The Grill at Quail Corners - Reno, Nevada

With weddings comes a lot of things. The end of your freedom, the end of an era, and the end of a thing called personal space. But there are beginnings as well, notably the beginning of a whole new family, a fusion of the one you start with and the one you acquire.

I already have family on three continents, and three years ago, we conquered both coasts. But my immediate family has always been small, and with the upcoming wedding, my family has been growing fast. There's a stronghold in the west-coast-best-coast now, and I got to meet the best of it in Reno.

I was nervous, but I didn't need to be. After all, these are grandparents, and if anyone knows how to give a warm welcome, it's them. This visit just flew by, and before I knew it, we were at our last lunch, fuel for the flight ahead.

We've eaten so much in so little time, and salads are the only thing our stomachs can take. But I hate those filler-filled plates of iceberg nonsense... Except at Quail Corners Grill.

The Louie-Louie is no-nonsense, a dead-serious salad, dense with cold crab and cocktail shrimp. Goes well with chunks of avocado and a couple of asparagus spears, and the bed of romaine is in just the right proportion to tie it all together.

The Sesame Seared Ahi is just as impressive, with surprisingly fresh inland tuna and a dash of Asian flair. Wasabi and pickled ginger add some zing, and what's not to like about water chestnuts and wontons over bitter mixed greens?

Good salads, nice grill, totally ready to go... Wait there are Cookies. Chocolate chip. Fresh out of the oven and soft enough to crumble. Salad then cookies. Finally, someone who understands a balanced diet.

Off to the airport for my shortest, most pleasant flight to date, and I smile the whole way home. Because there's no better family than grandparents, and these two are some of the best. I've never met a pair as sweet nor a pair as sharp. In their 80s, smarter than most in their 20s, more classy than I can handle, with charm and wit to spare. I'm sad to see this visit end, but at least I know there are more to come!