Farm Bloomington

"So how long have we been talking about coming here?" I asked one of our friends tonight. "Months," she confirmed.

We have been looking forward to the launch of Farm since about September. We need a place that has good food, a liquor license, and a decent bar space. The ideal combination has been lacking; although there are places with good appetizers, they rarely have liquor licenses, and the places that manage to get liquor licenses tend to be less focused on quality than on quantity. So here we are, in a place with appetizers AND vodka, and we are....disappointed.

First, the Farm seems slightly schizophrenic--do we really need to buy a sponge at the same locale as our $36 steak? We think not. Not to challenge our rights to capitalize on consumerism, but let's strive for some sense of coherence.

And then there is the timing issue. Let's be clear: one's meal should not arrive before one's starter has been cleared. The kitchen must be informed.

Now to the details of the food itself--decidedly mediocre. The starters that our table had; the gravalax, ceviche, cesar, and mixed greens, were all quite good. But we weren't being charged "good" prices. This was no comparison, taste-wise, to the delights that one finds at Tallent, but the prices were more than commensurate. Remember, there is a delicate balance to be maintained between price, quality, and ambiance....The Farm is not, unfortunately, in balance.

Our entrees were equally uneven. The Farm burger was wonderful--plenty of goat cheese, lovely bread, and crispy fries. The skirt steak was also fine. But the elk special for the night--at $32--was quite a disappointment. Our general consensus was the the food was OK, but way overpriced.

It seems that either the Farm has to up the ante to match the quality of the food coming out at Tallent, or lower the prices to make the product better aligned with the price.

Overall rating: 6 points
Food: 7/10
Pricing: 4/10
Ambiance: 7/10


Food: 1=inedible, 10=unforgettable
Pricing: 1=totally unresonable, 10=worth every penny
Ambiance: 1=I'd better bring this home, 10=I want this to BE my new home

Location: 108 E. Kirkwood Ave.