In the year and a half that Anne and I have lived here full time, we’ve had some some really good times. Usually they involved either music or food, and the best of them involved both. Friday night was one of those times. We drove over to Floyd to have dinner at the new Over the Moon Cafe and to listen to the music of the Bernie Coveney Trio. It would have been worth the two hour round trip to do either, but the combination of the two made the evening special.

Bernie is a musician’s musician, and he’s played with many of the great ones. He, along with fiddle player Martin Scudder and bassist Tom Klingelhoffer, perform a unique fusion that blends jazz, bluegrass, American roots, and country with a little rock ‘n roll and gypsy guitar thrown in for good measure. Much of the music features Bernie’s own lyrical compositions. For better than two hours we were taken on a musical journey by three accomplished musicians who appeared to be having just as much if not more fun than their appreciative audience.

All you foodies out there take note. There’s a new sheriff in town, and if Friday night’s meal of American tapas (small plates) is any indication of things to come, we have a new destination restaurant. Shana Criner, a regional executive with Subway Restaurants, is the new proprietor of the Over the Moon Gallery Cafe. She and her staff are developing a menu based on locally sourced and seasonal products. The small but focused wine list features several excellent selections from Floyd County wineries. They also offer a nice variety of micro brewed beer, and baked goods that are to die for.

Based on one visit to each restaurant, I consider the food at Over the Moon to be far superior to the more famous Harvest Table near Abingdon. Not only is the food better, it is also a much better value. Additionally, the Cafe Gallery showcases the work of local artists and craftsmen, some of which is museum quality. I’ll have more to say about this little jewel after I’ve had a chance to visit a few more times, but I urge you to give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.