Skyline Cafe decorates dinner with twinkling lights by Jessica Groach, Outpost Contributor I'm fairly new in town and I love to eat out A LOT. So I was thrilled to come across the Skyline Cafe with some friends on a Saturday night. If you're looking for a great place to take a date for a special dinner, or even to get together and talk with friends, you should really check it out.The meals are just perfect for sharing. It's situated in the west Reno hills off Skyline Boulevard with an enviable view of the entire city. And some of the other restaurants in town ought to envy the dinners at the Skyline Cafe as well. The Skyline has a welcoming, friendly atmosphere, as it is rather small, much like a little house. Upon entering, the first thing you see is a wall on your left that is covered from end to end with pictures of previous customers wearing huge smiles, which is always a good sign. As you walk in you have a direct view of the kitchen, which is obviously clean, and the restaurant staff bustling about as they assemble the food. Skyline Cafe looks nice even it's rainy outside. Photo by Michelle Fraser. The tiny bar is on your right, with only about eight stools. It's surrounded by just a few tall round tables, which might seat only two or three people each. Because of its size, the restaurant's wait tends to be fairly long. If you're lucky you can wait at the bar (like we did), or if you're not so lucky, you're stuck in the cold, literally, because there's not enough room to wait inside. We had a drink at the bar and watched some television, and after about 30 minutes we were seated at a nice long booth inside the dining room. The size of the table was great for me and my two friends, considering all the food we were brought. The dining room is tiny as well, with about five or six booths lining the walls and only about 12 small tables in the middle of the room. Servers seemed to be bumping into each other. The walls are pink, the tablecloths and linen napkins are white, and chandeliers hang throughout the dining room. All these combined make the room feel too formal, too warm, and too stuffy. The dining room has nothing but glass for one wall, the same wall with the door leading to the small heated patio. This makes up for the stuffiness. The view is spectacular. You are high above the casino neons and the twinkling of neighborhood lights, and the effect is cozy and relaxing. I actually could have sat looking out the window and sipping a drink all night. We were immediately brought a basket of warm bread (these are refilled often) and glasses of water, both of which I always love in a restaurant. And it's a good thing we had these because although our server was very pleasant and helpful, she also took about 10 minutes to greet us. Upon opening the menu I realized that for someone like myself who eats out often and spends $6-$7 an entree, my wallet was going to feel a pinch. Almost every menu item is in the $12-$15 price range, and a couple go as high as $20. The options are mostly Italian in flavor, ranging from pizza to seafood or steak and including a variety of delicious pasta dishes. I ordered a Cajun Caesar salad; my two friends ordered pastas. The special that night was a penne paste topped with pork loin medallions and covered in a sun-dried tomato and red pepper cream sauce for $14.95. One of my friends ordered that. The other ordered angel hair pasta in a pesto sauce, which ran for $11.50. All entrees do, however, offer a choice of salad or soup, which excuses the prices. The soups offered that night were minestrone (always available) and clam chowder (the second changes nightly). As someone who has waited tables, I found the server to be very knowledgeable and polite. She apologized immediately for our wait. And she thoroughly explained each dish and its price, making suggestions along the way. She also stayed on top of our bread refills, which is a big deal for a bread lover like me. Skyline Cafe's delivering car is waiting for a call. Photo by Michelle Fraser. Once we had ordered, the food didn't take very long, although the dim lighting and the warmth in the air were contributing to our growing sleepiness. Our portions weren't too big, but big enough that none of us could completely finish them. My Cajun Caesar was piled so high that lettuce fell to the table. Unlike many caesars I've had elsewhere, this one had mushrooms on it, which I wish I had known so that I could have avoided them. However, the salad was delicious. The cajun seasoning had a definite kick to it, and anyone who can't handle spicy foods is cautioned to avoid that one. I love spicy food, however, and thoroughly enjoyed my salad, so much so that I kept eating even when I was totally full because it tasted so good. The three of us shared our meals. The special pasta with pork was absolutely wonderful. The cream sauce wasn't too thick so as to be filling, but refreshingly light and with a hint of spice from the red pepper (not as spicy as the cajun chicken). The pork medallions were cooked to be tender, not dry, and had a certain smoky flavor that was quite delicious. The angel hair pasta with pesto was chock full of garlic; in fact garlic was the only flavor. It was quite good, but too garlicky for me to have eaten a whole plate of it. All in all we totally relished our meals and asked for to-go boxes, not wanting to leave a crumb behind. The total bill for the three of us came to $37, not including the drinks we bought at the bar (we only had water with dinner). We were stuffed to the gills, which was too bad because the dessert choices looked phenomenal. They offer cheesecake, tiramisu, Kahlua cake, carrot cake, and even a dish of spumoni for light dessert eaters. In addition, espresso, cafe au lait, and cappuccino (regular and chocolate!) are offered. I think I may go back soon for dessert and cappuccino and spend an evening on the patio. Aaahh, how romantic! All in all I would suggest that the next time you're in the mood for dinner with a date or just some good friends, head to the Skyline, share a pizza, and let the magic happen. I haven't lived in Reno very long, and I know how it can be to look for new places to eat. The prices may be a little higher than what I normally spend, but if you're in the same boat, just look at what you get! How many other restaurants in town have the city spread out at their feet and food you could eat all night to boot? I think I've found a new favorite spot!   Skyline Cafe 3005 Skyline Blvd. (702) 825-5611 (reservations accepted) Hours: Daily, 5 to 10 p.m. (dinners only) High point: Breathtaking view from patio Low point: Small dining room can cause long waits Visa, MasterCard, Amex and personal checks accepted   copyright 12/8/97 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost