The craft cocktails were very detailed, served simply and were complex in flavor. I opted for the Kloister which was made with Italian vermouth, black tea, black cherry, maple and smoked salt. It was a departure from what I typically order and it did not disappoint. The black tea flavor came through strong and the smoothness from the vermouth and maple helped round it out.
Kevin opted for the Pacifik which consisted of mead, pineapple, pear vinegar and tonic. It was refreshing with the slightest hint of sweetness from the pineapple.
The server presented us with an amuse-bouche at the beginning of the meal. It consisted of potatoes and beets which were thinly sliced and cooked to perfection. It was served with pickled creme fraiche and it was flavorful with the just the right amount of crunch.
We ordered two different appetizers so we could try a variety of what Bachelor Farmer had to offer. The roasted celery root soup was divine. It was smooth and creamy without being heavy. They poured it tableside and in the bottom were toasted pistachios, shaved celery and tarragon. The crunchy bits from the pistachios gave way to the creaminess of the celery root puree. I highly recommend this dish.
The next course consisted of one of their toasts. They have four from which to choose and we opted for the fresh cow's milk cheese accompanied with toasted seeds, bacon-onion jam, pickled beets and honey. The intent is to make a little open-faced sandwich with the accompaniments. It was a great blend of flavors and textures. Some of the toast was a bit over toasted for my liking.
The market fish of the day was a pan fried trout, which was cooked to perfection. It had the right amount of salt, a crispy skin and a beautiful brown finish. The pairing of wild rice combined with yogurt and sumac did not add anything to the dish, especially since it tasted over salted. The wilted Swiss chard provided a smooth finish to the fish.
Since we have a fondness for popovers, we each ordered one, which was served with honey butter. I was disappointed as the popover was so crispy it was like eating the overdone toast again.
For dessert, we opted for two different desserts, both of which were cakes. The first was a vanilla bean butter cake with blood orange, bitter orange ice cream and creme fraiche. It was a nice blend between the rich butter taste of the cake with the slight sweetness of the blood oranges.
The final dessert was a baked chocolate mousse cake with red beet ice cream and white chocolate. The chocolate had the right amount of sweetness and the ice cream provided just enough additional flavor so the chocolate wasn't overwhelming.
I can understand why this restaurant has been a popular favorite since it's inception. Overall, the experience was pleasant, the food was high quality and it's in a great location. We look forward to their summer menu and trying more items.
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