The farm-to-table restaurant is serving comforting autumn flavors, just in time to watch the leaves change in the gardens
Descanso Gardens’ farm-to-table restaurant, Farmhouse, debuted a new fall menu Friday, with dishes and drinks inspired by the very best of Southern California’s autumn flavors.
Chef Partner Rich Mead and Executive Chef Adam Cherney crafted a menu that highlights fresh, comforting fall ingredients: seared salmon with butternut squash puree and persimmon, a market salad layered with Pink Lady apples and dried cranberries, and grilled pork tenderloin paired with apple compote, sausage bread pudding and dandelion greens. Seasonal starters such as acorn squash with salsa macha and heartier main dishes like seafood pasta in a tomato-based cioppino broth round out the menu.
Two specialty drinks add a festive flair, perfect for Halloween. Sip on the Drunken Pumpkin, a spiced, bourbon cocktail with pumpkin, lemon and cinnamon, or the Black Lagoon, a fruity blend of rum, pineapple and lime. The secret to the Black Lagoon’s dark, spooky hue? Activated charcoal.
Since opening in May, Farmhouse has embraced local ingredients from California’s boutique farms. The restaurant’s indoor-outdoor space includes a wraparound bar with garden views, just the place for admiring Descanso Gardens’ ginkgo trees as they turn a rich gold color this season.
The new menu arrives just in time for Carved, Descanso Gardens’ family-friendly Halloween experience, which runs Oct. 3-30. The event features a mile-long trail with a hay maze, giant hand-carved pumpkins and a Día de Los Muertos installation at the Amphitheater. Descanso Gardens’ iconic railroad with be specially lit for Carved, making each ride a little more eerie.
As summer turns to autumn and new crops start to flourish, Descanso Gardens’ seasonal flavors and festive programming is something to savor.
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Alia Yee Noll
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