Omnivore - Decatur goes on an eating binge at Farmstead 303
The new restaurant is located in the old Decatur train station.
We visited Farmstead 303 last Saturday night. The restaurant, which seats over 200 and is located in the old Decatur train depot, had been open only six days. It was slammed with huge crowds that put the kitchen and service staff in a virtually comical state of confusion at times.
Most of our food was quite good nonetheless. My favorite was an appetizer (above) of “fried chicken liver bruschetta.” The livers were glazed in Madeira, ramping up their natural sweetness.
I also liked my entree of stewed tomatoes, Georgia shrimp and okra over rice (right). The shrimp had been grilled a bit too long but not so long that the dish suffered substantially.
Probably the best thing we ordered was the Georgia mountain trout that was served with a beet pancake, spinach and pecans. I wasn’t thrilled with the horseradish sauce, but Wayne loved it.
The rules of the game require that I disclose that the chef here is Ryan Stewart, husband of our dining editor, Besha Rodell. In my usual oblivious state, I did not make the connection until halfway through dinner Saturday night!
Look for more about the restaurant in “Grazing” in a few weeks.
(Photos by Cliff Bostock)