[farmacy] restobar — Restaurant in City of Glens Falls

Last night I had dinner for the first time at Farmacy in Glens Falls. I chose Farmacy after parking directly in front the night before on my way to dinner at a neighboring restaurant. The outside looked so inviting that I went and looked them up online to check menus and what the interior looked like, because I was choosing a location for a first date and I don’t eat beef, pork or poultry. Honestly, in this day and age, I am shocked that it can be challenging to order vegetarian or even seafood (minus pork or beef or poultry added to it) at restaurants. But it still can be. So I read menus before trying any new place. Farmacy is a small, independent, farm-to-table place with a daily changing menu. The menu is not huge, but contains a variety of both vegetarian AND vegan options.

Farmacy’s website strongly suggested making a reservation for dinner, so I reserved for two at The Chef’s Counter. Turns out The Chef’s Counter is what I was seeing inside the front window when I parked the night before. The kitchen is right there, in the front window and you can sit at the bar, right there. GENIUS. It’s pretty fantastic. And it was the PERFECT spot for a first date. Glens Falls is not a particularly “diverse” little city. So I was trying to choose a spot where we would be comfortable as a “diverse” couple (age, ethnicity/race etc etc). Farmacy was, actually, great.

I arrived a little early and was immediately greeted and seated. By the time my date arrived I had already told AJ (the chef) and our waitress that I was on a first date and we met on a dating app. They seemed excited. (LOL)

AJ: “You look familiar.” Me: “That was me parked directly outside the window last night in my orange Hellcat…”

When my date arrived I was already drinking a PINT SIZED gin and tonic made with a lovely gin distilled next door in Fort Anne (who knew??). He ordered a beer and then asked me if was going to eat anything….oh sir. We are going to EAT. Turns out he eats more like a small, songbird and I eat like the T-Rex who was the ancestor of geese.. Me: “I haven’t eaten all day. In PREPARATION for this!”

Remember back in the ‘80s when we girls were NEVER supposed to eat in front of a guy? Girls were always just ordering like a side salad and then picking at it. May those days die in a raging conflagration and never rear their ugly, toxic heads again. Look I came to eat. I am a grown woman and I have appetites. Being fully onboard with that is a pre-req over here…

The menu is broken into Small, Medium and Large plates. Every section contains Vegan options and/or items that can be made Vegan. My goal, any time I eat out, is to try as many different things as possible We ordered from every section, including dessert. Everything we ate was excellent, fresh, with complex flavors. As in I would eat it again.

But I want to talk about the Carnitas Tacos. I love tacos. Is there someone who doesn’t?? But I skipped right over these because, you know, meat. But then I got chatting with AJ and he said he could make me vegetarian or Vegan tacos, whatever I wanted. So you KNOW I ordered vegetarian tacos. So, the menu description I included here bears no resemblance to the tacos I got. They were OFF THE DAMN CHARTS. That. Masa. Shell y’all. Made in house, every day. Pure joy, FULL of all sorts of veg and salsa and queso fresco. OMG.

Good people. Good vibes. GREAT food.

I will be back!

Regarding my date: It’s been a WHILE since I’ve been on an actual date. (Covid was not helpful.) I will just say that perseverance pays off. Pretty freaking great date.

We wound up comparing our “badges” on Audible…

And it was HIS idea!

Pictured: housemate sourdough from 13 yr old starter (OFF the charts!); Grilled Asparagus (fantastic): Beet and Black Bean Sausage (!!); Blistered Shishito Peppers (I'd eat these all day); Salmon Belly Tartare (I ate it with a spoon, live a savage!); Fried Chicken Sandwich with house fries (HUGE, excellent fries); Donut (the best fried dough you've ever had!); Vegan Tollhouse (with vegan...

It’s start with the window, and three chefs, waiving at you with smiles. As we walked in we were greeted, and sat at the kitchen bar. The open kitchen is the stage for a food experience that is sure to wow you. The simple menu, which changes daily, is just that simple, easy to read. Act one: Apps and share plates. We started with a few apps, and the star of the first act of delicious food was the homemade sourdough bread with two whipped butters, both infused and topped with a sprinkle of pink salt. The oysters were fresh and delicious, and the beef tartar was topped with fried potato skins for a nice balance. Act two: a tomahawk steak for two, cooked perfectly, some mushroom pasta with homemade pasta, and carnitas tacos. The tomahawk stole the show here, with a truly delicious balance of char from the grill, sear from the finish in the pan, sliced perfectly and finished with a sprinkle of the perfect amount of salt. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the tacos were a nice side treat if you needed a quick break from the from the meat sweats. Act three: Dessert! It was playful, and the homemade ice cream, is out of this world. Thyme Ice cream, who would’ve thought, green tomato sorbet, over a pressed watermelon, rolled in pistachio and topped with balsamic glaze, absolutely. The triple chocolate family affair, was delightful, and the funfetti warm dough, spoke to my inner child. My only regret is not taking more pictures, and getting another mocktail. The one mocktail I had was well executed and perfectly designed for us folks that don’t drink, but still want something exciting to drink while dinning. The entire time we dinned we chatted with the chefs, got to know the story, and the whimsy of it all, from the mismatched plates, to the unique and playful decor, this was a show, a spectacle, and it was phenomenally entertaining, and filling. Can’t wait to do it again some time, 100% worth the drive...

*Thanks for your response, I changed my review. Maybe I misread things.

I'll start by disclosing I haven't eaten a meal at this restaurant, although I have had their food (which was decent) at Take a Bite. I feel compelled to review because I have been turned off by the staff.

Last summer, I went to Take a Bite with my husband and child and sampled farmacy's food. They had two samples, $5 each (the maximum you can charge at Take a Bite), and we bought one of each. We started to sit down at the outdoor patio tables to eat and were told to leave by the server because we weren't dining there. She was not apologetic and didn't say anything like, "Thanks for understanding."

A) We just spent money there, B) We were literally without exaggeration sitting for two minutes to eat before moving along to the next place, C) I was visibly quite pregnant, and D) The table was still empty when we drove by a short time later. There was a definite feeling of, thank you for spending money here now leave.

Then last weekend I went to an event at the Charles R. Wood Theater and I happened to park in front of farmacy. I noticed someone waving at me from inside but assumed they were trying to get someone else's attention.

When I returned about 90 minutes later an employee inside absolutely waved at me. It was a friendly wave. But I can't help but feel that there was an underlying message of, "I see you parking in front of this restaurant and not coming in."

It's a public street. There are no "farmacy customers only" sign. Nor was there a sign, or was anything roped off, at Take a Bite when I attempted to sit at a table.

You might have good food but now I don't even want to walk down the street next to this restaurant let...