.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: George Pickard is here tonight, American Made entertains Thursday thru Saturday and Jonathan "JB" Barton takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights. The NCAA Final Four Games? Of course we'll hold the entertainment 'til the end of the game on Saturday and Monday nights and we'll also take your action in the Race & Sports Book!
• We Thought You Should Know: Thursday, April 2 is Tell a Lie Day which we find puzzling since today, April 1, is the day on which people tend to stretch the truth in order to create foolery!  Saturday is Pillow Fight Day but you can avoid such a skirmish buy exercising the privileges of Walk Around Things Day which is also on Saturday. Finally, Tuesday, April 7 is No Housework Day . . . so just plan on spending the day at the Carson Valley Inn.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Merle Haggard Selling Fast, Free Chevy Sonic Saturday, Dubai World Cup, More

Free Car Saturday Night! We've been promoting it all month and now the time has come: this Saturday night we are giving away a free Chevy Sonic or a cash option in our grand prize drawings which will be held at 6 and 8 p.m. in the casino. Don't have a Golden Ticket yet for the free car drawing? Stop by this Friday for drawings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. for more chances to win! And if you happen to be going to Bodines casino this coming weekend, don't fret – we're giving away a Chevy Sonic up there also! Special thanks to our most cooperative friends at Michael Hohl Motor Company who helped with this promotion. 

Silver Wings – One of Merle's Classics!

Tickets are selling quite briskly for the Merle Haggard Concert on Friday night, May 1. Might want to make sure you get yours before too long 'cause this one is trending towards an advance sell-out! Tickets for the Gary Allan Concert on June 4 will go on sale sometime in early to mid-April.

Sharkey's Update of Sorts: We had a great walk-through with the architect on Tuesday of this week. Some of the visions he's been explaining to us are now starting to show themselves and we're getting pretty excited about the look, feel and ambiance associated with the rebirth of Sharkey's. We'd like to share more, but things are happening so fast and furious that our visit was cut a bit short with a half kidding, half serious comment from the general contractor as he walked by us, "Grab a hammer or a paintbrush or move along!!"

Job Opportunities This Friday: Our HR folks will be at the Spring Carson Valley Career Job Opportunity Fair this Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the CVIC Hall in Minden. We're still looking for food servers for the soon-to-open Sharkey's and we have about a dozen positions open here at the Carson Valley Inn. Stop by and look us up!

Forty to Qualify for Free $2000 Poker Tournament: Players in our poker room have been moving up and down rungs on our poker ladder as we get closer to the March 31 cutoff when we determine the top 40 players to participate in the free poker tournament on April 11 with $2000 in cash prizes. The points you earn in the poker room help you climb up the ladder. And, with some of our poker room promotions providing wheel spins which can give you extra points, you never know who's going to suddenly move up on the ladder, move on to the ladder, or drop to a rung below the cutoff. The standings are posted and last we checked at least 15 people sitting below the 40 cutoff could easily move into a qualifying spot with a little more play time or one spin of the prize wheel. Come on in and check it out! (More Poker info for the ladies below)

California Chrome and Secret Circle in Dubai: This Saturday the horse racing world turns its attention 8000 miles from the Carson Valley when the world’s richest day of racing unfolds at Meydan Racecourse and the Dubai Racing Club.  Richest day? Try this: Nine races with total prize money of just short of $30 million! Mike Pegram's Secret Circle is scheduled to run in the $2 Million Dubai Golden Shaheen and Steve Coburn's 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome is slated to go in the feature event, the $10 Million Dubai World Cup.  Interested? Read on:

• We will be showing the races on the televisions in our cabaret bar.
• You can bet the two races with local connections at the Race and Sports Book at the CVI.
• The first race starts at 5 a.m. Saturday. The Golden Shaheen is not until the 6th race and the Dubai World Cup will not start until 8:00 a.m. or after, best we can figure. Anyway, we'll be open before the Golden Shaheen starts.
• For more about the richest day in racing click here.

