Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch

Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch is an absolutely wonderful restaurant. Everything from the service and food, to the grounds and landscaping, make for a lovely dining experience. The restaurant is big. The decor is rustic. With bale (hay) hook chandeliers, an open kitchen, large windows highlighting the garden surroundings and pretty little vases of freshly picked flowers on each table, the restaurant has the feel of a warm & welcoming modern barn.

Given that Farmstead receives fresh organic produce, grass-fed beef and lamb, olive oil, honey, wine and more from its own Rutherford Estate- 90 acres of farming land focused on providing the best quality ingredients for Farmstead’s seasonal menu- you’d be hard pressed to find a better farm-to-table dining experience.

Charcuterie board & Deviled eggs

Appetizers

Charcuterie Board // Deviled eggs 
These starters were both beautifully presented on solid wooden boards. The variety of meats on the charcuterie board was fantastic. Not sure what everything was exactly, but the appetizer had great texture and all my favorite tastes. There was smokiness, satisfying saltiness, crunchiness from the melted lardon toast and it came with pickled veggies on the side to balance everything out.  The deviled eggs with pimento cheese and pickled veggies nicely complemented the savoriness of the meats.

Cheddar biscuits
Advice: order more than you think you can eat. These biscuits are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and have a rich buttery, cheesy flavor. Which obviously goes hand-in-hand with the homemade honey butter.

Plates

Sautéed potato gnocchi // Grilled heritage pork chop // LMR grass-fed short rib
The sautéed potato gnocchi with mushrooms, greens, romanesco, celery root puree, brown butter and Parmesan was the perfect combination of being both fresh and creamy. The sauce was savory and rich. The flavors of the veggies were really well enhanced and the whole dish so tasty! Not to mention, the gnocchi were plump, bite-sized potato pillows of heaven.

Normally I go for either chicken or red meat, but LMR’s wood grilled heritage pork chop with broccoli, jalapeño grits and apples was a well rounded dish full of flavor! I’m a huge fan of grits. The jalapeño grits were cheesy and had a nice kick to them. It paired excellently with the juicy pork chop and the slight sweetness of the apple chunks.

The ranch’s own grass-fed short rib with greens, vella cheddar grits and barbecue sauce was a hearty dish. I really love Farmstead’s use of grits over the conventional mashed potatoes and again, loved the cheddar grits- especially mixed with the tang of the bbq sauce. The short ribs were super tender and had just the right amount of fatty goodness.

Dessert

“Big easy” Beignets // S’mores bread pudding
The desserts were on point! The powdered sugar coated beignets were sweet and crunchy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. I wish I could have them every morning with my coffee! The bourbon caramel sauce was rich, so delicious and over-the-top. In the best way possible.

The S’mores bread pudding was ridiculous. Obviously. Moist, rich, buttery, packed with chunks of chocolate and topped with ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. Gloriously gooey.

Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch has a delightful atmosphere. They have an adorable general store that sells artisanal goodies, jerkys, jams, beauty products, candles and everything else they craft from their organic, farm cultivated ingredients. They even offer wine and whiskey flight tastings! In addition, the restaurant has the cutest outdoor patio area for warm, sunny days. As if that all wasn’t perfect enough, there are culinary gardens, citrus trees and picnic benches surrounding the property. If you’re in the St.Helena/ Napa Valley area, make sure to stop by hungry!

General store

For more posts on where to dine and drink & what to see and do when in Wine Country, check out these recent posts.

Chelsea is a San Francisco-based journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.

Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, INSIDER, SF Gate and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.