Page 117 - SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

A TALE OF TWO FAMILIES
Worth the wait!
The story behind Decant is really a story of Italian and Oregon fami-
lies intertwined. Materfamilias Miriam Barchi grew up above her par- Worth the wait!
ents’ restaurant La Tavolozza in Florence, which Colburn shares had
a Michelin star. The restaurant is no longer around. Her grandfather
Nelio Barchi had previously been the chef for the Fiorentina Soccer
team prior to opening his own restaurant.

Miriam met and married a Californian who played professional baseball
for the Fiorentina team and both later moved to California, where she
went on to work for 23 years at the Michelin-starred Auberge du Soleil
in Rutherford (in the Napa Valley) as a captain and sommelier. There she
met Todd Meyerhofer, Decant’s current chef and her second long-term It’s life. It’s live. Don’t miss it
partner, who has also been a chef at the Culinary Institute of America’s
Greystone restaurant. Paula Poundstone

Miriam’s daughter Jessica was raised at the family ranch in Calistoga From the #1 rated NPR show, “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!”
and fell in love with a local Southern Oregon boy. So, the whole family
uprooted to move north to the Rogue Valley to join Jessica’s older sis- Thursday,
ter, who already worked in the wine business locally. Jessica admits that, April 28, 7:30pm
sponsored by
“We had a vision of opening a restaurant for Miriam to run and retire Ron & Myra Silverman and
doing so. We also selfishly wanted her close by so Luca [our seven- Helen Hanson & Bob Walden
month-old son] could be raised near his grandmother.” $29 | $32 | $35
Lisa
COLIN MOCHRIE
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PLACE (of Whose Live it is, Anyway?)

According to Jessica, the inspiration for Decant “was to create an Loeb
organic fine-dining restaurant in Southern Oregon. Last year while Featuring Master Hypnotist
pregnant with my first child, I became hyper aware of everything I was ASAD MECCI
putting in my body and realized that while I eat all organic at home, I
sponsored by Precision Electric &
sponsored by S & B James Construction,
had no idea the quality of ingredients while eating out. Finding good RV Messenger and Southern Oregon Magazine Medford BMW-Nissan-Volkswagen
quality, local, and organic based restaurants proved very difficult.” Friday, April 29, 7:30pm Saturday, April 30, 7:30pm
$29 | $32 | $35 Youth/Stud. $20 | $23 | $26 $42 | $45 | $48 Youth/Stud. $30 | $33 | $36
She says the restaurant focuses on Modern American cuisine with Italian
influences, according to Colburn. It has an Italian farmhouse charm and
features 12 tables inside and 13 tables outside, one next to an Italian-
inspired fountain. The indoor space is cozy and the charming and inti-
Menopause
mate outdoor dining space is also available, even throughout the colder M enopause
parts of the year. She adds that her mother put in “a fire pit lounge area THE
that will reopen when the weather permits.” BROTHERS REED The Musical
.
sponsored by Rosebud Media &
sponsored by Lynn & Doris Sjolund
Stephens Media Group
NAVIGATING THE MENU Friday, May 6, 7:30pm Tuesday, May 10, 7:30pm
With its focus on rich meats and dense pastas like gnocchi, this res- All seats $28 | VIP package $75 $42 | $45 | $48
taurant delivers big portions that are ideal for sharing. Butter abounds
here, and if you are a fan then you will undoubtably enjoy it. I have to
admit that I was surprised about the number of ingredients and how
complex and rich the dishes were.

What intrigued me the most was the Italian side of the wine list. Colburn Featuring Original Heart Members
is offering a small official by-the-glass list: five options the night that I sponsored by First Interstate Bank & Moss Adams
went, priced from $12 to $18, including a non-vintage Champagne. Saturday, May 14, 7:30pm Sunday, May 15, 7pm
Options include a Pigato, a white Italian grape found mostly in Liguria, $29 | $32 | $35 Youth/Stud. $20 | $23 | $26 All seats $30 | VIP package $155
along with other options like a Malvasia from the far south of Italy in
Basilicata, an emerging Southern Italian region where director Francis Visit craterian.org or call 541.779.8000
Ford Coppola opened a luxury resort a decade ago. The list also features for more details or to purchase tickets.

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