Watershed’s owner Ian Moll said upon its closure: “The decision made itself. It wasn’t sustainable. I guess to sum it up, the business climate was pretty bleak. I don’t think it was just us.”
As could be expected Moll was disappointed to have to close the doors to a Nevada County icon.
“Since the day we took the space over we considered it our responsibility to hold on to for the community for as long as we had it,” he said.
It’s unknown what impact the closure of Mill Street to vehicular traffic had on the businesses.
Grass Valley wasn’t the only town to wave goodbye to some of its favorite dining spots in 2022.
Downtown Nevada City’s Sushi at Nourish closed this year, with The Union unable to contact owners for a statement. The restaurant’s space on Union Street remains closed, with signs of a new business opening in its wake.
Lefty’s Grill, which was a mainstay at the foot of Broad Street closed in August. Boasting a prize from the World Pizza Challenge, owners Chris Duncan and John Cammack had made it through multiple floods, the pandemic, a relocation, and a lot of uncertainty.
The partners said in an online statement: “These last 14 years of service in this wonderful community have been a blessing…unfortunately it got to be too much.”
The space vacated by Lefty’s Grill remains available for lease.
Not all restaurant news from this year is bad.
While La Gastronomia—the authentic Italian eatery drenched in tradition—remains open, their format has changed. No longer offering deli services, the shop is now mainly a restaurant but still carries Italian specialties like salami, vinegars, and baked goods.
Many were sad to say farewell to Paulette’s Country Kitchen. In its former location, the famous fast-food chain Wendy’s moved into the same spot after much construction and demolition of the building that housed Paulette’s.
Across the highway, McDonald’s was under construction for much of the year, reopening in the fall.
Also Delish Bish in Nevada City took a step up as they relocated from a small space on York Street to a relatively sizable one on Broad.
Delish Bish owner Rachel McMahon opened her eatery as an alternative to late-night cuisine options and ended up expanding, growing out of her space and taking over the location of what was Calla Lily Creperie. McMahon describes her food as “globally-inspired street food.”
“I think that people should know that we are such a community-based place and that we are really about serving the community and growing relationships,” McMahon said. “Some customers we have every day that we’re open. We are here to make this place better and to create a late-night culture. That’s why I started this.”
Also on the move was Sushi In The Raw. Founder and longtime owner Kaoru Suzuki sold the restaurant to Erik Dutillieul, citing his need to return to his home country of Japan to help his aging parents.
“I suggested (Suzuki) bring it over to (California Organics),” Dutillieul said upon the sale. “I think the Seven Hills business area is a big part of our community and it’s exciting to be a business owner here ad put some energy in here.”
