Reporting back. Had a memorable night at Farmhouse Tavern last night with a group of 12 in the private room (used for future Hunt Camp dinners). Chairs are a motley of sizes and styles, not all are comfortable, but we at least fit around the huge long table.
Overall the food taste and pricing was decent. Some people didn't enjoy their medium-rare $20 burgers due to meat itself (topped with duck egg, goat cheese, etc.) and there was certainly "too much" fat on the $100 cote de boeuf for 2. Fun fact: send the fat back to kitchen to be stir fried with General Tao sauce - delicious results.
Highlights seemed to be the mushroom soup (4 kinds of mushrooms, smoky rosemary, broth poured at table), rockefeller oysters; crispy pig ears (thin sticks tossed with spicy red pepper - delicious!); parts of the $24 ploughmans platter (couple of nice stinky aged soft cheeses plus trout gravlax, duck egg, pickled cauliflower and peppers, beef bacon, pork belly - all meats served hot - no cold cured meats); carrot salad; and pork belly main ($33) received a rave review.
Surf 'n' Turf ($36) involved a massive steak with 2 rockefeller oysters and salty bone marrow that was used after the meal to "funnel" Buffalo Trace bourbon for an extra $7. Hilarious fun. No vegetables or sides to be seen.
3 desserts available - caramel ice cream with some whole grain croutons on top (a bit strange - the ice cream tastes of effervescence from dry ice; supposedly this is a dish inspired by a NYC restaurant - I didn't think the croutons added to the taste experience of the intense caramel), goat cheese ice cream with candied fruit, or a panna cotta. Seemed off-season to have so many cold desserts when comforting warmer desserts in winter seem more apropos.
Affordable wines and cocktails.
Overall, the food is good but not great - the service is good and the atmosphere is good - but I might stick to brunch in future or try their more vegetable-based or gnocchi type dishes.
For a group, however, it fit the bill and even though not everyone enjoyed their food, they had a fun and interesting evening.
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