Community

Photos: S. Panarella, J. Eastwood

7/13/09, 8:35 pm, By A. Pridgen

TT sits down with - Bud Haley owner of Jax at the Tracks

By A. Pridgen -

Editor's Note: Jax at the Tracks (fmr. home of the Truckee Diner) opens its doors Wednesday a.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner service (every day, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. — yep, a Basin restaurant serving past 9 ...revelation) ...in Truckee. Tahoeticker grabbed a couple minutes Monday with owner/Truckee resident Bud Haley who spoke of the "new day" in Truckee eating ..."a reflection of where America is right now — people need good food, local food — and a good value."

Tahoeticker: First up, your background — personal and professional — and how you ended up in Truckee.

Bud Haley: I grew up in DC in the Georgetown neighborhood. I went to school at University of Arizona and married a San Francisco girl — that brought me out West... Moved down to Newport Beach and started Promelis ('98) — a high-end gourmet market akin to the Dean & Deluca. After a few years, we had a chance to move back to Vermont. We did that for five years. We have three boys and I wanted them to experience of living back East.

Bud Haley cont'd: We lived on a mountain top and killed our TV. The kids ran around in the woods and became big snowboarders. We came out here to join the Northstar snowboard team.

TT: ...And the restaurant?

BH: I'd been looking for about three years. ...And (the diner property) came together in a week. It happened really fast. I met the original developer and I said 'this is meant for me.' I put an ad on craigslist (for a chef) and got 80 of the most-qualified resumes you've ever seen.

TT: So, who made the cut?

BH: Melinda Dorn is a rockstar chef. She's also from the East Coast — then was a Montana girl for a period of time. She's been featured on the Food Network. We connected immediately, and she knew with the reset in America — to serve great American cuisine with an edge ...food that people can understand, is what it's all about. We decided to stick with simple things — everything is made in house. Nothing is bought from the big purveyors.

TT: Lots of restaurants start off in the Basin with good intention, some give lip service to avoiding the big Sysco truck backing in. But, it's a seasonal economy and a slow one at that — how do you plan to keep the quality up?

BH: The reality is this — if you are selective and source out and develop relationships with local (vendors), if you're smart on your buying and food prep and labor and pricing — you will deliver the product with the quality and edge it needs. We really are making an effort. This is a local place. We've needed a stand-alone place in Truckee. To be clear, we're not a diner. We're an all-American restaurant with an edge — a place that's welcoming to everyone ...from my friend Sweet to the guy who just got off his private jet.

TT: OK, we'll bite — what's on the menu?

BH: One of our specialties is Huevos Montana. Chipolte cornbread with pinto beans, eggs, cheddar, salsa and sour cream. Sounds basic. But it's made with such fresh ingredients ...everything is done in-house. All our baking is in-house. So when you have your Eggs Benedict, you taste that in the English muffin.

BH cont'd: We just won the best chili at the Truckee chili cook-off — because we did it with a jalepeno crepe topping. From our Kobe meatloaf to our burger menu to choosing omlette toppings from a (checklist), like a sushi sheet. It's custom. It's local. We've got local growers and we're going to work with the UNR (Gund) Ranch. We need to have the best product and that means sourcing local growers.

TT: You've got an uphill climb — not only with the economy, but with the reputation of the old diner as well as the large space. Tell us about your strategy to overcome.

BH: When I came in here, I knew the challenges we'd face with the reputation. This old diner car is like an old set of comfortable blue jeans, but it was junked up. We got rid of all the kitschy/cheap wall decorations — and streamlined the diner car to its original form. We got some of Edison lamp lighting that's really hip right now in NYC and Boston. Those are just a couple of the touches. The experience is a heckuva lot more than what people are used to.

TT: So the space (120 tops) got a little updating, but we gotta ask about the economy and the whole 'why a new restaurant now?' of it all.

BH: I think, unfortunately, what happened with the run up in real estate — restaurants had to pay so much with debt service that drove the prices. We negotiated a terrific position here. We have a product that's significantly improved. And we provide something that someone can afford. This is a place family can go out to and afford it. I have hope for the economy. And we needed a home for home-cooked food; that's what made me want to pull the trigger.

TT: 'K, what's the etymology behind the name?

BH: Jax at the Tracks. We needed to make a departure from the diner and we had to avoid association with a diner mentality. Jax is a family name and it tied in with the location.

TT: So Wednesday's the day?

BH: We had a soft/friends and family opening last weekend. We're excited for all three services. Every day.

BH cont'd: We're going to hit a sweet spot. People who want to eat — we're ready. We've got a terrific staff in place and we're ready for a great relationship with the town of Truckee. When I walk a customer out the door, I feel good that I've had the opportunity to show them what food can be here.

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