Review: The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn

Last night the boyfriend's parents and brother came over to celebrate some stuff and it was decided that instead of me laboring in the kitchen to produce something that probably wouldn't be very good, we'd head out and let someone else do the cooking. I'd found this place online called The Farm on Adderley that, despite the semi-pretentious name, had gotten some pretty great reviews. So we made a reservation, and then later we piled in the car (we're bad New Yorkers, always driving around) and headed over.

This place was really cute looking. It looks like it got lost somewhere between Park Slope and Manhattan and ended up in central Brooklyn. There's a couple of tables at the front with a very nice bar, and then it looked like the restaurant extended quite a ways back. They put the five of us at one of the round tables at the front next to a floor to ceiling window. Like climate controlled sidewalk seating! I started getting a feeling once I saw the menu.... Lots of stuff that I had no clue about what it was (all the funny sounding stuff was fish). A few basic things gussied up with some fresh herbs and rice and stuff, like chicken and steak. We ordered a couple of appetizers and settled back.

When the appetizers came out, that's when I knew it....this was FANCY PEOPLE FOOD! The type of food where the appetizer is barely ANYTHING and you're like, wait a minute! We ordered some artichokes and mozzarella and each arrived with sort of a piddly little amount of food on the plate. It was good, but still. When the entrees came, they were very pretty. The type of presentation where all of the food is piled on top of itself on a plate and some green stuff sprinkled on top. It was good too, but I always feel like a slob when I eat at places like that.

So about the food itself. It was good, but it wasn't fantastic. My chicken was extraordinarily chewy, yet well seasoned. Evan's brother got some sort of fettucini dish that looked like it had already started to congeal by the time it got to the table. Everything that we ordered was perfectly fine....but it wasn't super special. I will say that it all tasted very very fresh. I don't know where all the ingredients come from but I'd be willing to bet it's all locally grown.

The waitress was nice and pleasant enough, although I saw a quick glimmer of GET OUT PEASANTS! flash across her face when we asked her what char was (it's some sort of glacier fish or something, who knows). She and the bussers were very good about bringing stuff out quickly and keeping our table clear of dirty dishes. Good service goes a loooong way with me, so that was good. The boyfriend's folks picked up the bill so I don't know how much it was (thanks guys!). The entrees ranged from about $14 to $24.

I think that this place would be a good place to go to if you're in Brooklyn and you want to demonstrate what an in-the-know and hip, yet sensitive, Brooklyn dweller you are. I don't think I would come from another borough to eat here, unless I was just following the lead of someone else. It wouldn't be on the front of my brain or anything. The place was packed, so I guess it's fairly popular. Anyhow, check it out if you're in the area, I guess.

This place gets 3 out of 4 stars. They did everything right....but it was still just ok. Kind of like vanilla...it's good and all and always tastes nice and will do in a pinch but it's VANILLA, you know?

The Farm on Adderley
1108 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218
718.287.3101

www.thefarmonadderley.com