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"Every dish has a story to go with it."

Farm Spirit: the future of dining out

What makes Farm Spirit exceptional? Their devotion to locality is one. The kitchen’s ability to turn the most basic ingredients into beautifully flavored dishes is another. Or their innovative plant based and vegan menu, their fantastic non-alcoholic pairings, and their focus on delivering a perfect dish over pleasing the guests’ every whim. Their commitment to low waste by knowing exactly how many guests to cook for ahead of time, and using each ingredient from stem to leaf. Their comfortable pace of service. The fact that every member of the kitchen staff takes time to introduce themselves in a friendly manner. The fact that an exceptional meal doesn’t have to take all evening. The feeling that you’re getting far more than what you paid for. I could continue, but instead I’d like to wholeheartedly recommend a visit when you’re in the area. For me, restaurant Farm Spirit represents a hopeful future of dining out.

Local means local: no more than 105 miles

Every dish has a story to go with it. Executive chef and founder Aaron Adams and chef Keu Ohdera have close ties with local farmers and foragers. The soil, the climate, and the location of each farm and every forest ensures the kitchen staff has a staggering diversity of ingredients to work with. At Farm Spirit the spotlight is on Cascadia region, that runs from Alaska down to Oregon. Despite that, every products, including the natural wines, beers, and ciders, comes from within a radius of 105 miles surrounding the restaurant.

Deep flavors and surprising drinks

I don’t have too much time to think of engaging questions for the staff, however, because dish after dish manages to impress. The non-alcoholic drink pairings are a perfect fit for the deep layers of flavor present in every dish. It is the end of May, meaning the dishes are crunchy and fresh with a slight acid tang. The most last impressions are made by a cauliflower soup with Oregon blueberries, zucchini in romesco sauce, and fried morels with wild garlic, flowers, and chives. The drinks to go with these are homemade kombucha’s, kefirs, spritzers, and shrubs.

‘The art of growing fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and flowers. We are thankful for all those farmers, seed breeders, and other food artisans that gift us with their experience, their skill and labor. To those who toil in the field to bring us the bounty, we give thanks.”

The restaurant seats only fourteen guests. When we enter nameplates indicate the evening’s seating arrangement. We carefully shuffle over to our seats and introduce ourselves to our neighbours. As a guest you sort of know what to expect, but the details remain a mystery. The menu consists of multiple courses, each of which is made using nothing but local, seasonal products. All vegan, to boot. Each course is prepared, finished, and served at the same time for each of the fourteen guests. Each dish is accompanied by a detailed explanation of where each ingredient is from, how it is prepared and what role it plays in the overall composition of the dish. The kitchen staff makes an effort to make themselves available for questions all evening.

Vegan menu for everyone

Deciding in advance

When you make a reservation at Farm Spirit, you have a lot of decisions to make. Obviously you pick the time and date and indicate the size of your party, but you also make a choice for a gluten-free and/or a non-alcoholic menu. Payment is due in advance via ticketing. Once you’re done all that’s left to do is make the journey to 1414 SE Morrison Street, and join the other guests in line. Punctuality is appreciated, because the doors for the first service open at 6pm sharp and those arriving late will miss out on the first few dishes. 

"The menu consists of multiple courses, each of which is made using nothing but local, seasonal products." 

Farm Spirit
1414 SE Morris Street, Portland, Oregon
www.farmspiritpdx.com

  Frank Lindner  Xiao-Er Kong

Farm Spirit in Portland, Oregon is a gastronomical plant based restaurant. This spring I had the opportunity to eat there, and despite my choice for non-alcoholic pairings, I was blown away. It wasn’t just the fact that it effortlessly ticked all the boxes required for a fantastic dining experience, but also that it offered a glimpse of a hopeful future.