Imagine this Phone Conversation: Think the Dubai World Cup races are an instant path to riches for winning horses from the USA? That big prize money for each race is distributed to the various finishers, it isn't winner take all. The trainers, managers, jockeys and handlers all get a piece of the winnings. The owners need to get to Dubai and back (Southwest doesn't fly there for $199 each way!), they'll need a place to stay (sure makes the CVI look like a bargain) and dining out in Dubai is . . . well, you would long for the prices in Katie's or CV Steak. Then there's this call:

• Other End: Good Morning, Federal Express, may I help you?
• You: Yes, I'd like to ship my prized thoroughbred from southern California to Dubai and back, first class of course, and can you arrange boarding for the week he is there?
• Other End: Sure, (pause) . . . that total will be $$$$ - no make that $$$$$ - including pickup and delivery and all fees.
• You: Gulp!

The August Aviation Roundup is More Than Airplanes: Don't you think this little guy had his day made when he met one of the Thunderbird pilots at the Minden-Tahoe Airport earlier this week! A memory for a lifetime. Their advance visit to Carson Valley on Monday was most productive and you can catch more in this story posted by Joey Crandall of carsonvalleytimes.com and this story posted by Shane Murphy of The Record Courier. Be sure to mark August 22 & 23 on your calendars for the 2015 Aviation Roundup!

Ladies Poker Tournament Sunday: Our monthly ladies poker tournament is this Sunday, March 29 so that we don't conflict with Easter next week. The fun starts at 3 p.m. when Sharon gives free poker lessons for all the ladies. If you've played just a little, or are somewhat nervous about participating in a tournament, stop by starting at 3 and Sharon will have you tuned up and ready to go by the time the tournament starts. Under the direction of Derek Johnson, the Ladies-Only No-limit Texas Hold'em Bounty Tourney starts at 4 p.m. with the usual friendly assistance by Dean and Roberta. We hope you can join us!

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the last in a series of four March Bakeware products. Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Ghirardelli Chocolate Baskets, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Grilled Duck Breast Friday in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Grilled Duck Breast, a Maple Leaf Farms 9 oz. duck breast marinated with fresh herbs, grilled to medium rare-medium doneness with natural duck jus, served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $28.00.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Johnny Smokes is here tonight, Decades entertains Thursday & Friday, Stew Stewart prowls the Cabaret Lounge on Saturday night and George Pickard takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• We Thought You Should Know: Continuing our series of bringing you interesting and unusual information: tomorrow is Make up Your Own Holiday Day and Friday is Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day (we think our entertainment manager Stew Stewart celebrates this every day -  give him a subject and he'll make up a song title on the  spot!). Have an interesting holiday you'd like to see? How about a quirky country song title? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!

Thunderbird in Town, Mother's Day Package, Sharkey's Update, WW II Aircraft Returning, More

Look Up in the Sky! This Sunday afternoon the #8 Thunderbird Jet will be overflying the Minden-Tahoe Airport a few times mapping checkpoints and landmarks for the USAF Thunderbirds performance at the Aviation Roundup on Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23. Major Scott "Cheetah" Petz will be in town for a Monday morning logistics planning meeting at the CVI with various agencies and committee chairpersons. We are working closely with the folks at the Minden-Tahoe Airport on this event and will post new information as it is available. 

Merle Haggard Concert May 1: Tickets now on sale.

WW II Aircraft Return with 3 Free Rides! Those authentic WW II aircraft preserved and displayed by the Collings Foundation are returning to Minden-Tahoe Airport on June 1 – 3 with plenty of opportunities to tour the aircraft (inside and out) and even take a ride! Included are a P-1 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and, if all goes as planned, a B-25 Mitchell.  As host hotel for the crews, the Carson Valley Inn will be giving away three free rides, one each at the CVI, Bodines Casino and Sharkey's Casino.  Watch the April issue of the Carson & Valley Voice for more information on the ride giveaways. Meanwhile click here for more about the aircraft, the Wings of Freedom Tour stop in Minden, and how to make reservations for a 30-minute "free to move around the cabin" WW II bomber ride!

Mother's Day Less Than 2 Months Away: Mother's Day is a great weekend to invite mom, daughter or any of your relatives to visit from out of the area and we've got a great way for them to stay with us rather than you cleaning out the spare bedroom and figuring out the where put all that "stuff."  Our Mother's Day package includes accommodations in the hotel for Friday and Saturday nights, May 8 and 9 plus $80 in food credits for use in Katie's or CV Steak. It's just $199 per couple and you can make reservations by calling 775-783-6629 or click here for more information.

