Farm to Fork

I've been wanting to eat at Farm to Fork for quite a while now.  I've heard a few positive reviews from several different people, particularly regarding their brunch and lunch menus.  After looking at their website with Mike, we decided to celebrate our anniversary there.  After living in Dundee for 1 1/2 years, we felt it was about time we graced the town with our dining patronage!  Of course, we don't count Chan's which is just down the street and very convenient on a lazy day, but perhaps I should save that for another post.

We made reservations for 6:00 by leaving a message on their voicemail at their request.  They called us back about 2 hours later asking if we could push it up to 5:30.  We told them that was fine and an hour later we were pulling up to the restaurant.  It's located in a new building which is attractive enough but I still couldn't avoid noticing the very unattractive homes located across the parking lot and street.  I guess they can't help the surrounding area but it definitely doesn't feel like an upscale area for an upscale restaurant/wine bar/inn.  Oh well.

One thing they can help, however, is their service.  Which I would rate about a 5/10.  The moment we walked in I got a pretentious vibe.  After the hostess said a cursory hello, she quickly followed up by asking if we had reservations.  Fortunately, we did, though considering the place was about a quarter full, I could see how important it would be (sarcasm).  I view hostesses as a window to the soul of a restaurant.  Are they warm, inviting, cordial?  Are they stiff, distant, unfriendly?  Whoever hires hostesses needs to do so with much more than just physical appearance in mind.  Ha, look at me, as if I know so much about running a restaurant!  I don't.  Not one bit.  But I am a patron and do know if I will go back within the first 10-20 minutes...usually.  And the hostess, then waiter, will often play a large role in my decision-making.  So, take note!  :-)

Once we were seated, our waiter approached us, eyes downcast.  I kid you not.  You think it might be a bad sign of confidence or just not caring about us or his job?  I'm not sure.  I finally saw that he had lovely green eyes as he said good-day and handed us our check.  It was quite the strangest thing.  Once we said "no" to the wine, I think we were blacklisted for the remainder of our meal.  Is it terribly rude of us to not order wine?  I'm actually beginning to wonder if it is...at least around here, specifically at a place the is proud to serve it.  I don't care.  I'm not a huge fan of wine, not am I about to start drinking it to appease the local industry.

Now, for the food I will rate it an 7.5/10 just because I am a hard critic.  The food was delicious though both dishes I had, appetizer and then entree, had arugula that was just drenched in oil.  Not flavorful at all.  For my appetizer I had a Warm Goat Cheese Tart with baby arugula salad and crispy beet chips.

 If they sold the beet chips by the bag I would pop in once a week to purchase those!  They were delicious, the perfect combination of slightly sweet, salty, and delicately crispy.  And the color makes them even more enjoyable!  The Goat Cheese Tart was slightly dry.  I found myself taking tiny sips of water to wash bites of it down which was such a pity considering how much I adore goat cheese!  I think the crust could have been a bit more flaky, that probably would have helped the situation.

Mike had the Spiced Lamb Merguez with red pepper harissa, yogurt, and pistachios.

I tasted it, and it tasted like meatballs.  Good ones, for sure, but the presentation wasn't the most attractive.  Mike says he liked them and would recommend them to someone.  So, there you go.

Moving on to the entrees.  I enjoyed my Crispy Peking Duck Leg with chicory, wine poached figs, roasted grapes, Rogue blue cheese, and hazelnut aillade (though I swear there was no garlic!) all on a bed of arugula.

 The duck definitely wasn't crispy, but it was fall off the bone, melt in your mouth delicious!  This is one entree I would recommend to anyone!  The blue cheese chunks were huge.  I almost hate to say it because I love cheese so much, but they were a tad big.  I had to cut them into smaller pieces so they wouldn't overpower the dish.  The figs were poached perfectly and the hazelnuts roasted to perfection.  Even the one element I was skeptical of (the roasted grapes) were a perfect addition.  The portion was perfectly sized, as well.  No needless and monstrous sized meals here!

Mike ordered Cornbread Crusted Oysters on a chive crepe.  I thought the whole deal was bland and though Mike says it wasn't "phenomenal" he did enjoy it.

 He paired his meal with a Southern Oregon Woodshed Red ale, which I can't really say much about since I don't enjoy the darker ales.  It was another meal of me liking what I ordered more than what he ordered!  Phew! 

 Pros: comfy and attractive decor, beautiful presentation, mostly delicious food
Cons: distant and seemingly unfriendly staff, no alcohol other than wine and beer
Overall: 6/10, might go back for brunch someday