When In Phoenix...The Farm

I’m starting a new section here on In the Centner of it All called “When In Phoenix” where I’ll be sharing some of my favorite restaurants, shops, and events in the Phoenix area.  Lets be honest though, most of the places will likely be restaurants. 

When I first moved here I was just excited to be in a city with an Olive Garden close.  My best friend and I used to drive almost an hour to go to Applebees in high school so living somewhere with so many options was pretty darn exciting.  Although many chain restaurants can hold their own, I really prefer the unique, home-grown restaurants that offer a different type of experience and there are so many of those here.

Last week Mr. C and I finally made it to The Farm, a place I’ve been dying to visit for at least a couple years.  The issue was that everytime I’d think about going it was summertime and the place is seasonal being that people typically don’t want to pay to eat outside when it’s 120 degrees.  I was worried that after waiting forever to try out the place I’d have built it up in my mind and just be disappointed, but disappointed I was not. 

We saw a little sign for parking and made our way to the entrance.  We started at the Farm Kitchen by placing our order.  Everything on the menu looked amazing but we both decided on the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, passion tea, and split a pasta salad.  The sandwiches were made fresh in a few minutes and served in a cute little basket.   There are so many spots to eat, but we picked a table in the courtyard right outside.  I loved watching the birds hop around, and the view was beautiful, even in the winter when the trees were pretty bare.  Everything tasted was amazing and the pesto primavera pasta salad was possibly the best pasta salad I’ve ever had.

After lunch we walked around a bit.  There is in fact farmland at The Farm that was being worked while we walked around.  At the back of the property there are a couple other places to eat that are a bit more formal and a farmer’s market with some fresh vegetables and local products.

We stopped in the gift shop where I restrained myself from buying everything.  We had fun looking around and I did buy a beautiful black currant scented candle and some of The Farm’s berry preserves.  I love buying unique, local products and when we got up to pay the woman at the counter couldn’t help but tell us how amazing the preserves taste.  She was right – it’s so good!  Everyone we encountered was so friendly, even the cat in the gift shop.

We will definitely be returning to The Farm, hopefully for dinner next time. I also can't wait to see the landscape in the Spring.  I’ve heard it’s one of the most romantic dinner places, but if you’re also looking for a cozy lunch spot to go with a friend or significant other, Farm Kitchen is the perfect place.