At Farmer Brown’s long, copper-topped bar, an eclectic crowd sips mint juleps and potent watermelon margaritas—and, on Thursday nights, taps their toes to the blues bands that often play. Chef-owner Jay Foster has achieved a down-home chic in the olive-and-brown dining room, complete with distressed-copper walls and pillars, high ceilings and striking portraits from Berkeley artist Keba Konte.
Foster has created a “farm fresh” twist on Southern cuisine by using sustainable ingredients and ethically raised meats. And he’s clearly done his homework on the genre: His chicken-and-andouille-sausage gumbo is grounded in a good, dark roux. Entrées, such as crisply fried Fulton Valley Farms chicken served with Tillamook-cheddar mac-and-cheese or bacon-wrapped roasted trout stuffed with garlic and fresh herbs, rely on big, bold flavors. For true Southern sticklers, there’s even house-made sweet tea (served in a Mason jar) and pecan pie.
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