Farmhouse holds a special place in my heart. Located just down the street from our old condo, it became our favorite neighborhood spot. Farmhouse is a gastropub that works with local farms to create fresh, seasonally inspired dishes. I should also note they serve some of the best fried cheese curds in Chicago. Charles and I often met there after work for a beer and those cheese curds, and frequently stayed for dinner. The menu changes with the seasons, so there is always something new to try, and the food is consistently excellent.
Last week we were invited to a five-course tasting at Farmhouse that showcased late summer flavors. The evening began with a warm welcome from the owners, who shared their passion for food and explained how they purchased a farm to better control the ingredients they use. They recently bought an entire crop of organic apples from Wisconsin and turned them into three distinct ciders. Those ciders will be available on tap at the River North and Evanston locations, and at Farm Bar when it opens in Lakeview.
Each course was paired with either a beer or a cider. The first course featured crispy bread topped with pickled green grapes from Ellis Family Farms and thick market ham, paired with Free Priscilla Cider. This house cider blends Priscilla and Liberty apples to create a dry, smooth English-style cider that’s easy to drink. The cider complemented the market ham well—the ham had the flavor of bacon but a firmer texture closer to ham. (A small aside: Charles struck a pose to show off his Union Jack cufflinks, not realizing they wouldn’t be visible in my shot.)
The second course was a chilled melon soup accompanied by poolish bread, nduja, spiced yogurt, and mint. Nduja is a spreadable, spiced Italian pork sausage that was smeared on the soft, thin poolish. The spicy, smoky nduja played nicely against the cooling yogurt and sweet melon, creating a refreshing contrast. This course was paired with 3 Floyds Calumet Queen.
Next came trout, a fish I don’t usually favor because it can be overly fishy at times. At Farmhouse, however, the trout was perfectly done—tender, mild, and well grilled. It was served with tomatillos roasted with black garlic, a black bean relish, and bacon lardons. The combination of the light, flaky fish with the savory beans and crispy bacon created balanced flavors and textures. This dish was paired with Revolution’s Rosa, a hibiscus-infused beer.
The fourth course was my favorite: BBQ-braised short ribs served with butter-poached shrimp, pimento cheese, and corn prepared in five different ways. This is Farmhouse’s take on surf and turf. Chef Eric Mansavage, who has been with Farmhouse since it opened, showcased almost every technical application of corn—cornbread, pickled corn, corn broth, popcorn grits, and seared corn—resulting in a dish that was rich, nuanced, and deeply satisfying. A beef jus poured over the plate tied all the elements together. The pairing for this course was Dark Horse’s Smells Like A Safety Meeting IPA.
To finish, we enjoyed a peaches-and-cream ice cream sandwich. Vanilla-bean shortcake cookies were filled with peach marmalade sourced from Mick Klug Farm in Michigan and rich ice cream. This dessert celebrated the flavors of late summer—the bright, ripe peach and creamy vanilla were a perfect final note. The dessert was paired with Penrose’s Deminimus Mandarina.
If you live in Chicago and haven’t been to Farmhouse, it’s worth a visit. Start with an order of the cheese curds and plan to stay for a full meal to experience their seasonal approach to local ingredients.
Farmhouse has two locations: River North at 228 West Chicago Avenue (near the Chicago Brown Line stop) and Evanston at 703 Church Street (a short walk from the Davis stop). Farm Bar will open at 1300 West Wellington Street later this fall.