Chef & the Farmer
Restaurant · Kinston ·
Creative locavore New American fare in an urban-rustic spot
Creative locavore New American fare in an urban-rustic spot
"Vivian Howard's restaurant Chef & the Farmer is reopening with a new intimate dinner party concept. It will serve a seven-course tasting menu to 16 customers per seating on select weekends. The restaurant has undergone physical changes to make dining more personal and interactive, with a table at the kitchen pass and the removal of a glass window into the kitchen. Howard will cook and interact with guests during the dinners, and some dinners will feature guest chefs Casey Atwater and John May. The restaurant will eventually reopen with a more casual menu and style of service, and there are plans to add guest rooms for overnight stays." - Matt Lardie
"When chef Vivian Howard announced the temporary closure of Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina, after 16 years, it left a huge void for fans and industry folks wondering when the PBS star would reopen. Howard has been rethinking the restaurant model in response to staffing and sustainability challenges—she lost talented cooks who wanted daytime hours and a better work–life balance, and she recalls that for the first ten years the restaurant was only open five days a week so the team could count on two days off. Her hope when she does reopen is to operate Thursday through Sunday and rely on Viv’s Fridge to keep delivering chef-driven cuisine to people without filling seats; even when eating items like tomato pie or sausage biscuits with rosemary gravy from off-site outlets, “you can taste us in it.”" - Jenn Rice
"Howard’s acclaimed restaurant Chef & the Farmer will remain, but will not reopen this summer. The chef told the News & Observer that because her establishments are destination spots, the current pandemic has decimated the customer base and takeout wasn’t a viable option." - Erin Perkins
"Howard also owns and operates three North Carolina restaurants with her husband Ben: Chef and the Farmer and The Boiler Room in Kinston, and Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria in Wilmington." - Erin Perkins
"Owned and operated by North Carolina chef Vivian Howard and her husband Ben, this Kinston restaurant is described as one of the chef’s primary local ventures and serves as a flagship in her small group of regional eateries." - Erin Perkins
