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 The Farmer’s Table, located at 205 Commercial Street (formerly Mim’s Restaurant), was the spot my husband and I chose to have our anniversary dinner. The restaurant was nearly at capacity by 6 pm on a Saturday. The bar was lively and the flickering tea lights and big windows were very welcoming after being out in the rain. I was pleased that we were seated right next to a window looking out on Commercial Street.
I’m a simple eater – I’m not big on precariously stacked food, I don’t like food in “nests” or miniscule samples of some royal caviar flown in ten minutes prior to plating. I stick with what I know, but I like it done with care and attention. This is one reason I liked the looks of the Farmer’s fall menu. The food is often local, seasonal and prepared in a way that is inspired and creative but not outlandish. There was a roasted squash soup with sweet curry and pecans ($7), pappardelle pasta with pork and beef ragout, red wine and tomatoes ($22) and buttercup squash tortelloni with grana and fried sage-brown butter ($20). The choices seem to have wide appeal.
To start, we chose the baby greens with cider vinaigrette ($6) which was painfully simple. It was a handful of greens with minced apple, doused in cider vinegar. I guess I should have known. The bread that was served with it was dry, room-temperature and had little flavor. Also available were rosemary roasted beets with a creamy goat cheese dressing, spinach, and fried onions ($9, beets seem to be a theme here), or endive, with pears, warm bacon-walnut vinaigrette, and great hill blue cheese ($9).
Fortunately, the Shipyard Pumpkinhead is a sure-thing. This is hands-down the best seasonal Maine brew!
 I had read that the chicken is delicious here and so I decided to try it – a roasted half free-range chicken in a garlic, thyme and lemon herb gravy served with vegetables and potatoes ($18). There was definitely an ample amount of meat and the flavor was okay but I tasted no lemon and saw no herbs. It looked like a lot of oil and salt and pepper. The vegetables were cooked just right and the one carrot I got was very yummy. But, beets? Really? It was challenging trying to eat all those beets. It started to feel like work, and my mother was nowhere around to force me to eat them. I gave up.
 My husband got the grilled Scottish salmon with a saffron-leek beurre blanc ($25). The salmon was grilled perfectly, with a crisp outer layer complementing the flavorful, most fish. The butter sauce added flavor without being overpowering or greasy, and the presentation was artistic. The only complaint was that the portion was too small, even with the same side of roasted potatoes and beets, and he finished off the rest of my chicken and my beets and potatoes, then eyed the next table’s plates longingly.
Although the dessert choices looked mouth-watering, we chose to skip the sweets and just have coffee. The coffee was perfect- aromatic and strong, and the waitress kindly offered to refill the cups in spite of the new patrons at the door eyeing our table.
This kind of dining is a special event and so we choose in advance and admittedly the expectations are high. Watching all of the happy diners and overhearing the genuine praise for the oysters and for the beef shortrib at the table next to ours, I sense there are some wonderful meals served here. I would make different choices and definitely ask about the vegetable before ordering but I still think this restaurant warrants a second visit from us.
The Farmer’s Table is closed on Monday but open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner. Call ahead for reservations: 347-7478.
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