Naked Farmer — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

I’ve eaten here four times this week, so believe me when I say the food here is excellent.

I’m staying in St Pete for a week and was in the mood to eat a little healthy, so I found the Naked Farmer. It’s a barebones style of service, a bowl with a grain, two vegetable sides and a protein with indoor or outdoor seating. It’s simple, but it was all consistently excellent. For the protein, I had the chicken thigh (chopped off the bone) three times; it was flavorful and juicy. I tried the salmon on my last trip through, not expecting to enjoy it as much as the chicken but just to be different, yet it was also wonderfully cooked and not overdone. For sides, the broccoli is roasted, with still some crunch remaining, seasoned with maybe garlic, lemon juice and salt. Terrific. I tried the squash only because it was lower cal than the sweet potatoes, but it was delivered in a light tangy sauce which was so good I got the squash the next two times I visited also. Then I did try the street cart corn, modeled after Mexican street corn and loved that too. The roasted sweet potatoes honestly didn’t look that good in the service line, like they had been there too long, but were sweet, upbeat and tender yet not dry. For the grain, I had the farro all four times. It’s a firm grain, a little chunkier than the brown rice but more nutritious and nicely cooked. The bowl comes with a small sauce; I loved the garlic aioli, though the food really didn’t need the sauce.

I’m leaving town for a while, but...

My family has to go to All Childrens Hospital on a somewhat regular basis for the last 18 years. Fortunatly we found the Naked Farmer. The Naked Farmer has turned a somewhat somber event into an event we look forward to. Our Daughter Sydney Clair loves the doctors ,but she really loves the food treat after. Best thing is we dont have to bribe her with sweets to eat. Thankfully Sydney is one of those kids would rather have a slice of raw onion than chocolate or candy. EVERTHING we have tried at the Naked Farmer is da bomb. It is a totaly different eating experiance than normal restaurants. Anytime your in St. Petersburg, right downtown on Central Ave. You must stop in and give em a try. Everything is fresh from the ground to the table. Everone is pleasant and smiling, easy to talk to and helpful. They take the time to let you know what you are getting. Go with a open mind to eating good , and an empty belly to easily fill. The smell when you walk in will tell you that you found a gem. And lets not forget the chocolate chip cookie. You will never taste a better one. Not even grandmas cookies are this good. On our last visit we met Gabriel, one of the CHEFS, not cooks, there is a difference. I told Gabriel my new slogan I would post is, THE NAKED FARMER; FOOD GOOD ENOUGH TO TAKE YOUR...

I was initially skeptical of this place as I'm not usually interested in most of the super-healthy trendy bowl places, but this isn't like that at all. Naked Farmer is next level - it's fine dining quality in a fast casual costume. I come here at least once a week and I don't think I'll ever be tired of it.

The food is always extremely fresh and perfectly cooked. Everything is well seasoned - even foods that I don't normally love, such as sweet potato, taste incredible. The proteins in particular are some of the best I've had anywhere. The chicken is moist and intensely flavorful, the steak (a somewhat hidden menu item) is perfectly medium-rare and beautifully seasoned, and the salmon is cooked with a crispy salty skin and tender meat.

Moving on from the food, the restaurant itself is a fast casual bowl-style place. It really is fast - I've never spent more than ten minutes inside. The service is great as well. Prices are not the cheapest, but for the quality of ingredients I think they're justified.

Side note - those who mention the flies came right after red tide hit the area. The fish kill was huge and there were flies all over the city. It wasn't any particular...