Fia’s Bistro: Food from a Farm

FOR YEARS, SCHEIDEL’S OLD EUROPEAN Restaurant was a stalwart at the entrance to Alta Sierra in Grass Valley on Hwy. 49, drawing locals and visitors. Now Fia’s Bistro has opened at the same location and is building a loyal following. With a motto “food from a farm,” Fia’s serves authentic bistro fare with fresh, local ingredients.

“It’s rustic, but with elegance,” says Chef Adam Ornellas, a culinary veteran who owns the restaurant with his wife, Teresa. It’s pleasingly affordable too.

Though Tahoe-Truckee and the Folsom-Roseville area have some standout bistro food—for example, the red wine braised chicken with bacon and scallions at Bistro La Petite France in Folsom—western Nevada County has largely lacked this fare.

Fia’s menu is imaginative and affordable, in a casual setting that includes a warm fireplace for wintry nights. Fia’s is named after Adam’s mom, and the food reflects homestyle cooking.

The regular menu is more classic. Fia’s “traditional suppers” include a grilled pork chop, with sautéed mushroom onion gravy; a roasted Cornish game hen served with sage butter cream sauce; steak, grilled ribs and Mama’s sirloin meatloaf (ground in-house).

The supper items— typically about $16— also include homemade soup or salad, seasonal vegetables and potatoes or rice (such as a twice baked potato with scallions and bacon or French rice pilaf).

A weekly seasonal menu displays the culinary talents of Chef Adam. It is revised to offer the freshest organic items available.

One recent night, our table enjoyed the pan-crisp duck breast (served atop British style crumpets, spiced apple pulp, roasted brussels sprouts, shaved pickled carrots and maple jus) for $22.

We also liked the roasted boneless leg of lamb (with confit of butternut squash, raisin, jam, spiced sundried tomato chutney and oven-dried fennel) for $20. “I hand-picked that squash,” Adam assured.

Another entrée was venison medallions (butter pan seared, served with beech mushroom barley, fresh apricot mustard reduction and wilted market greens) for $27. One diner who ordered it assured us the dish was as good as the venison he’d eaten at the Domaine Chandon restaurant in Yountville.

Adam’s food is cooked “low and slow,” some of it with sous-vide cooking method perfected by renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Yountville.

Fia’s also features homemade desserts and a reasonable, approachable wine list. Adam previously ran a restaurant on Hwy. 50 in the Sierra, The Rustic Table, which was popular with Bay Area skiers. He has worked at top-rated Bay Area restaurants, including Masas in San Francisco.

Adam also has plans to open an artisan bakery in Alta Sierra, with coffee and espresso, as well as specialty foods.

10100 Alta Sierra Dr., GV
530-274-7639

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