Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following first appeared in The Floyd Press newspaper on May 8, 2014

The Artist’s Table, a new gallery café, opened on May 2^nd over The Harvest Moon Food Store in Floyd.  The space, which was previously occupied by Natasha’s Market Café, Over the Moon Gallery and the Moonlight Lounge, is now one entity that incorporates a gallery, restaurant and lounge and features seasonally inspired and artistically prepared food.

The business is owned by three Floyd women.  Morgan Ohland of Take Five Farm is the restaurant’s general manager and accountant.  Pamela Pinto is the marketing and event planning director, and Margie Redditt, owner of The Harvest Moon, oversees the art gallery.

The restaurant’s Executive Chef, Joe Brogna, was trained in Boston and other parts of the country and was recommended by a past head chef at Local Roots in Roanoke.  When the opportunity became available, Brogna and pastry and sous chef Jessica Lambert moved to Floyd from Nashville, bringing their culinary artistry into the mix.      

“We have a great team of people. Not just the owners and chefs, but the staff too.  We’ve got lots of different people with lots of skills, people with expertise in all the right places,” said Ohland, who has owned several food businesses and creates value added products for marketing, such as Floydioli, a line of fresh frozen raviolis that are filled, in part, with local ingredients. 

“We’ve worked hard to put together a menu that is accessible and affordable, one that highlights and showcases all the amazing local food you can get in Floyd,” Ohland added.

Entrees are drawn from “the fields, the farms and the sea.”  A wild mushroom spanikopita uses local spinach and feta cheese. The Trout en Papillote is prepared with lemon, garlic, thyme, tomato, salt-cured potatoes, arugula, buerre blanc (butter sauce) and trout from Sunburst Farm in North Carolina.  A pork dish features pork from Bright’s Farm in Floyd. The majority of entrees are priced at $15.95.  Sandwich creations (priced from $6.95 to $10.95) are named after artists and include The Van Gogh, The Renoir, The Picasso, The Worhol and more. 

The café – bright and spacious and filled with art –makes as artful a presentation as the food does.  Plans are underway to host artist receptions, food and art pairings, and other events.  Bursting with Colors will be the first artist reception, scheduled for May 16 @ 4:30.  Featured artists are painter Miriam Sagasti, Pamela Cadmus, who will be presenting a selection of potted plants, and Roxanne Ahlborn showing hand painted purses.

 “Delicious,” “awesome” and “impressive,” were some of the comments heard about the entrees Friday night.  “We were slammed for lunch today and have many reservations tonight,” Pinto reported on Saturday.

Post Notes:  Photo #6: A meal that consists of local free range chicken breast from Ashley Farms, horseradish whipped potatoes, local vegetable medley, torn herbs, arugula, pan jus is priced at $13.95.  #9: A selection of beer and wine and fine loose teas is on the menu. Tea  party events are in the works.  The chalk board behind the tea lists local farms whose products have been incorporated into the current menu. 

Hours for The Artist’s Table are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Desserts are made in house. Sundays are open for Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit floydartiststable.com for more information and to view a menu. ______Our World  Tuesday