FARM (4.44)





Open: 5:30pm-10:00pm; Pavilion opens at 4:00pm and closes at midnight.

Reservation required? Recommended. Click below to reserve a table:




Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (April 15, 2012 Itinerary)

Directions:

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The Meal:
We have long heard great things about FARM and decided it was the perfect stop after a day in Sonoma on the way to our hotel in Napa. FARM, at the Carneros Inn (a Plumpjack Resort), offers cuisine featuring the surrounding farms and ranches in an elegant setting. When we arrived at FARM I was drawn to their "Pavilion", an amazing outdoor "living room" with multiple couches and fire pits arranged in intimate circles. This would be a fantastic place for a summer pre-dinner drink or casual meal. We had booked inside the restaurant which was appropriate given the weather. The inside of the restaurant is bright and warm with light walls, gray furniture, two fireplaces, and large chandeliers with orange shades. We were seated next to the fireplace in an intimate circular booth.

The Chef de Cuisine, Andrew Budnyj has a long resume that includes Vidalia in Washington D.C., Aqua and wine country favorites such as Domain Chandon, Cindy Pawlcyn's GoFish and Ubuntu. Carneros also has a culinary gardener and Executive Chef, Peter Stonebreaker, who manages a 1/2 acre garden that supplies seasonal ingredients for FARM. What isn't grown onsite is sourced from local farms, ranches and award-winning cheese producers. Their menu features a seven course tasting menu for $95 (or $165 with wine pairings). The menu includes such highlights as ahi tuna crudo and slow braised pork belly.

We had just finished a full day of wine tasting including a big lunch and weren't up for a full tasting menu. We decided to try a lobster risotto appetizer and ordered the Liberty Farms Duck Breast and Rack of Lamb for entrees. All were very good but there was nothing that stood out. The winner for me was dessert, the Araguani Chocolate. This deconstructed ice cream parfait included dark chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, milk chocolate pretzels and marshmallow cream served on a slate - it was heavenly!!!

The service at FARM was excellent. It was a slow night for them, and so I'm sure that helped, but you got the impression it would be excellent on any night. We probably both had three rolls each and didn't realize it as they kept appearing on our plate. While pricey, FARM provided solid food, excellent service and a beautiful setting. I am dying to come back for drinks at the Pavilion.

Recommended food: Everything was very well prepared but no one dish stood out, with the exception of the amazing Araguani Chocolate dessert!

Ratings (out of 5):


FOOD
4.50
SERVICE
5.00

ATMOSPHERE
4.25
VALUE
4.00

OVERALL
4.44

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