FRIEND OF A FARMER

OPENS BROOKLYN HEIGHTS OUTPOST

If you’re a foodie, you know Friend of a Farmer in Gramercy Park which has been serving up comfort food for what seems like decades. It’s a go-to spot for brunch and a great choice for a casual dinner, often quite hearty with fare such as meatloaf, chicken pot pie, yummy burgers and the like. So when they quietly opened in Brooklyn Heights in the former Design Within Reach space on Montague Street, this foodie was thrilled. (Continued…)

So we paid a visit recently and was so impressed when we walked in the door! It was a very cold night and a roaring fireplace was a welcomed sight. In my opinion they could not have done a better job in the design and decoration of the place. I venture to say it one-ups the Gramercy location in terms of comfort and decor. Fireplaces everywhere you look on two well appointed levels with impressive wood beams and ceilings accented by country-like patterned walls and antique details all make for a very pleasing atmosphere. I’m afraid that’s where the similarity to its Manhattan cousin ends. Clearly the kitchen does not have its act together yet. A local country cheese board with walnut and fig chutney, pesto, grapes and toasted baguette arrived without the fig chutney and pesto. Upon informing a very lovely waitress of this omission, all we got was an “…oh I’m so sorry.” Well I’m sorry but that’s no way for a restaurant to operate, let alone a new one trying to make an impression. A “hearty skillet Shepherd’s Pie with Free Range Beef and Fresh Vegetables with Mashed Potatoes” was indeed hearty. It was also so overwhelmingly packed with potatoes that the other ingredients were virtually indiscernible. Other dishes sampled were acceptable but you would expect everything here to be great because of its heritage. It appears that is not the case. Will I go back? Yes I will.  Often it takes a restaurant a few months to settle in and get things right. Fact is, the atmosphere is so great and it’s such a plus for the neighborhood that I really hope it succeeds. But I want my fig chutney and pesto!

-Keith Klein