FoodView
Harvest Moon
By Chris Murphy
I learned to love Harvest Moon soon after moving back to Modesto in 1996. After we bought our house, we decide to remodel and had no kitchen. So with our 1-year old and our 6-year old in tow, we explored looking for places to dine out. We had already found a couple of great places and one evening, we checked in to Harvest Moon and was greeted by a smiling Charlene Smallwood and she seated us, perching our little Abbey on a bright orange and yellow tuck and roll booster seat. We were instant fans and ended up eating there about 4 nights a week for months quickly loving the Neil’s Toss, the Dinah Burger, and it’s decadent relative the Dinah Mo Hum Burger (nod to Zappa) and of course anything with crab.
Well fast-forward to today. After a long run, Mark Smallwood sold the restaurant to long-time fans Jesse Wiggins and Marilyn Prescott. This is a perfect fit. They were fans of the food and value the menu and they are restaurant people too. Their company name is the Two Wolves, a nod to strong independent women, but also a look to their heritage as Jesse’s family is part Cherokee and was raised in Savannah Georgia and Marilyn’s family is French Cajun from Louisiana. There are a lot of flavors at work here and the Tale of Two Wolves rings true under the moon and sun of the Harvest Moon.
By day, Marilyn and Jesse have a successful real estate business they run from the 2nd floor above the restaurant. Jesse is very excited about this opportunity as she grew up in the restaurant in her native Georgia and was serving at the age of 15. They love the southern flavors of many of the Harvest Moon favorites and once they get further down the road, they will start bringing some new flavors in to the menu. Jesse’s trinity is thyme, creole and good greens so you can get the idea there. But in the meantime, they have been working tirelessly to get the Moon up and running, with Marilyn’s brother Bobby doing a lot of the work. They have changed the colors, added a cool outside patio with market lights and live music on the weekends with more inside changes coming soon, key on the list, a full bar and redesigned bar area. Exciting plans.
The food is amazing. The favorites are back and made with care. The energy is obvious with many of the kitchen staff and servers in place, making it go smooth. It is a cool feeling: fresh and new but reliable, delicious and comfortable. I was sitting on the new extended patio on this Sunday morning sipping a mimosa, enjoying the people, the passers by and the food and hopefully may get my band on the live music schedule.
Marilyn and Jesse have their favorites and they are really making sure that the love shines through on these dishes. The Crab Omelet and the Crab Sandwich are halls of fame. The sweet potato fries are on point and the appetizers, especially the sampler are so delicious, our faves being the Thai Chicken Sticks and then there is the Cajun Pasta with the spicy prawns. But at the end of the day, a Neil’s and Chardonnay is pretty much all you need. These are tastes you really need to try and it’s time to do it. Your experience will be fun, your taste buds will thank you and you are in the entryway to a bright new future at the Harvest Moon. Make sure you say Hello to Jessie and Marilyn.
Look for extended hours as they get their servers and staff up to full speed and watch their Facebook page for events and food specials.
Harvest Moon
1213 I St. Modesto 95354
209-523-9723
10-6 Sun – Thurs 10-10pm Fri & Sat
@harvestmoonrestaurant
