Farmstead

by Julie Fadda

December 19, 2011
in Monthly

Farmstead

738 Main St.

St. Helena

(707) 963-9181

www.longmeadowranch.com

American cuisine

Lunch and dinner daily

Entrées: $15-$26

Full bar, excellent wine list

Housed in a former nursery barn, Farmstead is Long Meadow Ranch’s well-appointed restaurant with open-beamed ceilings, wooden tables, leather booths, an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven, a long communal table and plenty of bar seating. Chef Stephen Barber sources his ingredients locally in addition to Long Meadow Ranch’s own produce, olive oil, honey and grass-fed beef. The wine list is extensive and, if you bring your own bottle, there’s no corkage fee. Instead, there’s a $2 per bottle charge that goes directly to local charities.

We started with the “Bee’s Knees” cocktail, made with No. 209 gin, honey simple syrup and lemon juice. Served on the rocks, the honey struck a great balance in this light, refreshing drink. A 2007 Schramsberg Blanc de Noir (stone fruits, lots of bubbles) went great with six fresh Tomales Bay miyagi oysters on the half-shell with mignonette sauce.

The soup of the day was a smoky, flavorful, roasted tomato with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. The caramelized beet salad was well rounded in flavor, served warm with creamy goat cheese, fresh, tart greens and a hint of spice.

To accompany our entrées, we chose 2004 Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (meaty, smoky flavor, firm tannins, earthy, bright fruit). It paired especially well with the skirt steak special, which was served medium rare, sliced thin and very tender, with an herbaceous chimichurri sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes and a lot of tart arugula, which was a nice contrast to the earthy meat and potatoes—a very savory dish. Next was a thick filet of melt-in-your-mouth wild Pacific salmon, served with sweet Brentwood white corn, sautéed green beans (both added a snappy texture) and cherry tomatoes. It was a wonderful blend of sweet and savory.

For sides, we chose the broccoli, which was sautéed with butter and garlic, then sprinkled with grana cheese—very fresh and green. We also had the cheddar biscuits. Wow. Golden crisp on the outside, they were moist and hot inside, served in a tiny iron skillet with a side of sweet honey butter.

Everything we ate was beautifully presented and came in generous portions. So, naturally, we ordered dessert. The thick, large slice of Scharffenberger chocolate cream pie had a mousse-like consistency (denser, richer than many others I’ve tried) and had a tower of whipped cream on top, with a lovely, thick graham cracker crust that tasted of caramel as well. Delicious. The buttermilk panna cotta was served in a jelly jar with a layer of raspberry gelee on top, a rich and creamy selection we also enjoyed very much.

Thank you to our server, Biz, who couldn’t have been any better and quite obviously had the perfect name for our visit, and to the Hall family for creating such a wonderful space.