I wasn't sure what to expect from this place. It's hidden almost like a speakeasy, tucked away…read morebehind Arcadium bar, and the reservation system is quirky, almost exclusive (this place does offer a monthly membership option, but it's limited availability).
Favor is the passion project of chef Wyatt Sarbacker and features a small rotating menu. While the burgers and empanadas are always on the menu, other items change seasonally or according to availability. Wyatt prides himself and Favor on using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients and building an eco friendly, environmentally sustainable culinary experience.
The space is intimate, mostly counter seating aside from one large community dining table in the adjoining room, but it's bright and welcoming. The kitchen is completely open and you can see everything Wyatt is doing as he prepares your meal. And this is an impressive one man show! It amazed us how Wyatt made it look easy (though I'm sure it's not). He was preparing multiple dishes from multiple orders simultaneously and delivered them promptly at a great pace that allowed us to enjoy each dish without feeling hurried.
We ate almost every dish on the menu. Dish sizes vary, some small, some larger, but it worked out wonderfully that there were three of us, as we could eat in a tapas style, sharing all of the tasty foods.
The empanadas were first, and come with a rotating sauce accompaniment. They were soft and hot, and the filling was delicious. I can't remember the filling, but I remember black beans were involved, and it was actually one of my favorite dishes. Such a compact, juicy, savory bite.
We also had the lion's mane mushroom, made with pea shoots, lemon, and creole mustard. This is a mushroom served like a crab cake. You could really taste the earthy mushroom flavor and the creole mustard was the perfect addition.
We also had the crispy Brussels, made with shishito peppers, onion, and maple miso dressing. Wyatt did Brussels sprouts incredibly well. Often you go to a place and they are burnt or charred and have that taste. These were cooked to perfection and had a smoky, yet sweet taste.
And who could resist a giant plate of fries? These fries are fresh cut potatoes and my dinner companion compared them to the famous "Five Guys" fries that everyone raves about. The true star here is the curry ketchup. No ordinary ketchup, this thrills the tastebuds. We were excited to hear that Wyatt will hopefully be releasing some of his own sauces soon.
We also had the cheeseburger, which is a smashburger. I have complained about the smashburger trend endlessly, as I tend to like a thick, medium burger. But this burger was VERY good. Melted with cheese, on his HOMEMADE buns, this one gets a pass as "one of the good ones."
We finished up with chocolate chunk cookies, which were served hot with ooey gooey melted chocolate chips. Made with rye flower and bittersweet chocolate, as well as cranberries, poppyseeds, and sea salt, this cookie had such a unique savory flavor. The more we tasted them, the more we loved them. I'm not a "sweets" type of person, so this type of cookie is ideal for me. I wish I could have bought a dozen to take home to my husband.
You can get cocktails from arcadium, right by the restaurant, which I've reviewed previously. They make light refreshing daiquiris and gin gimlets, which is what we ordered. My companion liked their old fashioned.
Prices for Flavor are insanely well priced. Despite this experiencing being worth so much more, prices range from sub-ten dollars to 18 dollars.
Wyatt was warm and welcoming and interesting. We had an amazing evening and have already discussed when we would come back, who we would bring, or whether we might have next year's birthday bash there as a private event.
Thank you so much for a wonderful evening, Wyatt, I am glad I finally figured out the reservation system!
