The Farm Café in Portland

Off East Burnside is an itty-bitty farmhouse you might miss if you’re not paying close attention. Take care to make a stop here, preferably with a loved one with whom you feel comfortable gushing over a fine organic meal together with some tasty drinks.

I started one evening happily with a Snowflake (which contains Frangelico and Kahlúa), served in a martini glass with dark-chocolate shards covering the white liquid. That warmed me up considerably so I could dive into crab risotto, slow cooked to perfection, a few of the ravishing salads, and a pork dish that drove me, the non-pork person, to exclamations of bliss.

The mostly local wine list and the lemon drop with vanilla-infused vodka will satisfy your craving for a buzz. The best time to taste is on the odd sunny spring day on their outside patio during happy hour. The menu shuffles like your favorite mixtape with a bounty of ingredients from within a hundred miles, highlighting such tasty produce like asparagus and fava beans which are just now coming into season.

On my last visit we tried a veggie filled risotto and some fried broccoli fritters that put your average dried-out falafel to shame. We were enjoying the sumptuous meal the friendly atmosphere but it all got better when we ordered the chocolate  soufflé , a dessert so rich and creamy we had to have another round of Snowflakes and take our sweet time.

The Farm Cafe is a small place, but it doesn’t feel crowded. For the kinds of refined dishes served here, the prices are astonishingly low, especially at happy hour from 5-6p. The food is warm and comfortable, cooked with good karma and without a rush. Few things make me happier than another chance to come to the Farm Café for full-course meal.

Good Idea

Eat at odd hours. Have date night when you get off work early, like the late afternoon, or super late when you know you can sleep in the next day. Chances are the prices will be more reasonable and delicious seasonable food like the goodies at the Farm Café are more accessible even when you’re penny pinching.

Deets

The Farm Café, 10 SE 7th Ave., 503.736.3276, open Sun-Tues 5-10:30p, Wed-Sat 5-11:30p