50 N 2nd Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-206-3920
www.thebachelorfarmer.com
Neighborhood: North Loop, Warehouse
Cuisine: American (New)
$$$ = $50 and less – Higher priced
Five Forks = Sets the standard for fine dining in the region and consistently provides superior quality dining
Hours:
Monday through Thursday 5:30PM – 930PM
Friday and Saturday 5:30PM – 10:30PM
Sunday 5:00PM – 9:30PM
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Handicap accessible: Yes
Parking: Street
Vegetarian options: Yes
Kid friendly: No
Liquor served: Full bar
Wine List: Nice by the glass and bottle options
Outdoor seating: No
Reservations: Yes
How come we’ve never heard of this place before? They’ve been open nearly five years! We were served incredibly fresh food, beautifully plated and served with much knowledge and professionalism. The servers were comfortable with the menu and they were on top of removing utensils and plates upon completion of courses.
Unique: The Bachelor Farmer is housed in a historic brick-and-timber warehouse located in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis; which is why the signage is small and sometimes hard to find. Built in 1881 and expanded in 1902 when Eric Dayton purchased the property in 2008 and with his brother, Andrew, began a complete renovation. Their intention was to preserve as much of the original character as possible.
This is “a restaurant in America’s North featuring the freshest locally-sourced ingredients possible, all four seasons of the year. We celebrate our state’s cultural heritage and draw inspiration from the surrounding region. They practice whole-animal butchery and use traditional techniques to preserve spring and summer produce for the leaner months, just as Minnesotans have done for generations.”
They source the best ingredients available, which means buying from local farmers and purveyors. They use organic products whenever possible and also grow their own herbs and vegetables on their rooftop farm, which was the first of its kind in Minneapolis.
The ambiance is comfortable and casual, but with an upscale feel with an open and rustic space. We enjoyed looking at the exposed beams with a warm, farmhouse feel to it.
Complementary: We were offered a complimentary start of housemade chips with a lemon aioli dipping sauce as well as a plate of fresh veggie nibbles between courses!
The lemon sauce was bright and addictive, while the itty bitty tomatoes and carrots with olive oil and salt were incredibly fresh and flavorful!
Shared plates: Mixed lettuce Salad, $11
Mixed greens with aged goat’s milk cheese, cider vinegar, walnuts. This was a good salad, but nothing terribly memorable.
Roasted Zucchini, $13
Zucchini roasted, broccoli, caramelized shallots, pickled onions, croutons and fresh mint. It was a unique combination of flavors, but not sure we would order it again.
Entree’s: Scallops, $29
Roasted scallops, sweet corn, cauliflower, green beans, basil, beurre blanc, pork fat. This was an outstanding dish! The scallops were cooked perfectly with a buttery taste throughout. I stole the lemon from my husband’s plate and with a quick squeeze – gave it the perfect amount of acidity and brightness. The corn and vegetables were crisp and flavorful!
Lamb Sausage Entree, $28
Grilled lamb sausage, mustard greens, crispy potatoes, red onion, garlic scapes, old water. (So yes, we had to ask what the old water means! It was the description of the reduced stock). This was a delicious meal with a nice contrast of richness from the sausage, which did not have a strong game taste and the fresh greens.
Fried Pork Cutlet, $27
Fried pork cutlet, grilled cucumbers, marinated radishes, almonds, and mustard. I didn’t actually taste this dish, but our guest reported it was really good. The crust on the pork looked fresh and crispy, but I’m really curious about grilled cucumbers…
Whole Wheat Fettuccini, $23
Pasta with basil-walnut pesto summer squash, and parmesan. This was the only flop served to our table. The pasta was thick, gummy and exceptionally bland. The summer squash added no additional flavor or texture to the dish because it too was soft and mushy. It tasted like “fake” food and was terrible.
Sides: Potatoes, $8
Fried in pork fat (how could you go wrong?) with oregano, pickled shallots. These potatoes were crispy and cooked perfectly golden with a pillowy soft center. Our friends were glad that they had each ordered some because they felt that the portion was not generous enough to share.
Warm Popover, $4
Served with honey butter and cooked to perfection! A light and crispy outside, with a soft eggy inside. They are nearly hollow but scrumptious and we wished we had ordered more than one to share!
Dessert’s: Lemon Posset, $7
This old-time English dessert is simply a light custard made from just cream, sugar, and the lemon flavors that was topped with a great cornmeal-lemon thyme crumble (I wished for more thyme) and topped with a bit of fruit compote. A delicate and delicious ending to a great meal.
Much like the food they serve, The Bachelor Farmer’s wine program focuses on small, independent producers from cool-climate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Their wines are selected based on quality and value. Bottles are stored in a basement cellar with ideal temperature and humidity levels naturally provided by the building’s limestone foundation. We notice many options from France, Germany, and Austria with little options from our Pacific regions.
We chose the Saint – Joseph Jean-Louis Chave Sélection ‘Offerus’ Rouge 2013, $74
This is a full-bodied, dry, red wine that is a Syrah varietal that typically retails for around $30. It was definitely showing a lot of white pepper notes and carried a lot of the Rhone, France characteristics.
Our server was Lauren and it appeared that she may be training someone in as there was another quiet gal shadowing her. Lauren was friendly and knowledgeable and did a nice job of taking care of our table.
Our dinner bill was given to us bound in a fun little notebook, which we felt needed a little more description.
Apparently, the Bachelor Farmer staff selects notes left behind by their patrons and adheres them to the walls near the washrooms and I felt that they should have explained that. We forgave them when we noticed soft little gingerbread cookies that they offered complimentary with the tab. I also thought the take home matches at the hostess desk were something unique and memorable!
One more note: Sundays are special at The Bachelor Farmer. They open a little earlier, and in addition to their full dinner menu, offer Sunday Supper – a three-course meal beginning with a soup, salad, or toast, followed by our whole-roasted chicken with seasonal accompaniments, and then dessert. They say “Sunday Supper gives our chefs the opportunity to create a complete dining experience for our guests from start to finish because sometimes it’s nice to leave the decisions to someone else. it’s a fun and relaxed evening at the restaurant for friends, families, and neighbors, as Sundays should be!”
Bon appetit!
~Chris
