(Philadelphia, PA) – In March, husband-and-wife team Matt and Colleen Swartz and partner Matt Scheller will debut The Farmers’ Cabinet (1113 Walnut Street, 215-923-1113), an inviting restaurant that combines rustic American dishes, extraordinary cocktails and an extensive selection of European craft beers in an atmosphere reminiscent of a Victorian era saloon. Later this summer, The Farmers’ Cabinet will begin brewing artisanal beers in a “nano-brewery,” a tiny, two barrel system in its kitchen – a first for the city and beyond.
When searching for a name for this unusual new restaurant, general manager Ben Miosi found a Philadelphia-area publication dating back to 1803 called The Farmers’ Cabinet – and discovered that it is widely regarded as the first place that the word “cocktail” appeared in print. Intrigued, he shared it with the team, and the name was chosen then and there.
“We loved the idea of a farmer handpicking items from his ‘cabinet’ to serve for his family and friends, and it really conveys what we are trying to do here,” says Scheller, who along with the Swartz’s comprises the team behind Bethlehem, PA’s popular food and drink establishments Tap & Table, The Bookstore Speakeasy and the East Falls hotspot Fork & Barrel. “Not only does The Farmers’ Cabinet reflect our mission, but it also has a neat historical significance to this region.”
Chef Peter Felton, who has worked with the owners to create and execute the opening menus at each of their restaurants, devised a menu of hearty farm-fresh fare, including: Bone Marrow and Roasted Cippolini Soup with butter fried croutons; Tarro, Lotus and Beet Root Chips with black garlic and crème fraiche dip; Bourbon-Braised Escargot with Tasso ham and caramelized shallots; 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 Spring Pea Barotto with sweet corn and wild mushroom preserva. Shared dishes, for two or more guests, will include Salt Baked Fish, Elk Chops and Roasted Goat Leg. Dishes will range in price from $5 to $32, and will change with the seasons to include local meat and game, as well as produce and other sustainably sourced goodies.
“I like to think of our food as ‘wild’ in the best possible sense – the kind of things you might have enjoyed in this region back when much of it was farms and woodlands, rather than cities and suburbs,” says Chef Felton.
Featuring two bars – one for beer and one for cocktails – as well as a walk-up meat and cheese counter, communal dining tables and “living rooms,” the sweeping Walnut Street space will be outfitted with large beer barrels, mounted animal busts and hanging wooden beams lit by candlelight. Splashes of Victorian elegance including tufted couches, oil lamps and damask blue and white wallpaper will integrate sophisticated touches throughout the space.
Resident drinks expert Damon Dyer and award-winning craft brewer Terry Hawbaker will bring a skilled cocktail know-how and a knack for creating delicious, unusual beers to the project, creating a truly complete food-and-drink experience.
For guests who prefer their libations shaken or stirred, Dyer has crafted a menu of classically inspired cocktails that is at once a tribute to the popular drinks of the day and a modern revision of some of the most iconic classics. Handcrafted cocktails will range in price from $10 to $12, and will include: Bespoke Whiskey Sour, with a choice of bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey, Scotch, Japanese whiskey or un-aged White Dog Whiskey, with fresh lemon and sugar; Pirate’s Coffee, a blend of Irish whiskey and spiced rum, served hot with brown sugar, coffee and hand-whipped cream; Round Midnight, dark cherry jam shaken with rum and fresh lemon and topped with Champagne; and Barrel Aged Martinez, “The Martini’s Granddaddy,” gin and sweet vermouth stirred with a bit of maraschino liqueur and aromatic bitters and then aged for 30 days in a used bourbon barrel.
“A properly balanced cocktail can be every bit as appealing to pair with food as a great glass of wine or a full-flavored craft beer,” says Dyer, the NYC-trained talent who has appeared in The New York Times, Esquire magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine magazine, Gotham magazine and many others. “We’re pouring the original liquors that Victorians first used to create the cocktails that still influence the way we drink today.”
To complement the cocktail selection, Scheller, a 26-year-old prodigy that Inquirer critic and beer writer Craig LaBan called a “precocious beer expert,” created a list of esoteric and delightfully surprising primarily European craft beers. With 26 tap handles, grouped into categories by country, and more than 80 bottles, selections will vary seasonally throughout the year to introduce frequent guests to new favorites and a host of different artisanal breweries throughout Europe.
As though their drink offerings weren’t extensive enough, the team also brought on Hawbaker to create their own hyper-micro-brews on premises. Hawbaker will build a two-barrel Burton Union fermenting system, but his hand-crafted goodies won’t be available until later this year. Large barrels of flavorful sour ales and other unusual beers will be displayed as part of the rustic décor, and when Hawbaker is satisfied with the quality of the beers, they will be available on draught alongside Scheller’s Euro-centric list.
“Many farmers brewed their own beer back in the 1800s, so this is our nod to their work – as well as a thoughtful way to create one-of-a-kind drinking experiences for our guests,” says Hawbaker, whose 15-plus years of professional brewing experience will inform his work at The Farmers’ Cabinet.
In 2009, the Swartz’s and Scheller opened Tap & Table, a European pub, followed by The Bookstore, a 1920’s speakeasy in nearby Bethlehem, PA. In October of 2010, they collaborated again to open Fork & Barrel, a wildly popular European cafe in Philadelphia’s East Falls neighborhood.
The Farmer’s Cabinet will serve food and drink from 3 p.m. until 2 a.m. daily; lunch and brunch hours will be added in the months following their opening. For more information, or to make a reservation, please follow them on twitter @thefarmerscabinet, visit them at www.thefarmerscabinet.com or call 215-923-1113.