Farmerbrown. The name wasn’t familiar to me before until I encountered it and it definitely stuck in my memory bank.
Not only was the place where I had my first dinner in San Francisco, if not in the USA, but how I got there was in itself an interesting tale.
I was in this beautiful city to attend a conference. Since I arrived before the conference proper started, we had informal meetings and gatherings. That night, we were asked to enlist in various groups – one was to go to a Japanese restaurant, another to an Italian joint, and another to a restaurant that offered American food.
Most of the groups were filled up and no one signed up for American food. Probably, because most of the participants were American, they wanted other kinds of cuisine. It was only me and my roommate who signed up for that group. Since we had a host with us, we didn’t want to impose on them if there were just two of us. Luckily, we met other conference participants and we encouraged them to join us.
So there we were: my Chinese roommate and I, a Filipina, with two Singaporeans, two Koreans, and our four American hosts who braved the late afternoon San Francisco chill walking towards this restaurant that they were raving about. We were told we would be eating southern food. What that was, I still had to see and taste. The place was called Farmerbrown, known for its soul food, its farm-fresh soul food.
As we entered Farmerbrown, the place was packed so we had to wait to be seated. I scanned the place and I could tell that the dimly lit restaurant was cozy enough. It has a charm that I couldn’t describe much in words. Jazz music filled the air that balanced the chatter, which could be heard by the bar where friends and strangers meet up. Near the tall glass window, families were having a reunion of sort. In the middle and at the other side of the restaurant, the ambiance was a bit subdued, where couples and small groups were enjoying their dinner quietly.
While waiting, we stepped out of the restaurant to look around the neighborhood. The restaurant was strategically located at the corner of Mason, Turk, and Market St. A neon light sign “Soul Food” was adorning the window. President Obama’s face was displayed at the entrance. Everything was quiet outside, where everyone seemed oblivious of the cheery atmosphere inside Farmerbrown.
Finally, we were given our tables. Candle lights glowed at the center of our table and on the posts above us. I sat facing the kitchen and glimpsed a black and white movie projected on one side of the restaurant. Few minutes after we placed our orders, our food was set before us.
I think I ordered a Jambalaya and it was superb. I thoroughly enjoyed my rice bowl with such delicious and tasty meal. More so, the food was reasonably priced.
Farmerbrown. Now, the name has definitely stuck in my memory.
25 Mason Street, San Francisco
CA 94102-2805, United States
(415) 409-3276
http://farmerbrownsf.com/