A new season at Farmhaus

What is really good for me, when it comes to writing about Farmhaus, is that they change their menu so much that every time I have gone there, they have a different menu.  Things that are locally found change throughout the weather patterns and the seasons so everything is new and different.  My wife and I went to Farmhaus this past Friday night.  We thought that we would enjoy our Black Friday out while the rest of the world was still shopping.

Farmhouse had a special tasting menu and with some seafood items on the menu, my wife grabbed that as I went ahead and ordered two larger plates from the regular menu.

So, she started her's with a little chef's tasting of a little corn cake with some yummy things on it: like shaved foie gras.

She then had a dish which was potatoes, mushrooms, foamed up eggs and caviar.  

Then the next dish in her tasting list was a sun choke soup with mushrooms on top.

She then had the Bay Scallop Gratin.

Next came a pork loin, with apples and greens and a mustard sauce.

That was all finished with a plate with a piece of chocolate cake and a piece of a coffee flavored cake with little flavors that added up to a Bourbon stout.

Here is how you can judge if the food is good enough for my wife: if she eats all of it or as much as she can. My wife is on a diet and if she eats the food and loves every bite of it and is willing to come back, then you know it has to be good.

What did I get?  I ordered the Porchetta dish.  It is done in a Korean style with home-made kimchi.  The pork belly is sliced thick and cooked tender so it has that looks and smell and taste of bacon and goes so well with the warm puffy pancake like buns.  I like this at a 4 out of 5 stars.

I finished with the bacon meatloaf, which may not seem so great at first, but they slice off these big chunks of meatloaf and then wrap them in bacon, like a Filet Mignon.  There wasn't a dry part in the whole dish.   The yellow potato mash was good at sucking up excess sauce giving it more flavor.  The crunchy onions went well with the tiny pearl onions and everything just went well together.  I'd say a good 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 on this one.

Overall, if you haven't been to Farmhaus this season, please check them out and enjoy what you can.

http://farmhausrestaurant.com/

Again with the Farmhaus

Let me say that for the price, Farmhaus has some great food.  I know that you can pay more at other restaurants but at Farmhaus, someone who makes less than $28K a year can have a nice night out and be treated like royalty.  Not only were we treated nicely, but I asked to sit at the bar where we had perfect view of the kitchen.

In fact, the out of focus server coming up towards the camera was our server for the night.  His name, as listed on the receipt was: Scratches.  So, after a pleasant conversation with Scratches, we ordered our drinks, in this case, a bottle of their brew, specifically brewed for them.  This one was called "Perennial Brew for the Crew".

The driver of that tractor, with the fish in his hand, was modeled after the head chef of Farmhaus.  How cool is that?  This drink was good, a nice medium bodied, full-flavored beer.  Perfect for all of the pork products that I could envision eating from the menu.

We started our meal with their version of Scotch Eggs: Huevo Ranchero.

This was a large perfectly cooked egg inside of a sausage and bread crumb breading.  There was a little micro-green salad, some awesomely tasty bean sauce on the bottom with some cotija cheese all around.  This was big and good, a good size for two people to share.  It was a good 4 out of 5 stars.

My wife ordered a fish dish showing off Halibut.

Besides the fact that my wife loved it so much that she tried to get as much of that sauce as she could, I liked it as well.  More and More when we go out, I try some seafood.  Now, to be honest, some of it I like and some of it I don't like but I don't feel bad about it because at least I have tried it.  In this case again, I liked the fish.  It had these large pieces of sausage along with it which went well with the seafood.  A 4 out of 5 stars.

Now it was time for my take.  I ordered the Pig Toast to start off my night.

The description on the menu said "Pig Toast" with the words "Butcher Sauce" under that.  I had really no idea, but it said "Pig" in its name so it has to be good, right?  This is what came out.  It was a toasted bread with a pork sausage-like patty on it.  On top of that was something reminiscent of a chicken salad and I still have no idea what it was and then some lemon greens on top.  Sure, the toast may look burned in some areas, but that didn't take away anything from this dish and in some cases, added more to it.  Each bite was first experienced with the hard crunch of the toast and then a perfectly melt in your mouth tenderness from the pork and finally cooled off with the white sauce on top and the greens.  I would compare it to eating a piece of warmed foie gras on toast, with a lemon or acid on top to help fight the richness.  A perfect 4 out of 5 for me.

I also then after this, received the Berkshire Porchetta.  As Scratches told us, this was their version of a Korean steam bun and this one was filled with the most delicious BBQ pork as ever.  This was a very tasty dish as well.

  See those giant and fluffy white steamed buns?  What about that perfectly cooked pork, complete with that super tender and melt in your mouth pork fat.  Ahhhhhhhhh. (Insert sound or image of Patrick Star with mouth open and drooling.)  So good, only wishing that places like Wei Hong would carry this steam bun.  This one gets a 4 out of 5 for me again.

So, if you are in the South City area, please go to Farmhaus.  They get the best local and seasonal goods for their food.

