Nat Z.
Yelp
I was in town for a conference, and someone recommended this place. I looked it up, didn't even look at the menu, and decided that we had to go.
Beyond being a restaurant, it's a destination in and of itself, featuring a mini grocery store that sells random home goods and gifts in addition to locally produced produce and food. The restaurant itself is expansive, including both indoor and outdoor seating, and we opted for outdoor in spite of it being a cool rain. There's a big patio area, too, with a fire pit and a scenic view of one of the few expanses of land in this state that isn't covered with strip malls or vinyl-sided substandard housing.
In terms of culinary style, the food is all over the map. We regretted not getting the onion rings, which had been highly recommended to me ($16, and quite a bit fancier than your average bar fare), but did opt for a stellar arugula salad (caramelized onion vinaigrette, heirloom tomatoes, shaved gouda, sunflower seeds, $17), a potato green chile (chili), and a thai green curry. Other contenders included shishito peppers (big these days, $16), gemelli pasta (ratatouille with vegetables, $23) and a whitefish escabeche (mushroom, potato, tomato and herb relish, $30).
The menu's description of the potato dish promised a "mountain" of roasted chiles, but it lacked spice, we thought. Still a tasty and hearty stew, but not the spicy that we had wanted. The Thai curry, featuring that kind of braised chicken that makes your tastebuds go, "ah, yes, THIS is what this bird is supposed to taste like," felt similarly somewhat a bit timid, but with better depth of flavor, and the preparation of both dishes was overall perfect.
We skipped dessert (slow-roasted stone fruit with gingersnap crumble and mascarpone, $11, or mint panna cotta with chocolate crispies, $13).
A full drink menu includes wines and beers, including beers brewed by Farm Club (Czech pilsner, Chamomile Saison, Dry and Fresh Hop Farmhouse, and more).