Restaurant notes: The Farmers' Cabinet coming to Walnut St.
The Fork & Barrel folks are opening downtown.
This has to be Farm Month.
There's The Farmer's Daughter, newly cooking at Normandy Farm in Blue Bell.
Thursday (3/10) marks the debut of The Farm & Fisherman, a BYOB in Wash West.
In the next week or so, look for The Farmers' Cabinet at 1113 Walnut St. (215-923-1113), across from the Forrest and Moriarty's, where Joe Pesce was. This project started life as The Grainery and later became known as Philadelphia Grain Exchange.
Husband-and-wife team Matt and Colleen Swartz and partner Matt Scheller, who have the hot beer bar Fork & Barrel in East Falls, are doing a Victorian-era saloon atmosphere where they plan to combine rustic American dishes, cocktails, and European craft beers. Later this summer, brewmaster Terry Hawbaker will start creating artisanal beers in a "nano-brewery," a two-barrel system in the kitchen.
Decor will feature large beer barrels, mounted animal busts, and hanging wooden beams lit by candlelight. Also: Two bars – one for beer (26 tap handles, 80 bottles) and one for cocktails by Damon Dyer. Walk-up meat and cheese counter. Communal dining tables and "living rooms."
Source of the name: General manager Ben Miosi found a circa-1803 Philadelphia-area publication called The Farmer's Cabinet – and discovered that it is regarded as the first reference to the word cocktail.
Chef Peter Felton, who's worked with the owners at their other spots (including Emmaus' Tap & Table and Bethlehem's The Bookstore Speakeasy), is doing a similarly rustic, farm-type menu with dishes from $5 to $32. Samples: house-ground brisket and bacon burger, topped with fried egg, Bibb lettuce and heirloom tomato; peekytoe crab roll sandwich with heirloom tomatoes and lettuce; and bone marrow and roasted cippolini Soup with butter-fried croutons. Shared dishes, for two or more, will include salt-baked fish, elk chops, and roasted goat leg.
Opening hours will be 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily; lunch and brunch will be added.