PS: I didn't list it up there, but this is the only restaurant that I have ever been to that allowed you to purchase beers for the kitchen staff.  That's right, I added 3 beers onto my bill, and even watched the chef who was expediting orders take a swig or two out of his Corona.  What better way to guarantee that your food would be delicious, than to allow the kitchen and dish-room crew to drink while they work.    

Niche, best of luck because I'm your niche market!!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the food culture in St. Louis is dead.  But, it is slowly coming back.  Sauce and Feast magazines will push some of the great restaurants in the area as they bring life back to this city, like a small village pushes their tall tales and mythology.  Every media facet has its favorite place, be it 1111 Mississippi, Farmhaus or even Niche.  Who are the customers of these beacons of hope in this St. Louis cuisine? Um, I am one of them.

Sure, I understand that the majority of the clientele, are rich, stuffy people from St. Louis, driving into the parking lot of these places with their Lexus and over-priced autos.  However, after that tier of eater, comes people like me: the foodie.  Over the past 8-9 years, I have been watching shows on foodnetwork and even was so inspired to get a degree in holistic nutrition as well as a certificate in personal chef and culinary arts.  I love cooking and cook whenever I can.  I spend time creating simple things like chocolate chip cookies to complex things like strawberry juice caviar.  I am the very definition of the new foodie.  I am someone who loves food, loves to cook food, eat food and wants to know everything about food.  I am the main demographic behind much of the shows on Food Network and on the Cooking Channel.  I am part of the future and when those rich customers die or stop going to places in the area, these restaurants will have to swoon my generation into going to their spots and spending our hard-earned money.

I've said it before, that sometimes the truth hurts and it is sad for me to say that out of the three restaurants I have listed, Farmhaus is by far the best one there. Eleven-Eleven was a good spot to go to, to get an idea of how people treat the foodies of St. Louis.  At Eleven-eleven Mississippi, they blind you with their open environment and atmosphere and make you believe that all of their Tuscan and Northern California inspired food tastes like their Wild Boar Ravioli.  Unfortunately, that is not the case and some dishes are a far miss from wonderful Tuscan or Northern California food. If they were going for that inspiration, it makes sense that some of the food could not be of the very best to everyone, but you can't run a restaurant with bad service, even though you try to do so.

Farmhaus is by far the best restaurant of that caliber in St. Louis.  Farm to table isn't a new idea, but so many want to do this and fail in doing so.  Not only does Farmhaus do this wonderfully, but they also have perfect service to match.  They can take reservations even same day and sit you within minutes of your reserved time.  Their restaurant was small, maybe seating less than 50-75 guests, but that didn't stop them from seating everyone they could, and still provide enough room for people to stretch their arms out and not touch another person.  The food at Farmhause was inventive, creative and delicious.  As well as reasonably priced.  A perfect place which may be where I go this weekend.

Now, for my rant on Niche, where do I begin....?  I haven't been there.  While some would argue that you can't judge a restaurant you haven't been to, I would argue that I totally can. I write my reviews and blog in such a way that I wish to appeal to the average person looking for a way to feed their mind, soul and stomach all at the same time.  I want to recommend what I think is a great place and one that they will love.  I can't recommend Niche.  It is not that I can't get there, I have a car, or that I can't pay for it, I have the money.  But it is that I cannot get there during a reasonable time.  Well, am I being bratty?  What is a reasonable time for you?  The restaurant is open between 5pm and 10pm, when would you like to eat there? 

Four times now, weeks and even a month apart, I have called up and tried to make a reservation for dinner time, the time I like to eat my dinner. Every time I have called, I have been told that the only opening is after 9:30pm on a night which closes at 10pm.  That's right, they would seat me down, then rush me to order so that they can close down the kitchen and push me out and close the restaurant.  Doesn't seem like a good and relaxing dining experience to me, now does it?  "Can I get any other times?"    I called recently when I tried calling for reservations for this Saturday, when today is Wednesday, thinking that 3 days of notice should be enough.  I was told that before 5:45 or after 9:30 was the only spots they had open.  I then asked about how far in advance I should call for a reservation.  My answer: 2-3 weeks. 

Really?

Who do you think you are?  Owners and people of Niche, let me tell you give you some examples: When I visited Las Vegas, near Valentines Day of this year, I called RM seafood, less than 24 hours away from the time I wanted, and got it.  Not only did I get the spot I wanted, but they had a wedding reservation there and was still able to get a seat with excellent service and food.  RM is arguably one of the best, if not THE best restaurant in Las Vegas.  The chef and the restaurant are internationally known and recognized and I could get a spot in less than 24 hour notice. 

Who else can get me a spot on Saturday night, between 6:30 and 7:30, by reserving now?  Well, I could get a reservation for 7:00pm, Saturday night at Morimoto's restaurant in New York.  Yep, Mr. Iron Chef himself.  Perhaps one of the world's most recognizable and skilled chefs and I can get in his restaurant with a 3 day notice.  I saw everything online and only had to click "Reserve Table" and the spot is mine.  But I got to thinking, who is bigger than Morimoto?  Surely it is impossible to get into Joel Robuchon's restaurant with 3 days of notice, right? 

