Brick Farm Tavern, Hopewell, NJ:
A Restaurant Review

Brick Farm Tavern, Hopewell, NJ
Best 2017 New Jersey Restaurant
Brick Farm Tavern
130 Hopewell Rocky Hill Road
Hopewell, NJ 08525
609-333-9200
Website


Fare:  New American Cuisine using sustainable grown meats and vegetables

Price: Expensive

Food Quality: 3 Stars

Service: 3 Stars

Decor: 3 stars

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Note: Four star Rating System from 1/2 Star = Poor to Four stars = Best in Class

One of the best on-site farm to table restaurants in New Jersey

A strong commitment to using local, fresh farm to table produce meats and produce, and USDA certified organic Devon beef cattle

Attractive ambiance in an elegant, rustic, farm house setting


Noise Level: Moderate - High

Dress: Casual

Recommended For: Diners who enjoy healthy, local farm to table food , without the use of heavy sauces, in an elegant rustic, farm house setting

Not Recommended For: For budget conscious diners who prefer a casual menu of heavy sauced food served in huge portions.

Recommended dishes:  When available, The Wood Grilled Thistle Creek NY Strip with Charred onion jam, king trumpet mushrooms, and eggplant; .The Berkshire Pork with Honey Crisp Apple, Sourdough Spätzle, Brussels Sprouts, Sage, and Pork Jus; and The Black Bass & New Jersey Clams with Bouillabaisse, spicy chiles, chorizo, piperade, and garlic aioli.

Liquor: Full Bar Service., Serves craft beers from their on-site Troon Brewery, and hand-crafted spirits from their on-site Sourland Mountain Spirits distillery, complemented by a huge selection international and California wines sold by the glass and bottles..

Restaurant Review

Brook Farm Tavern is a an outstanding farm-to-table dining experience set in an 1800s Hopewell farm house. Diners come to enjoy food prepared using local healthy ingredients, exceptional service, elegant rustic farm house ambiance, and an outstanding alcoholic beverage program augmented by an on-site craft brewery and distillery.

The restaurant, owned by Jon & Robin McConaughy and their partners /General Manager Mike Lykens and /Executive Chef Greg Vassos , together have created a closed loop food system that takes the products from the their on-site Double Brook Farm , to market at their Brick Farm Market in downtown Hopewell, and finally to the table at Brick Farm Tavern, a gourmet restaurant.

Almost 100 percent of the proteins are grown either on-site at Double Brook Farm, or sourced from other local growers, and from Thistle Creek Farm in Central Pennsylvania --- a USDA Certified Organic farm.

The ingredients include the cherry and hickory wood used in Brick Farm Tavern's grill, and some of the hops and grain used at their on-site Troon Brewery and Sourland Mountain Spirits distillery.

The on-tap craft beers from the brewery are meant to be drunk fresh, and their barrel fermented ales are available in naturally conditioned in bottles. Sourland Mountain Spirits, a hand crafted distillery, is the first farm distillery in New Jersey Since Prohibition.

The Kitchen is run by Executive Chef Greg Vassos, who comes with impressive credentials, and skills in creating dishes that avoid the use of heavy sauces that mask the quality of the ingredients.

Chef Vassos started his career honing his culinary skills with Bruno Menard at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia , and at Eric Ripert's Blue in Grand Cayman Islands. Prior to coming to Brick Farm Tavern, Chef Vassos was Chef de Cuisine at The Penrose Room at the Broadmoor, Colorado's only Five-Star, Five-Diamond restaurant.

Brick Farm Tavern offers several different creative menu experiences to choose from. The main dining room features a seasonal five course tasting menu, built on the fresh farm to table ingredients. Seafood is locally procured from Asbury Park's Local 130 Seafood known for their commitment to sustainably sourced fish.

The bar area offers a more casual fare, such as burgers and delicatessen-style meats and meat dishes.

They offer a limited selection of vegetarian and gluten free dishes, and seafood.

On one side there are two dining rooms with walls adorned with avian prints with tables spaced comfortably apart. On the opposite side stands the bar area with a high ceiling and stone walls and a more casual dining room, with a chef's table reserved for large parties( 6 people or more) where you can watch the cooks in the kitchen. When the table is not booked, it's used as a community dining table.

Brook Farm Tavern is open six days/week For Lunch Fri-Sun: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM. For Dinner: Tue-Sat: 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Sun: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

(updated November, 2018)

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