Early in the fall of 1917, the young and dashing Red Waldorf left the comforts and riches of his life in New York City for the cold and desperate battlefields of WWI. He quickly established himself as a man of courage and valor for ‘blasting the hell’ out of enemy soldiers with precision shots from his cannon. Specially designed in France, his cannon was considered by many to be the largest one fired in the entire war.

His bravado around the kitchen tents was even more renowned than his weapon of choice. One war survivor said, Red made a bang on the battlefield, but his cooking created an explosion of flavors in my mouth that I’ll never forget. After the war Red returned home to live with his uncle Baron Waldorf in NYC. His uncle had recently erected the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel and it was here that Red lived and worked for almost two years as both cook and concierge.

Restless for more adventure, a Chinese fortune cookie’s message of, Go West for Fame and Fortune, forever changed his destiny. Red said goodbye to New York and headed west with nothing but his famous cannon, a skillet and his dreams. He stumbled upon Reno in 1922 and fell in love with the town. He purchased an old warehouse and converted it into The Little Waldorf Saloon. His saloon become an immediate icon in Reno due to his amazing cooking and the historic cannon that he mounted on his roof and fired off during every college football victory. The Reno Police had to shut Red down because he was making too much damn noise!

1661 N. Virginia Street, Reno Nevada 89503

Email any inquires to toby@lilwal.com