Wrong.  I am one click away from saving the 6:30pm spot at his restaurant in Paris.  That's right, named the Chef of the Century, last century, no one steps on his toes or says a bad thing about him.  Even Anthony Bourdain, whom loves to say and write bad things about other chefs, had nothing but good things to say about Mr. Robuchon and I can get a spot in his restaurant by reserving 3 days ahead.

So, Niche, are you really that important?  Are you above Rick Moonen at RM? Are you above Morimoto?  Are you above Robuchon?  I'm sorry, but for some of us foodies with kids, it is hard to find babysitting, even 2-3 weeks ahead, as things can change.  I don't even know what I am doing this Sunday or even this Friday.  
So, my suggestion, for anyone looking to go to a nice place, out of what I mentioned, go to Farmhaus.  If you are in Las Vegas, go to RM.  I'm sorry, as much as I want to support and help St. Louis businesses, if the business isn't willing to take the time for me, I'm not willing to take the time for them.  Niche, I will not be going to your restaurant.  With the way your service is run and your "waiting list" I don't see you sticking around much longer.  No restaurant in St. Louis is worth calling and waiting 2-3 weeks ahead of time.      

Off to the Farmhaus

Let me tell you about St. Louis and fine dining: it is starting to make a comeback.  I know that there are places in STL that you can pay $100 for a steak and sit down in a restaurant where the average age is 70 something and enjoy a steak in peace and quiet, but that is not what real fine dining is.  Fine dining is great food and great service and great atmosphere, with a great cause.  That is it.

Now, unlike food writers who work for places in STL, like the RFT, Sauce magazine or even Feast magazine, when I make a reservation at a restaurant, I don't want them to know it is me.  I want to give an honest experience, not one tainted by free meals, perks or extra friendly service.  So, I called Friday night for a reservation at Sage and they didn't have an opening until 9pm.  Again, if you have a restaurant that has only 7 tables, then you need a bit more.  Also, I called Taste/Niche and they didn't have an opening until 9:30pm.  Now, sure, we finished eating our meals at the Farmhaus by 9:45 or so, but starting a night romantic dinner at 9:30pm, means that doing something afterwards is difficult, well with the lack of real danceable night clubs in St. Louis and all.  I'm sure that if I called and mentioned that I was a food and restaurant critic that I could have gotten a seat at any time, but what is the fun in that?

Farmhaus was nice and friendly and we got a spot at 8:15.  The restaurant gathers most of their ingredients from local sources and when the can't, they get the best.  It is more of a fancy/casual restaurant.  We saw some people in shorts and others in suits.  We sat near the bar and it was a nice atmosphere for my wife and I.  The food menu is typed on a piece of paper and changed daily so we picked some plates to share.

The first plate that we ordered was the "Escolar Chaumette Traminette, dill and butter poached, grilled Pacific Blue prawns, roasted carrots and bok choy".  I don't like most fish, but this fish tasted like butter and dill and was delicious.  My wife enjoyed the perfectly cooked prawns and we both ate everything in the dish, including the two pieces of bok choy and the carrots.  A 4 out of 5 for me.

 

Also, as a warning, the pictures all have a yellow tint because of the yellow light that was shining down on our table.  But everything was good.

The next dish we had was the "Day Boat Scallops Whipped shrimp, roasted locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms".  The scallops were okay, by my standards, my wife said that they were cooked perfectly, so we will go with her thoughts.  The whipped shrimp tasted like sweet shrimp and there were two dried tomato skins on top, which were like very delicate and thin tomato chips.  It was an easy 4 out of 5.

I had to do it and the next dish was the "Beet Risotto Roasted heirloom beets, Oregon white truffle" and it was awesome.  The risotto had the perfect creamy texture that it should have but it had a meaty flavor that was rich enough that it tasted like venison or a very good beef stock.  It was also colored and cooked with beets which gave it a beety flavor along with shaved pieces of truffle.  The truffle was a perfect balance for the risotto and everything worked well together.  A 4 out of 5.

We then had the next dish as "Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Sweet and Yukon Gold smashed potatoes, sous vide pearl onions, tomato Merlot reduction."  The bacon added some flavor but wasn't needed to add much to the meatloaf as the meat was tasty.  The gravy was almost more of a tomato sauce, as it was supposed to be and the onions were perfectly cooked and tasty as well.  For having bacon in the name and the recipe, it didn't taste much like bacon, which is a good thing, with all of these other complimenting flavors.  A 4 out of 5 for me.

Besides the dessert, which was the honey and pecan ice cream with all the other pecan stuff, the meal was great.  The service staff are all wearing jeans and flannel shirts, like a stereotype farmer and they are so friendly.  When asked about which dish our server would recommend, unlike other restaurants, she didn't suggest the most expensive item.  I highly recommend the Farmhaus restaurant and I highly suggest anyone and everyone go there.  I would say that they are the RM of St. Louis.