French Fry Diary 574: The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market

The Bride and I were having an impromptu date night, and were undecided on dinner. What we did decide was to try some place new. So rather than take advantage of old technology like the entertainment coupon book she had or the new tech of our phones and numerous apps, we drove around aimlessly. As we passed the former Cherry Hill landmark Andreotti's Viennese Cafe which has recently been replaced by The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market (just down the strip mall from my favorite Japanese restaurant Oh Yoko!), I asked, "how about here?" and we were in.

As it was a Saturday night, they were quite busy and crowded. We were told it would be over an hour wait for a table, but there was a full menu if we sat at the bar - so we settled onto tall chairs and sat there. The place was kinda dark, like Keg & Kitchen dark, but eventually the lights were finally turned on during the long wait for our entrees.

The bar staff was great, friendly, efficient - or at least some of the bartenders were. The one who took our order, and our money, ignored us for the most part. And I think we had more room at the bar than we would have had at the tables they had. The tall barstools did get kinda uncomfortable after a half hour or so, but the chairs were the same at the bar and the tables.

As an appetizer, so our wait was not felt for as long as it was, we got the ten dollar Crushed & Crispy NJ Spuds, with thick cut bacon, sour cream, and tarragon. This was a large plate of potatoes in a variety of types and cuts. There were natural cut fries, potato chunks, sweet potato slices, potato wedges, slices, fingerlings, and small very crisp potato chips - made from purple as well as white potatoes. And there was also a bad tasting sauce, perhaps the sour cream maybe? Whatever it was, I didn't like it. I wanted more of the various potatoes, but that sour cream sauce was very off-putting. Maybe if we come next time I'll order the appetizer without the sauce.

For my entrée, I went traditional Glenn, a plain hamburger, but this wasn't just any hamburger though. I ordered The Colonial Burger for sixteen dollars which was grass fed beef from Wryebrook Farm with a Heritage pork belly blend. This burger was awesome, like a sweet steak. Unfortunately while I was loving my burger, The Bride didn't care for her Reuben at all.

And now the reason you're reading this blog - for the fries. These French fries were great natural cuts, twice fried, crispy with a Spanish fries vibe (maybe cooked in olive oil?) and had parsley and tarragon sprinkled over them. They were very good, thumbs up, highly recommended.

All the food was farm fresh, and more importantly locally farm fresh, so despite the bar setting of the restaurant, there was an atmosphere of good local neighborship, you know? This was expressed in the market section on the other side of the bar, sort of a tiny one aisle supermarket featuring all local items. They had North Fork kettle potato chips, Pennsylvania Dutch birch beer (a piece of my childhood), and Mexican Coke (a little piece of heaven). Hmmm, one of these things just doesn't go with the others. How far is Mexico from New Jersey? That's cool, I looove Mexican Coke.

The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market was a bit pricey, and there was quite a wait, busy Saturday night or not. I liked it a lot, but we probably won't be back because of the high prices and the wait. The food, that I had at least, was great.