The Farish House — Restaurant in Phoenix

Came on a Wednesday night for my first experience; inspired to try this restaurant after watching a review on AZ Check Please. It was an enjoyable experience. For starters I had their soup - Zucchini Soup (Creme de Courgette) $10 - that was creamy, and delicious. A very unique soup that was unlike anything else I’ve had. My entree was the Japanese sea scallops and risotto $27. The scallops (5) were tender, sweet, and delicious; with a risotto that was el dente. I toiled between ordering the duck confit and this dish, and had no regret. The only part of my meal that was slightly disappointing was the peach pie for dessert. The peaches were sliced to thin, and the dessert was more like a tart than a pie. The crust looked huge, but was really amazing… flaky and tender. Had the peaches been sliced thicker, there would have been more flavor. It was paired well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($12). Alone I had water and Sprite. My tab + tax came to $55+change. The restaurant is small, but has outdoor seating. Very comfortable, and relaxing; with plenty of art and history. Parking might be a challenge. There’s seating at the bar, but limited to six seats (if memory serves me well). And the bathrooms are clean; with limited occupancy. I’m told the menu changes with the seasons, or every three months. Check ahead to see what their menu is so that you’re not disappointed to find an appetizer or entree no longer being offered. I look forward to returning for the duck which should be on the next menu. Service was fine. Roberta was my server; and I had forgotten to ask who the manager/bartender/possible owner was. Very entertaining, witty, and fun. Thank you.

P.S. A recommendation for the peach tart. Pair it with blueberries. Try it, and make the crust ahead of time before filling it with the fruit. Experiment and see...

We were excited to check out Farrish House based on the menu and photos. Sadly, our experience was disappointing in terms of both the quality of the food and the service. We arrived before 5pm and the only other table seated was a lively group of 6. We were seated at a two-top directly adjacent to the group and in a doorway. My husband is 6,3 and has sciatica so was concerned about having room to position his legs without tripping passersby. After waiting quite awhile for a staff person to return so we could ask to switch to the other open 2-top we gave up and simply took our menus to the other open table, assuming it would be no issue. When a server finally arrived after another 5 minutes she promptly scolded us telling us “for future reference we have a reservation system but we made this work but for future reference….” Mind you, the staff all serve all tables so there is no assigned waitstaff. Food: the cocktails were nicely presented and tasty. From there the food was mediocre at best. We had a raclette cheese app which arrived with a plate of bread and potatoes. The raclette cheese was only melted over one piece of bread and two potatoes leaving the remaining 2/3 dry and cheeseless. My husband had the monkfish which was nice in theory but so overcooked it was tough. It was quite obvious that most entrees are pre-made and then warmed to serve. They are definitely not cooked fresh to order. This was evident based on my husband’s fish and based on how quickly others’ entrees appeared after ordering. The house is cute and we enjoyed the music. Sadly, due to being greeted with a scolding and the lackluster food we will not...

2021 update: still 5 stars, we popped in without a reservation on first Friday and got seated immediately at the bar. Andre is such a personable guy, he took great care of us. The bar is a central area for the waitstaff to pick up drinks, place orders, etc and they are all super nice and funny people. Can’t say that about the staff at every restaurant at the moment, but these folks are definitely deserving of the 5 stars on this trip too.

Burrata, check. Peach salad, check. Zucchini blossom risotto, check. To go order of pate that I just ate all by myself for lunch this afternoon, check 😋

This is my review from our first trip:

Love it! Was looking for somewhere new (to us) for dinner tonight and the menu was fabulous when I read it online. The menu was still fabulous when we got to the restaurant and we had a hard time picking just a few things to share.

The decor is great, really sets the tone, and our server was attentive and friendly. Very nice people.

Duck rillettes, yes please! Beautiful presentation, great flavor.

Peposa - short ribs and gnocchi dish, brilliant - those carrots are perfectly al dente, which is amazing given their size. Short ribs incredibly tender and the sauce is fantastic.

It might seem odd to mention the small salad with the roasted tomatoes, but it's really more about that lemon basil vinaigrette :)

We will be back, can't wait to get the chance to try the figs, the dates, the duck fat potatoes, and so many more things...