Jake and Kate of Kerouac's Restaurant
by Errol Porter“Maybe that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars.” – Jack Kerouac
Great Basin National Park is one of Nevada’s greatest treasures, well grounded in White Pine County. Being the only full national park within state lines, Great Basin is a land of extremes, filled with expansive caves, massive mountains, dark skies, and the oldest trees in the world. Just a mere description of such a place conjures an analogous image of fabled lands, fantastical in their size and mythical in what they hold. These legendary settings often describe portals that guide them in, gateways to the “other side.” The same goes for Great Basin National Park, but don’t attempt searching for a looking glass, bridge, or wardrobe; rather, this enchanting preserve’s “gateway to discover” is the small town of Baker.
Baker is a town rich in history dating as far back as 1875. Not only is it located along Highway 50, Nevada’s infamous Loneliest Road in America, but the town itself contains gems that are separate to the national park entirely. Spend some time walking around only to be amazed by the creativity of locals, with desert art on full display in their downtown, and a continued walk is a never-ending, jaw-dropping affair, as the town is clearly full of stories and people that helped shape the American West.
But of course, there are plenty of characteristics that Great Basin National Park and Baker share; namely, remoteness. This remoteness lends itself to this region of White Pine by ensuring it as a dark sky destination. Void of practically any light pollution, this area is a go-to spot of astronomers and stargazers for some of the cosmos’ biggest events, from comets to meteor showers. In fact, it was a meteor shower that originally brought Jake Cerese and Kate Claeys to Baker in 2016. Their summer visit to the national park planted a seed and is arguably the beginning of a shift in the pair’s timeline, as the future owners and supervisors of what would become Kerouac’s Restaurant.
“Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.” – Jack Kerouac
It doesn’t take long to stumble across Kerouac’s, as it’s essentially placed in the heart of this hamlet. Upon entering the restaurant, there’s an instant sense that the aged and classic has been met with the unique and contemporary. Eyes are immediately drawn to the wall of alcoholic drinks and spirits found behind the bar where orders are placed and drinks are made. As the head turns to look around the rest of the restaurant space, noticeable features are the benches, tables, and service station (all made in conjunction with a local carpenter) that are specifically designed to fit the overall aesthetic.
“Kate set out to design it where it could be something that’s back in the 40’s or 50’s, but it can also be in the present,” Jake said. It’s safe to say the goal has been well achieved.
Both Jake and Kate hail from Brooklyn, New York, Jake having spent his life there and Kate having lived there for about a decade. Jake, with baking and pastry experience and degrees in both English Literature and Culinary Arts, spent his last ten years in New York City working in wine and spirits. Kate also has an extensive restaurant background, going as far back as when she was 11. She worked as a sous chef, has earned her master’s in architecture, and designed office spaces in New York for roughly five years before moving to Baker as a restaurant owner.
“I think we kind of felt our combined skills of food, pastry, beverages, and design made us feel like we could take on a big undertaking such as running a restaurant,” Jake said. “… in the middle of nowhere,” Kate added.
Not that it was something they initially set out to do. The couple underwent a “self-given sabbatical” to travel and do seasonal work for a year. In that year, five months were spent in Antarctica, two months were spent abroad in Asia and New Zealand, and another five months saw them do a classic American road trip visiting friends and family, along with national parks and recreational areas. In their travels, they began noticing an unsatisfying trend: emptiness in food options, leaving something to be desired.
“We were having a hard time finding the food we wanted to eat in a lot of remote areas,” Kate said. Often, national parks only have food available from larger contractors which is then just heated up and sold as fancy versions of frozen food. “The view was beautiful, the setting was beautiful, but the food wasn’t actually that exciting,” she said.
Jake and Kate’s visit to Great Basin National Park then proved to be a profound moment of opportunity, as a restaurant and attached motel were for sale. Returning months after their stay, determined to buy and renovate the venue, they did just that. With the same amount of tenacity, they fashioned a restaurant in their own vison that would not only meet their standards of food and beverages, but also semblance. The motel was aptly renamed The Stargazer Inn and the restaurant became Kerouac’s.
Jack Kerouac is a famed beat generation poet and writer, who took several cross-country trips. Utilizing his English background, Jake proposed using Kerouac’s namesake in appreciation and reference for his and Kate’s new restaurant.
“A goal was to have the embodiment of Kerouac here in the restaurant, so a place that he might have gone to in the 40’s or 50’s,” Jake said. “In Kerouac’s most famous book, On the Road, he talks about driving on Highway 6/50 all the way to Ely, so there’s a reference there as well, an actual literary reference, and there’s a possibility he came through Baker.”
The couple set out to make an “every man bar restaurant” with the belief that everyone is on the Great American Road Trip, and the homage to Kerouac’s life on the American road is more than appropriate.
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” – Jack Kerouac
The meals Jake and Kate aim for are “fresh takes on American classics,” as per their mission statement and overall goals. Everything is made from scratch and with as many local ingredients as possible. Having those opportunities and follow through is what excites and inspires them.
“We fully acknowledge that we’re not reinventing the wheel here. We’re making burgers and pizza but we’re just making it from scratch and trying to make it really well,” Kate said. “We don’t cut corners, we don’t take short cuts, we don’t take the easy way out.”
The proof is in the quality of their meals and drinks. Every detail has been labored over with no passivity. Something in which they take well deserved pride in is their alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, always making sure that there is something for everyone. One of their biggest encouragements for those who visit is to “have a restaurant experience,” meaning, being open and trying their originals. But this comes with no amount of pressure. This is completely evident as witnessed in the all-embracing dinner atmosphere, which typically features large tables close together, nearly back-to-back, turning what is already convivial into one big party almost every dinner service.
“And we really are trying, from start to finish, from the service, to the food, to the drink, make it a memorable experience that people take with them.” Jake said. Kate quickly added, “You’ve had a memorable day in the park and we want to continue that positive experience into the dinner hour.”
What Jake and Kate, a couple obsessed with food and an enormous wine/spirits passion, have managed to do is capitalize on that which sets all of Baker aside: hospitality behind their open doors, which makes for the most interesting of dynamics. There is a sense of existing at the loneliest place on Earth while simultaneously being at home.
Feel like trying a “Stargazer Margarita” or freshly made “Dharma Bum Burger”? Kerouac’s Restaurant is open seasonally, May-October, so check on their current season and guidelines by calling (775) 234-7323 or by clicking HERE!
Discover more restaurants in White Pine County by clicking HERE!
way to go Errol!