Beware of chefs bearing meatloaf.
This is now be part of the Busch Stadium security rules after Kevin Willmann, chef-owner of Farmhaus, cheerfully carried some into the Cardinals’ clubhouse during the celebration after winning the World Series..
Fact is, that meatloaf, actually several trays of individual meatloaves, each wrapped in bacon, would work well with the Mount Pleasant sparkling wine and beer that was dressing everyone and everything in the area. But Major League Baseball, in common with all professional sports leagues, has no sense of humor and looked upon the visit as an affront to its wine-soaked dignity.
We, fully by accident, enjoyed some of it not long afterward. The meatloaf, succulent, deeply meaty and slightly spicy, is cooked a smidge short of medium, rests on mashed potatoes and is topped with a handful of thin French-fried onion rings. It’s definitely an MVP.
The Farmhaus menu is almost entirely small plates, which are close to medium-sized. (Granny always wanted her family well fed.) There’s usually a steak on the menu for those who have to dine in a more 20th-century style, but we nibble happily. For instance, a roasted mushroom salad was so good it made us giggle, several types of mushrooms, some goat cheese and pecans, all with a hearty dribble of bacon vinaigrette.
Like the meatloaf, the nachos have been around pretty constantly since Farmhaus opened more than two years ago. These definitely have no connection with any ballpark, arriving with long, thin planks of sweet potato, fried to be crisp and topped with blue cheese, generous bits of bacon (lardons, technically, but most Missouri farmhouses don’t recognize that word) and a housemade red pepper ketchup that is much tastier than ketchup has any right to be.
Nairigi, a type of marlin came as a fillet, grilled, with a tart raspberry sauce, mashed potatoes with charred green onions and lightly pickled watermelon radishes—in the photo you can see how they got their name. Surprisingly, the mashed potatoes were the only thing that didn’t quite come up to the moist fish and the crunchy, barely spicy radishes.
Throwing caution to the wind, we ordered two desserts. A fried apple pie (think empanada) had a lovely crisp crust and a nicely tart interior, alongside some vanilla bean ice cream, the whole drizzled with homemade applesauce, probably made with a few cinnamon red hots in it, to judge by the color and taste.
What is called Rocky Road brought us a wedge of dense chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sauced with marshmallow and caramel sauces, a combination definitely made in heaven. A generous shard of pecan brittle was, if you will, the icing on the cake.
We did try one of the house cocktails named orange drank. Not as in “past tense of the verb drink”, but as in “back-in-the-Ozark-hollers pronunciation of the noun drink.” Orange- and lemon-infused vodkas, coconut rum and triple sec, served on the rocks. Extremely sweet, serious alcohol; we diluted it with more ice and club soda and it worked better for our palates.
Farmhaus has stayed busy ever since it opened, but since Willmann was named as one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs, it’s been rocking even harder. Reservations strongly recommended, but if you want to gamble, like the guy who bet the Cards would win that Series, then go early or go late.
Oh, yes: The meatloaf also is the Monday lunch special. Lunch, Monday through Thursday, offers only a daily special, it’s identity available on the website. No word on whether David Freese has come by for seconds.
Farmhaus
3257 Ivanhoe
314-647-3800
www farmhausrestaurant com
Lunch Mon.-Thurs, Dinner Wed.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Poor
Smoking: No
Small (ish) plates: $7-$23
