Restaurants with Farms/Farms with Restaurants

[ihateblueberries]

Does anyone know of any restaurants with their own farms in SoCal? (Anywhere from SLO to San Diego.) Or are there any farms that have restaurants? Thanks!

[Veggietales]

Please open your parameters beyond SLO and go to Marin Sun Farms, in Pt. Reyes Station.

I would probably say the "Steak any way you Like" was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life time.

Really really mindblowing.

http://www.marinsunfarms.com/

[Fine]

I live in SF and have never heard if a restaurant at Marin Sun Farms, nor can I find one on its web site.

More info, please.

[Servorg]

http://www.marinsunfarms.com/places-t...

[Fine]

Thanks a million!

Who, as they say, knew?

[bulavinaka]

>>Please open your parameters beyond SLO and go to Marin Sun Farms, in Pt. Reyes Station.<<

Geez - It's only another 7 hours further up the coast by car... :) I have a deep love and respect for coastal California with all of its natural and pastoral beauty, as well some incredible places to eat/drink - happen to be wearing my "Toby's Feed Barn" t-shirt at this moment. But Point Reyes Station is at least 10 hours by car - realistically - and well out of the LA Board's boundaries. With that said, we'll keep this rec in the pocket.

[Sherri]

San Ysidro Ranch outside of Santa Barbara might fill your bill. While not an actual farm, they had a very large kitchen garden when I was last there.

[Coribdx]

The Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim has their own farm.

[Servorg]

http://www.theranch.com/restaurant/fa...

[foodiemahoodie]

Am I missing something here?

If a restaurant has their own garden, grows their own vegetables and herbs, vs letting a local, professional farmer grow vegetables and herbs?

A good chef can go to a farmer's market and check out onions from half a dozen vendors and pick the best one. Or learn to be a master farmer and grow his own and hope they're as good as what he used to get at the market.

This farm and restaurant idea seems a bit backward.

Or am I missing something?

[latindancer]

In the former state where I lived, there was a farm that had a restaurant that had a several month waiting list to dine.
The chef simply had to walk out the kitchen door and find whatever he needed to cook/bake with. The entire farm was organic and people could also come to the farm and purchase fruit, vegetables, chicken, eggs and whatever else that was in season. There was also a small vineyard on the property.
The chef was *not* the farmer. It was a working farm with an entire team of workers who helped to maintain it.

[Porthos]

David Kinch at Manresa is the only one I know of with an extensive farm associated with it.

http://www.growbetterveggies.com/grow...

And of course the French Laundry garden.

I think this is what OP is shooting at.

A big deal used to be made about Spago getting their veggies from Chino Farms. You don't hear much about it these days. Not sure it means anything at all. Maybe just more specialized farmers and suppliers out there these days.

[FoodObsessive]

Manresa is proud of their garden, but I just wasn't wowed by their food - it was fussy and over-engineered. The best items were the simplest, the few where they just let the flavors from that garden take center stage.

[Porthos]

They've gotten a bit stuffier over the years.

The "Into the Garden" dish is stellar though. I forget if it was 20 or 30 types of vegetables all on 1 plate. Always a highlight for me.

Not to mention the "Arpege egg". I liked it every bit as much as the version at Arpege.

[J.L.]

French Laundry has its own garden across the street, but I believe just as a supplement, in addition to stock from their other/usual vegetable purveyors.

[mstinawu]

I had a beautiful meal at Cass House (located within a beautiful little Inn) on the Central Coast--they have their own garden.

http://casshouseinn.com/garden/

[linus]

cass house is north of SLO, for what it's worth.

[Servorg]

You ought to post on the California board and ask for wineries with restaurants up in the SLO area. Those are "grape farms" by another name.

[Servorg]

See these threads on the California board http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/869578 and http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/864489

[JAB]

Do gardens count?

[ihateblueberries]

I was thinking real farms, but extensive kitchen gardens would be interesting too. Thanks!

[JAB]

In beautiful Stanton, there's the garden for the combination of Park Avenue and Il Garage.