Café Sierra Negra, the brain-child of Melodie Milhoan, resident of Abiquiu, New Mexico is named for the mountain that rises behind the café next to the Rio Chama. Sierra Negra, meaning Black Mountain derives its name from the black, volcanic, basalt rocks that have rolled down and covered the mountain, as the valleys and arroyos formed from erosion.
Rising out of the valley the mountain looms large from all points in Abiquiu, though not as famous as the mountain Georgia O’Keeffe called her own, the Pedernal to the West.

Melodie and her husband, Artist Ron Milhoan moved to New Mexico in 2013, and build their modest home and Studio on a mesa on Sierra Negra. Melodie worked for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum managing the tours of the O’Keeffe Home and Studio for 5 years until the Covid 19 Pandemic forced the museum to stop the tours.

“The opportunity to take over the former Flourchild’s Bakery Building came in the late Spring, and I jumped on it. I’ve never had my own business before and thought it was now or never! Over all it’s been a rocky road of learning experiences negotiating the many puzzling aspects of permits, licenses, and design of both the physical building; still going on… and the Food, also a work in progress.
“I couldn’t have picked a worse time to start a café restaurant,” says Melodie. “I can look at it two ways: It can’t get worse! It can only get better! This way I can grow slowly and fine-tune the menu and the service before the busy summer season.”

Melodie describes herself as a natural cook with tons of restaurant and catering experience. In California she worked in all aspects of the industry for more than 35 years starting at the age of 18. She took a hiatus from the business in 2000 and worked for the State Parks, then managed an Art Supply Store before moving to Abiquiu.
Melodie’s food philosophy is to serve healthy, organic when possible, affordable, tasty food that pleases most everyone. She is a follower of the 80/20 food rule where 20 percent of her menu is made of meat and the rest derived from plants.
Her menu reflects the experience she has had in the business. She is always trying new recipes and is open to all ideas. Local favorites on the menu include Green Chile Stew using local chiles, served with rustic French bread, Fish Tacos with blackened Salmon or Cod on homemade corn tortillas and Spinach Mushroom Crepes with Sour Cream. Fresh baked muffins, cinnamon rolls and cookies as well as Carrot cake and brownies are also on the menu. As the year progresses there will be changes as she determines which dishes will stay and which may go as well as introducing specials every week.
Once the pandemic has been contained and the dining room can open there will be a celebration opening. Guests can appreciate Ron’s many paintings adorning the dining room walls.