It took us a while to make it out to The Farm on Adderley, but we finally dropped in last week and yeah, we get it now. It's pretty easy to see why people are so crazy about this place. It's hip, it's spacious, it's a point of destination for hipster celebrities.Unfortunately, the vegan options at The Farm are pretty limited. In fact, as far as vegan entrees go, there is only one. It's called the "Claypot of Winter Vegetables" and it's made up of king oyster mushroom, salsify, collard greens, garlic confit, butternut squash, and gigante beans. We expected it to be a big bowl of steamed vegetables, but it ended up being more like a stew with a little bit of broth. It was very garlicy. It was good, but certainly not anything to write home about. And while it's not the best vegan meal we've had in the neighborhood, it doesn't disappoint. We're just glad to have an option at all, especially since Pomme de Terre and Picket Fence have a grand total of zero main courses for vegans. And if Purple Yam's menu from their SoHo restaurant is any indication, they won't have any vegan-friendly meals either.
The Farm does not skimp on the atmosphere, but we're no restaurant critics so we'll leave the smooth talkin' up to the Times.
"It is comfortable, airy and spacious, with plenty of room between tables. Though the décor is more city clean than country cluttered, there are warm touches throughout, like the antique oil lamps among the wine bottles and the mix-and-match vintage chairs that appoint the tables."Agreed. Awesome atmosphere, great job. Value, we're not so sure about. The Winter Pot, at $17, is certainly not cheap. And while we're ready to pay more for local ingredients, it's tough to justify spending that much on, well, a bowl of vegetables. Throw in a little tempeh or seitan and we could be fooled into thinking we're getting more of a meal. So with its current menu, The Farm isn't really worthy of a weekly outing, but it's the perfect place to bring friends and relatives to show off Ditmas Park. Especially if they're paying.
4 comments:
Pretty much accurate.
As a non-vegan who has been there twice and gotten the same thing each time (grilled trout with beans, which is no longer on the menu), I still agree with your review.
Since their menu is always changing, you should check back at their website for new seasonal vegan dishes.
I'm a fan of the Farm and anyone else who is going out of their way to produce food that's locally and sustainably sourced (Diner/Marlowe&Sons/FlatbushFarm/Franny's). I live in the hood and have been there a lot. I think that if you believe that $17 is expensive for what you've reduced to a bowl of vegetables then I don't think you really get what that is or what it takes to produce that. Most people want cheap and a lot of it. I think that thinking is what has supported the crappy industrial food supply we have available to us. Anyway vegan cooking doesn't really seem to be their focus.
i had the same experience with that dish. i hope their next season's vegan dish is more exciting...i had a salad (ordered without cheese) that was excellent; i forget which one.
I haven't done so yet, but a waitress there informed me that vegetarians often order just a side of their beans - that's how tasty they're supposed to be.
As a vegetarian, I eat there pretty often, but often order sides and salads. Now that I know people make special requests there, I'm going to try that next time.
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