Located across the bridge,
an easy eight minute rideshare hop from downtown Portland is the Rose City's
(and possibly the Pacific Northwest's) best vegan restaurant, Farm Spirit.
Seated in an unassuming corner spot on SE Belmont, Farm Spirit is definitely
more than meets the eye. What seems at first glance to be a casual eatery from
the street is actually the facade of an elegant restaurant with service and
food that rivals any Michelin star rated restaurant I've been to. Owner and
Chef Aaron Adams along with Co-Head Chef Scott Winegard certainly have
something special, or shall we say, spirited,
in Farm Spirit.
Farm Spirit's roots began to sprout in 2015 in a different
location, and their newer, roomier space on Belmont opened only last year in
January of 2019. The space feels like a New York apartment - custom wood
shelves, Scandinavian minimalistic tables and chairs, a smattering of potted
succulents, a vintage patterned rug, and industrial-chic light fixtures –
inviting guests to relax in the unassuming ambiance so unlike many high-end
restaurants that are more pomp and circumstance. So while the space may not
scream high-end, the food is nothing short of elegance, and it’s clear the
food-centric focus is Farm Spirit’s bread and butter. Or shall we say, bread
and olive oil?
Farm Spirit features a pre-set menu comprised of seasonal dishes
that are created with locally sourced ingredients found within a 105-mile
radius. Our mid-February menu included ten decadent courses that were as artful
as they were flavorful. There are three options to dine at Farm Spirit, a
three-course lunch tasting, the multiple-course dinner tasting, and the chef's
counter experience. We opted to sit in the dining room for the multi-course
dinner tasting menu where we had a little more space to spread out and truly
dine. We enjoyed top-notch service, especially from our server Derek.
The food is hard to describe – it’s that good, and that inventive.
My favorite savory course was a "gnocchi" of sorts created from
seared green wheat kalettes and charred celery in a smoky broth that had a sort
of woodsy taste thanks to the mushrooms and what I'm guessing was smoked
paprika. My second favorite savory course was the hen of the woods and
tetsukabuto squash with a peach kombucha reduction sauce. Sweet dishes included
a warm spelt cake with caramelized carrot and marionberry sauce which was not
too sweet (more like a spiced cake than an actual cake) and oh-so-spongy-moist
in texture. The highlight of the "sweets" menu was a caramel apple
popsicle made from whole-roasted local honey crisp apples topped with a house
made caramel sauce. Not your average candied apple country fair fare, I could
have eaten 20 of these caramelized apples!
This was easily one of the most memorable and enjoyable dinners we
have ever experienced, thanks to the uniqueness of the vegan dishes (truly,
vegetables transformed), and the impeccable service from the wait staff and
kitchen. Though eating at Farm Spirit requires a bit of planning (tickets must
be purchased ahead at the time of reservation), it was well worth the
scheduling and advance pay, and honestly, we would book a trip to Portland just
to eat at Farm Spirit again.
1st Course: Cascadian Snacks. Notable faves: cabbage "taco" with zatar veggies and paprika chips.
2nd Course: Every Root in the Cellar. Looks like cake, tastes like a delightful vegan meatloaf.
3rd Course: Winter Greens, Rose, and Sunflower Seeds. The bitter radicchio was perfectly balanced by the slightly sweet pinot noir vinaigrette.
4th Course: Country Bread with Black Garlic, Green Garlic, and Olio Nuevo. The bread is made by Grano Bakery. Apparently, you can purchase this lovely Country Sourdough bread at the People's Co-Op, though when we made the special trip to pick up a loaf the next day, it was sold out.
5th Course: Seared Green Wheat Kalettes with Charred Celery. This smoky, woodsy concotion was my favorite bite of the night. And, possibly, one of the best savory vegan dishes I've ever had!
6th Course: Hen of the Woods and Tetsukabuto Squash. The squash was perfectly tender and the kombucha brine gave this dish a lovely, unique flavor. It was plated as beautifully as it tasted!
7th Course: Caramel Apple. This "popsicle" like dish was my favorite sweet item on the tasting menu.
8th Course: Warm Spelt Cake with Caramelized Carrot and Marionberry Sauce. As spongy and soft as it was rich. The light texture offset the luscious seemingly buttery depth of flavor.
9th Course: Tea and Cookies. In addition to a fruitty herbal apple tea, we were treated to buckwheat cookies with parsnip puree, Farm Spirit's vegan housemade Oreo.
Bonus Course: Tomorrow's Breakfast. Farm Spirit sent us home with complimentary boxes of homemade granola to ensure that you reminisce about your lovely experience over breakfast the next morning. A lovely touch and thoughtful parting gift!
