There are changes afoot at the Maine Street Café, which is nothing new to owner Susan Bodella who, in 2007 started her restaurant in what was Bud’s TV Repair building. “People used to tell me they remember buying their records in here,” she laughs.
Over the years, Bodella has cleaned, redesigned and rebuilt the old space room by room, and created a charming restaurant and banquet facility with the capacity for small, intimate dining as well as larger groups and meetings. With the patio tucked up under a lovely garden, complete with a bar and a pergola where she features local bands, Bodella also has the best outdoor dining in town.
Recently Bodella has made even more exciting changes. She added a partner into the mix, long-time customer and supporter Thom Reeves, and brought in an Executive Chef from Lake Tahoe – the impressive Wenceslao Sandoval.
Reeves is a retired Marine, a Lieutenant Colonel who served in Korea and Vietnam before coming to help build the Naval Strike Warfare Center at NAS Fallon in the mid80s. He belonged to the Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron and flew an F4D-1 and later the F6A, the first swept-wing aircraft to go aboard a carrier. Full of stories and with a perpetual twinkle in his eye, Reeves says he welcomes the Navy at the Café, and “If they can tell me the first squadron I was in I’ll buy them a drink.”
Like a speakeasy of sorts, the answer is DMF(AW)542. “This is my only and favorite place to eat, and has been for many years,” said Reeves, “I think I was her first customer,” making him a proud investor and advisor.
As for Sandoval, Bodella says she got lucky one day when her seafood supplier was at the restaurant making deliveries. She mentioned she was making more changes and looking for a chef. Not long after, Sandoval contacted her, and a few short months later, he was here in town. He made his Fallon culinary debut last week to rave reviews.
With an illustrious 26-year career at four and five-diamond restaurants, Sandoval has brought his talent to eateries like the famous Mangy Moose Steakhouse in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Montblue at Lake Tahoe, and the MGM Mirage and Bellagio in Las Vegas. With his wealth of experience and knowledge, he hopes to up the stakes to ensure the Café becomes known as a high-end dining option in Fallon. He and Bodella have revamped the dinner menu, adding new beef, chicken, seafood, and pasta dishes along with an array of trendy appetizers.
“When I had my interview with Susan,” he said, “I was very excited to see her own farm in the fields, and she mentioned to me that all the produce goes to the cafe, and I said, ‘Wow.’ I told Susan it was my goal and dream to use my own farm produce at my restaurant, go in the morning, get the right product, and use it for the day.”
When Sandoval saw the restaurant, he said “Wow,” again. “It has a lot of potential, the Café, to prepare very nice food, and bring in seasonal items also.” He noticed there aren’t many seafood restaurants in Fallon and thought to himself, “This is my opportunity to bring nice seafood dishes to the table.” He’s been here now for two weeks and says, “I’ve seen many happy faces with our new menu dishes, and I feel very proud of what I do.”
The restaurant is now open seven days a week for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner is Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and most exciting, Saturday and Sunday brunch runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sandoval said he will continue the philosophy to maintain and bring in more local, fresh and seasonal food to the cafe year-round.
Bodella’s excitement for the new changes is contagious. She has been fun to watch over the years – always with a new project, always improving her spot in the world. Last summer, she partnered with local farmers to offer fresh garden vegetables and continues her specialty market, offering a selection of products, including wine and artisan cheeses. We had a bit of a Fallon Post gathering last Friday night to try out the new menu and had the best time. Although we missed some of the old favorites (really Susan, you sacrificed the cheese plate???), the Brussel sprouts were absolutely to die for. And the wait-staff was amazing – you really do love to go somewhere with great servers who are enjoying themselves, know the products, and have fun with you.
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