Discerning
diners in Athens, Georgia have been limited to
either downtown’s bustling East West Bistro for pristine
seafood specials or neighborhood hot spot, Five and Ten,
for briny oysters and a soulful bowl of Frogmore Stew.
But there’s a new chick in town, and her name is Farm 255.
Her sexy idea is to reconnect food to its roots and people to
their food. Exactly what I expect from a restaurant that is owned
and operated by farmers. Full Moon Farms to be exact – a
small organic vegetable farm located just five miles from the
restaurant’s front door.
Farm 255 captures the soul of farm-based dining. Odds are, your
server actually works the farm by day, vegetables have that romantic
plucked from the ground that day freshness to them, and the kitchen
almost always adheres to the cardinal rule of seasonality – "only
eat what is locally in season".
Chef Tamar informs me that at least 60% of the menu’s ingredients
on any given night come from Full Moon Farms. The rest, with
the exception of a few not-so-local morsels, are from other nearby
(within 100 miles) eco-friendly farms.
The restaurant is situated in an old defunct downtown factory
with slow arching vaulted ceilings and wooden rafters, which
lend an airy, farm-like feel to the room.
Rustic tables are spaciously positioned for the comfort conscious,
but the best seats in the house are six barstools that face directly
into the restaurant’s open kitchen. This, of course, is
where we sit.
“CIBO!” Screams chef Tamar as she puts the final touches
on a killer Sweet Grass Dairy cheese plate. Cibo (pronounced
chee-bo) means food in Italian – or in this case – food
desperately in need of a runner.
The cuisine here is a hearty mix of home-style Mediterranean
and simple straightforward Georgia cooking. The menu is printed
daily depending on the morning harvest.
We start with one of the menu’s many Georgia influences,
roasted beets over arugula and frisee with smoked trout and crème
fraiche. It’s a playful southern dish that’s perfect
for early spring – the sweetness from the beets simultaneously
contrasts the bitter greens and the nuttiness of the smoked trout.
Bruschetta – the Mediterranean standout of the appetizer
options – arrives as two gorgeously grilled thick slices
of ciabatta bread topped with beet greens and savory aioli.
Melanie, in an attempt to stick to her southern roots, orders
Pan-Fried Trout with minted English-pea puree. Anybody else notice
that mushy peas have become fashionable? |
Smile chef! Roasted beet salad over
arugula & frisee with smoked trout & creme fraiche
Price Range:
$$ - most dishes
under $15
Type of Cuisine: Organic
farm-based restaurant
Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 5:30 - 10:pm
Fri & Sat: 5:30 - 10:30pm
Address/Tel: 255 Washington St, Athens Tel: 706-549-4660
Notes:
*The restaurant is owned and operated by the same
folks who run Full Moon Farms.
* Service is laid-back and fairly knowledgeable.
*Special kudos to the owners of Farm 255 (Olivia Sageant,
Jerid Grandinetti, Jason Mann, Kate Smith and Nicholas
Zanoni) for finally bringing us a farm-based concept.
|
Pan-fried
trout is simply prepared, too simple in my opinion. Sure, it’s
good quality fish, but I’d like to see chef put a little
more heart & soul into this one. The same heart & soul
that goes into the Hungry Farmer – a hot stewy Italian pasta
with starchy white beans and house made Red Mule cornbread.
That same passion that she pours into the spicy plump Georgia
shrimp served over uber creamy Red Mule grits and garlicky greens.
Easily the tastiest Shrimp & Grits I’ve had in recent
memory.
Farm 255 sources only local sustainable meats. Grass-fed meats,
including a six-ounce burger, come from Riverview Farms in North
Georgia. Ossabaw pork, which is some of the finest swine around,
is brought in from Ossabaw Island, off the coast of Georgia.
I could go on and on about Farm 255's conviction for local organic
ingredients, but I think you get the point.
Oddly, what I find most alluring about Farm 255 is the emanating
laid-back vibe. So indescribably peaceful and sensual it mysteriously
never goes away – it’s what I refer to as the soul
of the restaurant.
I could happily spend every single lazy Saturday evening for
the rest of my life relaxing right here in this barstool eating
a grass-fed burger, drinking a Foret and reminiscing with Melanie.
“CIBO!” Screams chef Tamar one last time.
I am now nostalgic for my college days. Somebody once warned
me that this might happen. |
