Table Talk: Down on the Farm, again
I”™m always suspicious of establishments calling themselves by names with an ersatz final “e” ”“ “The Olde Barne,” “Towne Place Antiques,” “Sunset Pointe” ”“ you get my “drifte.” That”™s not to say they can”™t be perfectly wonderful, of course. I just tend to think that simple is good.
So I was pleased to see that The Grille restaurant at the stylish Hotel Nyack, which is now part of Hyatt”™s Joie de Vivre collection and which I had the pleasure of reviewing for WAG magazine 18 months ago, has been renamed Farm ”“ mercifully with no final “e.” Indeed, the entire restaurant has been rebranded, under the guidance of Hugo Uys, who has 20 years of successful New York City restauration behind him, including managing two of his own restaurants in the West Village. Uys is also the brains behind the spiffy Great Northern Food Hall and Agern, a Michelin-starred restaurant, both in Grand Central Terminal, so he is clearly a man who knows his leeks from his green onions and his bigarade sauce from his Bordelaise.
The restaurant occupies the same space as previously, combining smoothly with the open bar ”“on the other side of a waist-high glass partition ”“ and comfortable hotel lobby area, complete with an inviting open fireplace. Exposed ducting and de rigueur filigree-lamp lighting contribute to the look, which is pleasingly contemporary without breaking any shocking new ground.
With bold and bright paintings by local artists form the tristate adorning the walls, Farm also has comfortable seating, which includes a high central table for communal dining and a banquette that runs the width of the room. The only difference I could discern between this room and the Grille I visited was that the large, inviting patio that the restaurant faces has now been set up with tables and chairs and cheerful garden furniture. That said, despite the warm weather on the day we visited, diners were not encouraged to sit outside.
We arrived for Farm”™s bottomless Sunday brunch ”“ for which you can choose one entrée and drink as much as you wish within a two-hour window for $39. My guest”™s bottle of Carrot Kick 100% cold-pressed juice seemed a good way to start, especially for anyone who may have overindulged the previous evening. (Not that I am casting any aspersions on the Saturday night activity of my guest, you understand.) Rich and earthy, this drink”™s robust flavor was mirrored in its extraordinary intensity of color, a magnificent shade of burnt sienna and umber. For my part, I stuck with those tried and tested brunch-time favorites, a Mimosa, following it up shortly afterwards with a Bellini, both of them fruity and refreshing.
At any rate, drinks whetted our appetites, and we were ready to tackle the menu, which reads pretty much like a typical brunch menu but with obvious care taken over the ingredients and their sourcing. Eggs Benedict, more correctly “Royale,” (I ordered them with smoked salmon rather than Canadian bacon) were good ”“ a yeasty muffin as the base and the eggs with beautiful deep-yellow yokes, served with cubed, crisp home fries, although I found the Hollandaise sauce a little thin. Blueberry pancakes came with preserved peaches, and quite delicious they were, too, served with whipped cream and good quality maple syrup. A breakfast burrito with a scrambled egg, jalapeño, red onion and chipotle packed an unusual but welcome brunch punch.
Still, you needn”™t confine yourself to these dishes, since Farm”™s full menu is served on weekends, too. Among the “regular” dishes that caught my attention were flatbreads with various toppings, burrata, homemade”¯tagliatelle with squash, buttermilk chicken (I”™ll return for that) and succulent,”¯seared tuna,”¯imaginatively served with farro and a cilantro-lime aioli.
Desserts are made in house. Ice creams, which come in generous portions, are gelato-like in their creaminess, while an indulgent sundae with popcorn was a weekend treat. I also thought Farm”™s coffee was exceptionally good.
Plaudits a-plenty, then, for Farm”™s food and sophisticated bar program, which includes an eclectic wine list and some sophisticated bourbon and rye-based cocktails, but service has a ways to go. With only two other tables occupied at the time of our visit, a gentle, eager to please young server struggled to keep up. It was hardly his fault that he had been put on the restaurant floor with inadequate training.
It”™s an issue that Farm ”“ in all other ways a thoroughly delightful restaurant – will have to address if it is to become the popular setting that chef René Xelo”™s excellent food deserves.
For more, visit hotelnyack.com.