09/02/09

not worth the hype

by honeyowl

Too many shortcuts are taken at Farm - a place that was recommended to me for its seasonal, local ingredients focus. Well that's all fine and good but if a kitchen can't perform using those ingredients, then the time, care and money spent selecting them is a waste. A goat cheese ravioli married simple, good ingredients well then ruined it with an abundance of heat on the tongue. Two servers confirmed that it came from red pepper flakes. Really? Red pepper flakes belong on a slice at a corner joint, not as a finishing ingredient at a place claiming gourmet street cred. The veggie burger drowns in butter - the bun, patty and carmelized onions oozed it - and didn't come with the pickled zucchini described on the menu. It was a soggy, buttery mess. The one bright spot to our dinner was the grilled halibut, which was cooked perfectly and accompanied by a lightly seasoned, fresh assortment of shucked corn, peppers and zucchini. If you can make it here during half-priced appetizers at happy hour, then your money is wisely spent. Otherwise, skip Farm until the kitchen performance meets up with the quality of the ingredients.

• Pros: beer/wine list
• Cons: food

05/22/09

feels like home

by owl314

in and old turn-of-the-century house, it's no wonder you feel at home when there. the staff is accommodating and kind, without being overwhelming. the food is fantastic and i agree with the last person... the baked brie is TO DIE FOR!!!

• Pros: great food/ ambiance
• Cons: can't make a reservation

05/22/09

our family favorite

by ciaociaocarina

this is my family's favorite spot in portland. whenever we're all in town, it's the first place we have a family dinner. my mom is a vegetarian, so the fact that they have great options for her is a major plus. for the rest of us, the decision making process is a bit hard, but for good reason. lately though, all i crave is their baked brie. i'm tempted to order it for my appetizer and again for my entrée!

the atmosphere is intimate and special, and makes you feel like you've been invited into someone's home. love it.

• Pros: great options for vegetarians too

02/03/09

The food was too salty

by ducksinarow48

The blackened snapper and brussel sprouts were inedibly salty! and when we told our server, she shrugged and said that the chef already knew. For those prices, I would expect a substitution - or at least an apology! The other dishes were great, but that one spoiled the evening for the two who ordered it.

01/25/09

Poor service. Boring food.

by PDXfoodie27

First off, no reservations. Had to wait almost an hour to be seated.Though it was a sat night. The server was standoffish and didn't know a thing about the food. How can I be interested in the meal if the waiter doesn't know a damn thing? The food was boring. It tasted ok but looked like they slopped it on the plate. no sauce or anything. boring. The place was beautiful and nicely lit. Art on the walls. I guess I'm not trendy enough to like this place like the rest of you posters. Oh well next time I will walk 150 feet to Le'Pigeon. That is a good meal.

• Pros: Tell people you love it and they will think your cool.
• Cons: Service was the worst. nothing like a hipster saying "I don't know. I'll go ask the kitchen". Boring food.

11/18/08

Great place

by belmontlover

My date and I enjoyed our meal here quite a bit. The wait was 45 minutes, but they offered to take our number and call when they were ready for us, so we were able to go across the street and wait in a coffee shop. We ordered the roasted garlic appetizer and cheeseball appetizer, split the seafood caesar salad and tofu marsala, as well as pumpkin pie for dessert. All of this and we were out of there for $40. Service was quick and friendly and food was good. The tofu marsala was outstanding, and we would return just for this dish. Cozy and warm on the inside, though not much to look at outside. We will return.

• Pros: good food, excellent tofu, good service, ambiance
• Cons: 45 minute wait

11/13/08

Poor customer service

by iliketoeatout2

I arrived with a group of friends and the restaurant was busy. I had called ahead to give them a "heads up" that we were coming and was told they don't take reservations, even though their web site says to call for reservations. They seated 2 smaller tables after we arrived and kept asking us if we are sure we want to stay and wait for a table. They did not even try to pretend to be friendly. The food was ok; the baked brie was soupy/watery, the drinks were just ok. The waitress rolled her eyes when 5 of us ordered the special chocolate soufle dessert that takes an extra 15 minutes to make. The experience was not a pleasant one.

• Pros: Good vegetarian options
• Cons: poor customer service, too loud to be romantic

11/12/08

Hardly Memorable and Family Unfriendly

by Housejunkie

I was excited to try Farm Cafe and expected a bounty of farm-fresh options. It was sorely lacking. I counted four families in the restaurant, all struggling to find something on the menu that the kids would eat. We ended up with a cheese plate and a hummous plate for our kids but the management would be wise to have better options for the under 15 set. I thought my meal was very good-I had the fish and my husband had the ravioli. Not only were they skimpy with the servings, we were actually charged for a basket of bread. Come on people! It just seemed really cheesy to charge for a few slices of a baguette. The atmosphere was cozy and the service was fine. Although when we mentioned that it would be nice if they had a kid menu, the server said, "Oh, we can make things for the kids." Duh. Why didn't you tell us that when we were placing our order.

• Pros: Cozy atmosphere
• Cons: Limited parking

09/30/08

How do they DO that?!?!?

by molliv

First off, I don't understand the negative comments below AT ALL. We went on a friday night, with our baby, were seated happily within 20 minutes, and the waiter was awesome, even though we were not dressed to "go out", we were not "profiled" AT ALL as the poster below suggests. We had the cheese plate, which was AMAZING and MUCH better than cheese plates I have had at much more expensive restaurants, and I had the tofu, I have no IDEA how they made tofu THAT good. The mushrooms marsala with it were pefect, and the mashed potatoes were comforting yet different. Even though I am mostly a vegetarian, I tried my husband's fish and it was PERFECTLY delicious. WARNING: The drinks are delicious, but pack QUITE The kick! :):):):). We will be back!!!

• Pros: excellent food, vegetarian friendly, helpful servers
• Cons: a little crowded, but to be expected for an EXCELLENT restaurant!

09/19/08

The risotto made me so happy I wanted to cry.1

by Samgie

I had a great experience during my first visit. The vibe is great and there were several very interesting vegetarian options. I had the risotto with corn, tomatoes and smoky blue cheese and it was divine. I really can't wait to go back.