The Moraga Bar(n) - a French Laundry For Moragans?

Lamorinda Patch had the pleasure of joining and the for a small get-together at the Moraga Barn Friday, and learned there are plans afoot for Moraga's venerable watering hole.

A team of local restauranteurs hope to bring a "Napa Valley" dining experience to Avant's recently LEED Platinum-certified landmark structure, and talking with locals around a blazing outdoor fire pit cemented our longstanding impression of a pent-up local demand for such a venue.

Mayor Karen Mendonca was on hand for a briefing on the proposal, presented complete with renderings and a sample menu, and the idea did sound appealing.

Avant and the restaurant team said that, if approved, their proposal would lean heavily on locally grown and produced foods and wines, could provide the town with $125,000 in annual sales tax revenue, and would be built without threatening the Barn's coveted LEED Platinum certification - currently the only one of its kind in Contra Costa County.

"We have a commitment to green building and feel we have demonstrated that commitment," Avant said Friday. "At the same time we feel we can bring this building back to its former intended use and benefit both the town and the people of Moraga."