I was invited last Friday night (uh get that song out of my head now) to the Farmer and the Fishmonger to participate in their soft launch. This new place is owned by the same people who own the restaurant across the parking lot (Mezcalito Butcher) and other concepts (Bourbon Butcher, Italian Butcher, etc.) located across the south metro.
Now living in the Midwest I will never pass by an opportunity to get a chance to enjoy fresh seafood, especially from the coasts. So I was excited to try a new concept, especially since this one promised to focus on great seafood and great cocktails. Fishmonger's menu offers two different paths to take - the farmer will be more Midwest fare focusing on classic steakhouse offerings while the fishmonger is your seafood side with a little bit of southern hospitality mixed in.
First impressions walking in - this place raises farmhouse chic to an 11 (any Spinal Tap people out there?). Reclaimed wood, black piping, old fashioned light bulbs that glow a warm gold - this place really takes this newfound love of refurbishment and makes it lux and welcoming. It was pretty cool that our chairs were old artist/work chairs, something like you would find in a factory or something. The other thing that catches the eye right away as you walk in is their spectacular two level bar. Yes, the barkeeps actually have to use a ladder to access some of the bottles at the top, it is that big! It reminded me of a rich person's old-timey library but instead of books it was filled with bottles of booze. As a proud home bar owner, I was blown away - this is the bar I wished I had at home!
Speaking of the bar, lets go right into the drinks. The menu has lots of the common staples of a trendy bar (think Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Mojito, Daiquiri, Paloma, etc.) but done with the commitment of this place - farm to table. That means fresh juice, no mixes, and a keen attention to detail. The salts are smoked, the fruit garnish is marinated, the juices have been infused. It is a really neat place to try a classic and see how they put a spin on it. We tried a drink that was reminiscent of a margarita (but made with mezcal, rosemary, and black pepper) and it was very good.
Now on to the food. My wife and I are seafood lovers so of course we went the fishmonger route. I picked the Fried Fish Platter (a mix of fish, shrimp, and oysters) while my wife chose the Bacon Wrapped Scallops. My dish was great. I always order fried fish if I am feeling it when I dine out because it is such a pain to make correctly at home. The batter was a classic beer batter that complimented the fish and shrimp. The shrimp (or should I say prawns, seriously I could have just eaten a platter of those) were huge and the piece of fish was a nice, meaty portion of whitefish. Both were so good dipped in that rich beer batter. Finally, the oysters were covered in a cornmeal batter that worked because it prevented the oyster from getting slimy when cooked. The dish came with a side of homemade jojos (thick cut french fries) and homemade remoulade sauce and cocktail sauce (some of the best cocktail sauce I have had in my life, fresh and fiery, so good). Compared to something that you can maybe get at Red Lobster for maybe only $6-7 cheaper, there is no argument. It would be like choosing to eat at McDonalds instead of Manny's. Yes, this place is a little more expensive than other restaurants in the area, but the quality of the food is exceptionally better. The portions are also very filling which makes the price point well received by me. And hey, fresh, high-quality seafood isn't cheap to begin with anyways.
My wife's scallops were done well and came with a side of corn succotash. It was a very healthy and light dish that paired well with my heavier choice so we shared bites from each to balance. We also tried a side of their crunchy brussel sprouts. They were so good, they made brussel sprouts appealing (of course they were loaded with bacon and an awesome honey Dijon mustard sauce to help but who are we to judge?).
So final remarks. The level of quality and attention to detail the food and drink exhibited really lives up to the standards of a great farm to table restaurant concept. I am always wary when visiting these places because "farm to table" can be a really gray area. You might find one item on your plate that qualifies but it still qualifies as such. At the Farmer and the Fishmonger, that is not the case. You will be hard-pressed to find items that have been processed or that are not made in-house. There is a lot of care and creativity that goes into each dish and drink and you can tell. The people who work here are proud of their food, passionate about what they do, and it makes every bite and sip that much better. read more