Restaurants: The Farmhouse Tap & Grill

Unfortunately, my pictures of the best restaurant we tried all weekend didn’t come out very well. We ate dinner at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill on Saturday night and loved it so much that we went for lunch again on Sunday.

On Saturday night, we started with the Roasted Mushroom - Walnut Pâté, which was served with grilled bread, whole grain mustard, and pickled green beans. It was earthy, nutty, and had the great texture of a pesto. It was delicious spread on the grilled bread.

The waiter brought over the condiments served with every meal: root beer barbeque sauce, garlic aioli, whole grain mustard, and ketchup.

Matt ordered the Nitty Gritty Corn Griddle Cakes. They were served with roasted mushrooms, wilted greens, and buttermilk herb vinaigrette on top. I forgot to take the picture before Matt dug in, so it looks a lot messier than it really was. The griddle cakes were like normal pancakes but with cornmeal. The sweet pancakes went really well with the mushrooms and bitter greens. Matt was very pleased that he was able to get away with having pancakes for dinner.

I ordered the Venison Burger topped with arugula, tarentaise cheese, and preserved lemon aioli. I asked them to add some pickled jalapenos as well. This was definitely the best thing I ate all weekend. It was cooked perfectly (on the rare side of medium-rare) and was incredibly juicy considering how lean venison is. The cheese was incredible – creamy and nutty – and the preserved lemon aioli was to die for. There were actually small chewy pieces of preserved lemon that in the aioli. The bun was just the right amount of toasted hold the burger without getting soggy. This burger was just a special that night, but I hope they put it on their permanent menu!

We split the blueberry pie for dessert. The slice was enormous and packed with fresh blueberries. I would have preferred if it were warm, but it didn’t need much help since the berries were so fresh.

Now, onto lunch the next day…

Matt ordered the Farmhouse Veggie burger, which I believe was lentil based. It was topped with kimchi, arugula, and house pickled jalapenos. Matt opted to have a fried egg added on top, which was obviously a great decision. I stole a bite and it was a pretty amazing combination.

I decided on a veggie burger this time as well – the Smoky Portobello White Bean Burger. It was topped with fresh mozzarella, local tomato, arugula, and basil aioli (which I ordered on the side). Again, I added the pickled jalapenos. Anyone who says they don’t like veggie burgers needs to try a homemade one. The white bean patty was rich and creamy with a nice crust on the outside. The cheese on top even got a little caramelized. I would order both of these burgers again.

The Farmhouse Tap also has a great beer selection and beer garden in the back. I’m in love.

The Farmhouse Tap and Grill
160 Bank Street
Burlington, VT 05401