A Few More Cowboy Packages: We just got access to a few more tickets so we again have a limited number of  Genoa Cowboy Festival Weekend Special Packages available for May 1 & 2. For $279 plus tax you get a room for two people for Friday and Saturday nights, two front section tickets for the Friday night concert, two front section tickets for the Saturday night concert and a $50 food credit. 

Sharkey's Remodeling Progressing Nicely. We are excited about the progress of the remodeling project at Sharkey's Casino. The casino bar structure has been installed, wall treatments are going up in the casino, tile is being installed in the restrooms and kitchen, electrical work is going on along with many of the other steps that are necessary to completely rebuild the inside.  More visible signs of progress will start in a few weeks with exterior painting and the parking lot surfacing. As for that horizontal Sharkey's sign that was lifted off of the vertical Casino sign earlier this week… It's off being refurbished and you'll see both sides of that sign again on the inside when Sharkey's reopens. Still no projected opening date, but it's "gettin' closer!" Anyone remember what Sharkey's was called before it was called Sharkey's? 

Concert Tickets:

• Merle Haggard Concert May 1: now on sale.
• Gary Allan Concert June 4: Look for tickets to go on sale sometime in early to mid-April. 

CVI Running in Two Polls:

• It's Not How You Finish, Its How You Start: We're talking Appetizers (how you start) and our CV Steak Sampler Platter is one of the finalists in the carsonvalleytimes.com App Wars. Voting continues through 5 p.m. Thursday (that's tomorrow, so hurry!) by clicking on this link. The CV Steak Sampler Platter is the perfect way to sample four of CV Steak's favorite appetizers - Shrimp, crab cake, warm spinach dip and Ahi Tuna. Prepared for either two or four people.
• Best of Nevada: Feeling inclined to give us a favorable nod? We'd appreciate your consideration in the Best Casino, Best Hotel and Best Restaurant (CV Steak) categories in the Nevada Magazine Best of Nevada poll. 

As Always, Interesting, Helpful and Even Useful Tidbits and News

• Boxing Update:  If you caught the Boxing Exhibition in TJ's Corral last September, you may remember seeing Nevada boxers Garrett Felling and Jarred Santos in action. Last Saturday, both captured top honors at the College Boxing Regional Championships at the Eldorado Hotel-Casino. Santos won the 132-pound championship bout over Jamal Johnson of Air Force Academy and sophomore Garrett Felling got a win at 185 pounds when his opponent, Chyre Anderson of UNLV, was disqualified in the second round.
• How Many is 9.2 Quintillion? Here's what it looks like in actual numbers: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. This  is supposedly the number of different possibilities there are in filling out a 64 team bracket . . . sure explains why there is so much office time wasted this week each year as March Madness gets started. We say Bring it On! We'll have all the games on our three dozen plus TVs and we'll be patient as you anguish over whether to bet for or against your alma mater at our Sports and Race Book!
• Wednesday Ladies' Night 5:30 to 8:30 PM: The first 150 ladies to sign up tonight receive the third in a series of four March Bakeware products. Also enjoy hot seat drawings for Popcorn Gift Baskets, ladies-only drink specials, a ladies-only slot tournament and more.
• Cabaret Lounge
• Elk Friday in CV Steak:  Our Friday Game Special this week is Grilled Elk Medallions with a Brandy Cherry Demi: two 3-oz. elk tenderloin medallions grilled and finished with demi and sundried cherries and served with tableside-tossed salad, vegetable and your choice of potato - au gratin, baked, or a one-pound, twice-baked potato . . . all for $29.00.
• Free Entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge: Steve Lord is here tonight, Just Us entertains Thursday - Saturday nights and Johnny Smokes, an incredible one-man-band, takes the stage Sunday through Wednesday nights.
• We Thought You Should Know:  Sunday is Goof Off Day, as if some of us need an excuse!

Comments? Have questions or comments about the CVI? Use the comments section below, shoot us an email or just pick up the phone and call us @ 775-782-9711. Hit "0" when the automated voice comes on and you'll go right to the hotel operator who can get you to the correct person or department.  We have a lot more coming up at the Carson Valley Inn so check our Blog posting every Wednesday morning!