A Quick Lunch at The Farmhouse in Needham

The weather has been miserable this week and even though I didn’t feel like going *anywhere* I had things to do and people to see. One of which was a good friend with whom I made lunch plans. We met up on Thursday (in the pouring rain) at The Farmhouse in Needham, MA.

The Farmhouse has been been open for about a year and a half (since March 2013) and I’ve been wanting to try it out for a while. There isn’t a lot of information on their website yet, but if I understand it correctly, their general schtick is that they are “Farm to Table”. Which we all know I love…

Their Facebook page has a bit more information and describes them as:

Contemporary American farm to table restaurant, delivers delicious comfort food in an elegant setting. Situated in lovely Needham center in Needham, Massachusetts across from the town hall, husband and wife team execute superb, clean flavors and exceed guests expectations with their gracious hospitality.

In any case, I dashed across the street — through the the very wet weather — and walked in this:

It’s a very quaint and comfortable space… with adorable lighting, rustic but elegant furnishings and an open kitchen in the back.

The staff was very attentive, though the place was practically empty. We had a late lunch… at 1:30pm, so we were the only ones left by the time we were finished eating.

The lunch menu is small, but diverse and interesting enough to grab your attention:

I like the old-school typewriter font, adding to the rustic feel of the dining room. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to try several dishes and we both wound up getting the same thing… but it was really tasty.

We both opted for the Salmon with Chef’s Seasonal Accompaniments, at $19. The day we were there, the salmon was pan-seared, served over whipped mashed potatoes and came with sautéed peppers, onions and brussels sprouts. Considering what a miserable day it was, you can understand why both my friend and I were craving the comforting goodness of mashed potatoes.

The dishes took a normal amount of time to come out… and their presentation was just stunning:

I’m not sure what the green oil/puree was around the dish… and the micro-greens on top added a cute dimension to the dish. Even though the decor and overall feel of the establishment is rustic, the plating of the food was elegant and worthy of any high-end restaurant.

The salmon was perfectly cooked, had crispy skin beneath it and was very flavorful. The potatoes and the vegetables were cooked well and did not overpower the dish. Overall, it was nicely done, tasted good and both of us completely finished our plates.

I will definitely go back to The Farmhouse sometime soon. I’d like to try their dinner menu and their libations menu, which looks interesting. Looking at the offerings, I’m guessing that they only have a wine, beer and spirits license (no hard alcohol).  I’d also like to see them beef up their website to include more information about their “story” (they have a link, but there’s nothing there) and maybe even some blog posts about the farm-to-table movement and where they get their meats and produce from.

Overall, a very nice experience and I would definitely recommend it to others.