As you may know from my previous blog post, Matt and I recently returned from a trip to South Carolina. On our way home, Matt suggested finding a place to stop in Atlanta for lunch. I browsed through many, many reviews and stumbled upon a restaurant called The Farmhouse. The name intrigued me and the 5-star rating sealed my decision. This restaurant is in Palmetto, GA where I have never been and barely heard of. Let me preface this with, I have never been so out of my element trying to find this place. It is a good ways off the beaten path so to speak. Our GPS said we had arrived at our destination and we were basically in the middle of a field. But, we kept on going and after another mile or so we found it!
We knew nothing about The Farmhouse, but it is associated with a quaint Inn called Serenbe. It was nothing short of idyllic.
We pulled up the Oak-lined drive and knew we were at a very special place because it was packed with cars. It was obvious that it was a place loved by the locals.
In the reviews, we read that everything served here is farm fresh and made from whole foods. No GMOs here!
We were seated in the sun room that looked over their garden and main swimming pool. It was classic and comforting at the same time. There was no stuffiness here. All of the help staff were so friendly and made us feel right at home.
We immediately received these chive scones to start off the meal. They were served with a creamy butter that was absolutely to die for.
I have a life-long love affair with fried green tomatoes. Every new restaurant I go to, I have to try those tangy lil guys. They were so great here: crunchy exterior, firm tomato interior, with the creamy, sweet remoulade sauce. Perfect combination!
The menu changes constantly due to the changing seasons. It only had two choices for an entree the day we were there. You could get either the fried trout or the fried chicken. Now, I did say that these were whole foods... not healthy foods. Matt got the fried trout. It had a crunchy cornmeal crust and was served with maple glazed carrots, rice pilaf, and cole slaw. It was very yummy!
As yummy as the trout was, it did not compare to this big hunkin' piece of fried chicken that I got. It was absolutely fantastic. One of the best pieces of chicken I have ever had in my life!
The chicken was so moist and flavorful. I have absolutely no idea what the main ingredient in this breading was. When I asked the waitress, she said it was the one recipe the chef never gives out. She doesn't even let her helpers bread the chicken. Super top secret recipe! I officially do not like secrets...
After our lunch, we decided to tour the farm grounds. We walked out of the sun room and found this outdoor fireplace nook. It makes you want to snuggle up with your sweetie in front of a roaring fire.
To the left of the fireplace was the entrance to their garden. It was huge! I have not seen anything like it. All of the produce was impeccably taken care of, so much so that the food almost looked fake.
And then came the animals:
This was such a wonderful experience, and I am thankful that Matt and me were able to visit. We are definitely going back and spending a few days. If you ever want to escape the hustle and bustle, The Inn at Serenbe would be a beautiful place to escape to.
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
Robert Louis Stevenson