Moody's Bistro & Lounge Takes Dining Back To Its Roots At The 2nd Annual

Moody's Bistro & Lounge is once again taking the concept of serving fresh, organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables to a whole new level when it hosts the second annual "Dinner in the Barn" summer series at Sierra Valley Farms near Sierraville. Mark Estee, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Moody's Bistro & Lounge, and Chef de Cuisine Guy Frenette will prepare a gourmet feast using produce so fresh it was growing in the field hours before then serve the four-course meal in an historic 1936 barn.
Last year's inaugural event was so popular that Estee and Gary Romano, whose family has owned Sierra Valley Farms for 100 years, have expanded the dinners to five evenings throughout the summer: June 20, July 11 and 12, and August 22 and 23.
"Last year, the response to the dinners was amazing," said Estee. "Every dinner sold out. It was really a celebration, with people making the drive out to the farm from all over. They loved the relaxed atmosphere and each dinner had a warm, community feel."
This year, Estee anticipates an equally enthusiastic response. Diners will gather for a four-course meal served family style at Sierra Valley Farms, a certified organic farm and native plant nursery on the Feather River. Estee and Frenette will improvise the menu based on which fresh, organic vegetables are ready to be picked or pulled from the ground that day. The selections, which can also be adapted to accommodate vegetarian diners, will be paired accordingly with red and white wines.
"If you see a carrot at a farmers market or a grocery store you don't always think about where that carrot is coming from," said Estee. "This allows people to make the connection between the food they eat and its origin. Actually being on a farm is a new experience for many people."
The atmosphere is as important as the fresh-picked produce. Guests will enjoy the meals while seated inside a barn built in 1936 by Romano's uncles. Once a hay and calfing barn, where the farmers separated the cows from the calves, the building is now used for winter equipment storage and will be transformed into a rustic dining venue for the event. Through the open back door, diners will have a glimpse of the vegetable crops and a panoramic view of Sierra Valley. Live music will add to the festive atmosphere.
"When you go to a restaurant you eat, and you leave," said Romano. "Whereas at the 'Dinner in the Barn' series I talk about how we pick the vegetables and Mark talks about how he prepares them and why. It's a holistic approach from the field to the fork."
Prior to the event, guests can participate in a tour of the farm to observe firsthand where their meal is coming from and to hear the stories behind each of the outbuildings, many of which were kept intact but renovated to retain the charm of the farm. One of the outbuildings is the former grainery where Romano's uncles used to make oats, wheat and barley. As a child, Romano and the other kids would visit the farm's dairy, pour sour milk into grains they had gathered from the grainery then feed the pigs.
The "Dinner in the Barn" series is not the first time Estee and Romano have paired up to offer fresh, local ingredients. The two have built a strong and enduring working relationship, allowing Romano to personally deliver special hand-selected lettuces and spinach straight to Moody's back doors, stopping to chat with the chefs, dishwashers and bartenders. Their partnership caught the attention of Sierra Business Council, which awarded both of them a 2008 Vision 2020 Award for their commitment to the support of sustainable agriculture.
The farm tour begins at 4 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. Each "Dinner in the Barn" event i