Sept. 09–It has been a year since Bay Area chef Darius Somary made the leap. He closed his catering company, Lafayette’s SpringLoaf, and moved his family to tiny Sutter Creek, a town that dates back to the Gold Rush.

Even Somary admits it was a drastic move. But Karen Sage and Chuck Laughlin had just renovated the 19th-century Hotel Sutter on Main Street, and they were looking for someone to give its restaurant a makeover as well.

As for Somary, his post-Oliveto days of catering lavish weddings at the Presidio and Fort Mason, were taking a toll.

“After 10, 12 years, I got very tired of loading and unloading the truck,” he says. “My wife and I were saying how nice it would be to have a restaurant.”

The result is a farm-to-fork delight, where the windows spill out on Main Street and the menu offers just enough edge to please even the most cosmopolitan foodie — halibut with saffron-miso broth, for example — but enough familiarity to keep even the least adventuresome diners happy too (hello, bacon).

Naturally, we had questions.

Q How big an adjustment was the move?

A There was a little bit of culture shock. But then I went to Jackson and thought, OK, there’s Starbucks and Jamba Juice — OK. (Laughs) But then I fell in love with this.

Q What were some of the biggest differences?

A The closeness to nature. It’s an exciting place to play. Everyone goes fishing, goes to the river, into the wild. Our kids are elementary school age — and yesterday, we discovered Roaring Camp in Volcano. The other thing I personally like a lot is that in Lafayette, life is very rushed. There’s lots of pressure to sign your kids up for things. That pressure doesn’t exist here yet. And the people are incredibly candid: If they like something, they will tell you. If they don’t, they will TELL YOU. I’ve met more people here in one year and really know who they are than I did in 12 years in Lafayette.

Q What was your goal for the Sutter?

A It was always the plan to keep the Sutter a meeting point for local people, but we had to keep the menu interesting enough for wine clubs, Bay Area (visitors), and close enough to locals as well. We’re not trying to be super fine dining. It’s close to comfort food, but a step up — for people who are a little more adventurous. You could call it country fine dining.

Q And the wine? Your wine list is very Amador-centric, and you’ve got your own label as well. How did that come about?

A When we opened the doors, literally every day there were people with boxes of wine. It was a nice problem to have! So we did a little white wine with Bella Grace and a little red with C.G. Di Airie. They stood out, and they created those with us and for us.

Q Let’s talk about Brussels sprouts, because your take — fried with crispy bacon and a lemon aioli — is amazing.

A (Laughs) We’ve converted so many people with it! I tell them, try them. You send them back, and I’ll pay for them. Instead, they order more.