Farmhouse chic is the tried-and-true mantra at Friend of a Farmer, both at the Gramercy Park original and this second, two-year-old location in Brooklyn Heights. Situated on a breezy, tree-lined street bordered by sprawling townhomes and East River views, this outpost delivers the same rustic, American country-style fare as the flagship, but in brighter, window-fitted digs that makes the entire dining experience feel decidedly new.
Service begins with fresh-baked cornbread topped with an apple pie-like filling, a fitting preview to the homey dishes that lie ahead. Starters include a local cheese plate ($17), paired with chutneys and baguette, grass-fed Farmer’s Meatballs ($14), and a generous serving of avocado tartar ($13), featuring plump chunks of the fruit showered in a punchy house citrus sauce. A standout kale caesar ($13) is colossal in size, but conservatively dressed and finely chopped, it’s surprisingly easy to put away.
Sophisticated comfort food dominates the entrees, among them a lattice-topped chicken pot pie ($22), boneless beef short ribs served with beet-mashed potatoes ($34), and summer-ready crab cakes ($34) touting luxurious lumps of crustacean that flake fluidly into a mound of corn salsa and sweet chipotle aioli. But the uncontested star of the menu is the grandiose roast chicken for two ($62) with root vegetables and figs. Slow-roasted in a cast-iron Dutch oven, the figs caramelize to create a syrupy, molasses-like reduction that clings to the bird’s crispy skin to impeccable delight.
Playfully nostalgic desserts round out the meal, including a chocolate-chip cookie skillet ($11), country s’mores ($10), and corn bread pudding lathered in a sweet bourbon sauce ($11). During winter, diners can feast on those comfort dishes beside crackling fireplaces, while al fresco dining in the form of a spacious back patio is offered during fairweather months.
BY: TIME OUT COMMUNITY REVIEWER CHRISTINE FISCHER HEWIT