Moody’s Bistro & Lounge : Cali-Bistro Cuisine
Posted on June 3, 2008
Moody’s Bistro & Lounge is located in the Truckee Hotel, and serves up fine Cali-bistro cuisine that is hard to beat.
Chef and co-owner Mark Estee really values organic, local, and sustainable ingredients—he name checks Niman Ranch in his crispy pancake of pig’s trotters ($10) served with a dollop of sauce gribiche and a drizzle of aged balsamic, and the salad of Heidi Watanabe’s heirloom tomatoes ($12/$16 with cheese) was spectacular: four kinds of delectable tomatoes (Pineapple, Brandywine, Orange Persimmon, and Cherokee), served with three kinds of salt (Maldon, sel gris, and Hawaiian), and creamy burrata cheese from Gioia Cheese Co. in So Cal (who also supplies A16 and Cowgirl Creamery with that wicked creamy goodness).
Another star on the menu was the crispy and nicely browned sweetbreads ($10) that are pressed, and served with a frisee salad topped with a local egg, sunny side up, with some ciabatta on the side. The warm brown butter, sherry vinegar, and whole grain mustard dressing made the sweetbreads sing (or was it the jazz singer in the other room?). I could have made a meal of this on its own. Damn. Serious luxury.
Lastly, the can’t-miss dish was Ernie’s salmon ($27). Ernie is a firefighter in Reno who heads over to Bodega Bay to fish, and brings the salmon back with him. The night we dined, it was less than 24 hours old. That’s some fresh fish, baby. And the bed of summer vegetable risotto only made is more delicious, along with a hint of truffle oil and baby fennel relish on top. Stellar.
Other dishes I wish I was feasting on in SF include the big ass (yes, that’s its name) Niman Ranch pork porterhouse ($30), braised veal shank cannelloni ($24), and they even serve onglet ($18/$28 with foie gras). There’s also a tasting menu. No, this is not your typical mountain dining. Yes, I am coming back.
Desserts like the fresh berry tart ($8) with lemon curd and crisp shortbread crust was the essence of summer, but so was the monster serving of peach and lavender crisp ($8), with burgundy cherry gelato made from “The Latest Scoop” in Berkeley (there was also a delicious peach champagne sorbet on the menu). Wines are well chosen, and plentiful—be sure to engage the wine director if you can. Service was spot-on—our server was quite knowledgeable about every dish, and very observant, but nicely easygoing at the same time.
The atmosphere is cozy—you enter through a deco-inspired lounge with big booths and live jazz (often big names) playing Wed-Sat (kicking in Wed-Thu at 8pm, and 9pm-midnight Fri-Sat)—the acts are booked by co-owner JJ Morgan, who was the owners/booker/GM at the Up & Down Club in SF for five years.
The dining room has marigold sponge-painted walls, vintage bistro and aperitif lithographs, large mirrors, striped carpet, and butcher-paper topped tables. Jazzy. Pass through to the back, and there’s a patio with a seaside-inspired awning of sunny yellow stripes and charming lights in the evening. Excuse the lame pun, but I’m gonna say it anyway: Moody’s seriously hits the right note. Tweet!
Article by: Marcia Gagliardi
» Filed Under Restaurants Tags: Tags:Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe restaurant, Moody's Bistro & Lounge, Truckee Hotel
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