FARM SPIRIT: THE FUTURE OF DINING OUT

AN ODE TO
THE EARTH

Farm Spirit
1414 SE Morris Street, Portland, Oregon
www.farmspiritpdx.com

What makes Farm Spirit exceptional? Their devotion to locality is one. The kitchen’s ability to turn the most basic ingredients into beautifully flavored dishes is another. Or their innovative plant based and vegan menu, their fantastic non-alcoholic pairings, and their focus on delivering a perfect dish over pleasing the guests’ every whim. Their commitment to low waste by knowing exactly how many guests to cook for ahead of time, and using each ingredient from stem to leaf. Their comfortable pace of service. The fact that every member of the kitchen staff takes time to introduce themselves in a friendly manner. The fact that an exceptional meal doesn’t have to take all evening. The feeling that you’re getting far more than what you paid for. I could continue, but instead I’d like to wholeheartedly recommend a visit when you’re in the area. For me, restaurant Farm Spirit represents a hopeful future of dining out.

Farm Spirit: the future of dining out

Every dish has a story to go with it. Executive chef and founder Aaron Adams and chef Keu Ohdera have close ties with local farmers and foragers. The soil, the climate, and the location of each farm and every forest ensures the kitchen staff has a staggering diversity of ingredients to work with. At Farm Spirit the spotlight is on Cascadia region, that runs from Alaska down to Oregon. Despite that, every products, including the natural wines, beers, and ciders, comes from within a radius of 105 miles surrounding the restaurant.

Local means local: no more than 105 miles

I don’t have too much time to think of engaging questions for the staff, however, because dish after dish manages to impress. The non-alcoholic drink pairings are a perfect fit for the deep layers of flavor present in every dish. It is the end of May, meaning the dishes are crunchy and fresh with a slight acid tang. The most last impressions are made by a cauliflower soup with Oregon blueberries, zucchini in romesco sauce, and fried morels with wild garlic, flowers, and chives. The drinks to go with these are homemade kombucha’s, kefirs, spritzers, and shrubs.

Deep flavors and surprising drinks

‘The art of growing fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and flowers. We are thankful for all those farmers, seed breeders, and other food artisans that gift us with their experience, their skill and labor. To those who toil in the field to bring us the bounty, we give thanks.”

The restaurant seats only fourteen guests. When we enter nameplates indicate the evening’s seating arrangement. We carefully shuffle over to our seats and introduce ourselves to our neighbours. As a guest you sort of know what to expect, but the details remain a mystery. The menu consists of multiple courses, each of which is made using nothing but local, seasonal products. All vegan, to boot. Each course is prepared, finished, and served at the same time for each of the fourteen guests. Each dish is accompanied by a detailed explanation of where each ingredient is from, how it is prepared and what role it plays in the overall composition of the dish. The kitchen staff makes an effort to make themselves available for questions all evening.

Vegan menu for everyone

When you make a reservation at Farm Spirit, you have a lot of decisions to make. Obviously you pick the time and date and indicate the size of your party, but you also make a choice for a gluten-free and/or a non-alcoholic menu. Payment is due in advance via ticketing. Once you’re done all that’s left to do is make the journey to 1414 SE Morrison Street, and join the other guests in line. Punctuality is appreciated, because the doors for the first service open at 6pm sharp and those arriving late will miss out on the first few dishes. 

Deciding in advance

  Frank Lindner  Xiao-Er Kong

Farm Spirit in Portland, Oregon is a gastronomical plant based restaurant. This spring I had the opportunity to eat there, and despite my choice for non-alcoholic pairings, I was blown away. It wasn’t just the fact that it effortlessly ticked all the boxes required for a fantastic dining experience, but also that it offered a glimpse of a hopeful future.

FARM SPIRIT: THE FUTURE OF DINING OUT

Lees verder

AN ODE TO
THE EARTH

Overview magazines

Food Inspiration Magazine is the online magazine for foodservice professionals in search of inspiration and innovation. With the magazine we collect, enrich and spread inspiration. The free subscription magazine is published eight times per year and is an abundant source of inspiration for food and hospitality professionals. Our readers can be found in the U.S., Northern Europe, Latin America and Asia.
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