487 First St West, Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 933-8160
Parking: street parking in the plaza
Hours: Dinner Sun - Thurs 5:30 to 9pm, Fri - Sat 5:30 to 9:30pm
http://harvestmooncafesonoma.com/
Last Visited: March 12, 2006
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
Harvest Moon Café recently opened in January of 2006. Thanks to the P family for bringing us here. The décor is earthy and warm with sunset orange paint and some rustic teal or green depending on the lighting. Olive branches surround the light fixtures and a general olive theme is seen on the menu and in other locations. There’s a bar in the rear and some bar seating facing the kitchen area as well. It’s a cozy atmosphere with tables somewhat close together. The music playing on the stereo reminded me of some Italian style music and some jazz-like tunes.
Chef Nick Demarest, formerly of Eccolo and Chez Panisse in Berkeley, opened this restaurant with his wife Jen, a pastry chef. The cuisine is reminiscent of that of La Haye just off the square. The style of cooking brings a delicate quality to the dishes, with light richness (which although seemingly contradictory, you’ll know what I mean when you taste the flavorful sauces).
Upon our arrival, we were asked if we wanted still or sparkling water. After ordering, we were provided with rustic bread. What was strange is that although we had four people, we were only given two pats of butter, and thin pats at that. I felt like they were restricting us a bit, but we asked for more and were given more.
Most appetizers are between $7 and $12. There’s an emphasis on local ingredients and the menu changes daily to reflect that.
Beet salad with frisee – Sweet yellow, red, and purple beets are coined and plated with frisee in the center. I don’t know my lettuces well enough, but I think arugula accompanied the frisee. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful and presented simply. Two crostini spread with gorgonzola accompanied the salad. Very good.
Other appetizers available this evening included artichokes with prosciutto and chopped egg, sardines with salad, and baby lettuces. There were about six or seven choices available for dinner entrees this evening. All ranged between $17 and $24. Most listed below had fancier names, but I didn’t take home a menu this evening, so these descriptions will be fairly general.
- Pasta with ahi tuna and olives – A hint of garlic and onions are the base for a pasta mixed with green olives, cubes of ahi tuna, and spinach. The presentation is colorful. The pasta is similar to spaghetti, but with larger diameter and very al dente. The olives add flavor to the light mix of tender tuna and spinach. I liked the concept of this dish, but being a fan of sushi, I would have liked it even more if the ahi had been rare inside, but this was still tender and delicious. Good.
- Pork scallopine with fava bean stew – Two pieces of tender pork are pan fried with lots of pepper and a light sauce. Fava beans are stewed with diced pork pieces – perhaps a bacon or ham that give the beans lots of flavor. Spinach is sautéed with garlic and accompanies the pork and fava beans. The overall flavor is rich, yet not too heavy. The pork is juicy and is probably one of the best pork dishes I’ve had in a while. If you like thin pork chops, this is one to try. Very good.
- Swordfish with Sicilian salsa verde and rapini – Swordfish is served over brocolini/rapini sautéed in olive oil. The swordfish is topped with a salsa made of green olives, onions, and fresh herbs. Also accompanying the fish are Yukon gold potatoes that are slightly browned until crispy on the outside. The fish is delicate and the flavorful salsa gives it a lot of additional texture. I didn’t get to try the rapini, but it had great color and looked very fresh. The potato is yummy. Good.
- Brisket with chicken and homemade sausage in a light broth – This dish had an interesting name that I had never heard before. The meat was sitting amidst light caramel colored broth along with tender carrots and vegetables. The sausage round is wrapped in kale that creates an interesting presentation. The brisket and chicken were both very tender and flavorful. The chicken was boneless and moist. The sausage had nice flavor and is on the denser side; the presentation of the sausage certainly made it interesting and added color to the presentation. Good.
A selection of desserts are also available along with after dinner drinks. Desserts on the menu included a meyer lemon cheesecake with blood orange sauce, Scharffenberger bittersweet chocolate pots de crème, and a sweet tart with vanilla bean ice cream. Although they sounded delightful, I was still full from the entree.
Harvest Moon has fine fare with a hint of the Mediterranean. Service is non-invasive and professional, although it somehow didn’t sparkle as much as it could have. Fresh local ingredients and great flavor all around make this restaurant a place to which I would like to return. Check out this local treat.
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