It’s hard to get a better restaurant location for a true farm-to-table restaurant than next to the plaza that hosts the Mill City Farmer’s Market by the Guthrie Theater. When Brenda Langton closed Cafe Brenda that she had run for 24 years and opened Spoonriver on this site in 2006 it seemed only natural that she would also found Mill City Farmer’s Market. When she closed Spoonriver the end of 2019 what better restaurant to take its place than the first and only farm-to-table restaurant wholly owned operated by the Minnesota Farmers Union.
Plans to open Farmers Kitchen + Bar in 2020 were put on hold because of Covid, but it finally opened the end of August 2021 with limited hours, expanding hours as more staff became available. It is now open Wednesday-Sunday 7:30am-9pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.
It has been on our list for a long time, but our hours didn’t coincide with their open hours until last weekend, when we had their Mother’s Day Brunch before seeing ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Guthrie. It was worth the wait!
We had pub tables looking out to the sidewalk, barely large enough to hold all the delicious food that kept coming… cinnamon rolls, muffins, scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, griddle cakes, fresh fruit. When our server asked if there was anything else she could get for us, I asked for more room in my stomach!
Growing up on a farm, I was fascinated to see the extent of their connection to farmers throughout the state for both food and beverages… and learn they also have a market with a rotating selection of locally sourced meats, cheeses, eggs, seasonal produce, jams, maple syrup, and more right in the restaurant.
I look forward to coming back and trying more of their menu offerings. Their goal is to serve simple dishes where the natural flavors shine. I don’t think I have ever seen Lefse Crackers on a menu before!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com