Sometimes, the city’s restaurant scene can get a little monotonous. You know, same minimalist aesthetic, a contrived swanky vibe. So, it’s nice to be able to feel like you can escape every now and again, even if just for a meal, to, oh, let’s say a farm house. You can do exactly that at Friend of a Farmer in Gramercy. This two story restaurant definitely gives you the feeling that you’re no longer in the hustle and bustle of the city, and instead, you’re in an upstate farm house, similar to the one that the owner grew up in. They even have a couple fireplaces to give it an extra homey vibe.

To start, we had Imported and Domestic Cheese with warm figs and walnut chutney. This was a really delightful cheese plate, giving variety in type and texture of cheese with crisp pita-like crackers. I really liked the fig and walnut chutney, it was subtly and naturally sweet from the figs and had a nice bit of texture from the walnuts. 

For my entree I had the Arugula Salad with Blackened Salmon (tomatoes, pears and feta cheese with a lemon lime garlic dressing). I really enjoyed this salad, it was fresh, crisp, and the fish was flavorful and savory. 

Then, for dessert, we ordered their Just Baked Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie (served in a hot skillet, topped with maple syrup, walnuts, bananas, and vanilla ice cream). Whoa, this was really delicious. It’s great for sharing, or, if you’re so daring, you could potentially tackle it alone. Potentially. The cookie is hot and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The warm maple syrup drenches the bananas and walnuts, which, is pretty much the only way I want to eat those ingredients from now on. Mixed altogether with the cool ice cream, well, it’s just pretty awesome. 

The Shorts:
Name: Friend of a Farmer 
Location: 77 Irving Place, NYC
The Long and Short: Would I go back? For sure, although I didn’t take too much advantage this time around, they offer a really great comfort food menu, which, I can partake in next time. 
Would I recommend it? Yes, it’s quant, cozy, and makes you feel like you’re in grandma and grandpa’s farm house. You know, if you have a grandma and grandpa with a farm house.