The next time you find yourself up north in wine country on a Sunday, be sure to book a reservation for brunch at Farm. Actually scratch that! The next time you have a free Sunday, make a trip to the Carneros Resort and Spa to experience Farm’s amazing brunch. Executive chef Aaron Meneghelli says that “Farm is less than an hour from San Francisco, and our prime location in Carneros gives guests a destination to stop pre- or post-wine tasting in the region so brunch is extremely popular. The Sunday brunch has become a relaxing gathering place for not only resort guests, but locals and their families on the weekends.”
It’s a unique brunch and well worth the trip up highway 37 to the resort. While the restuarant, bar, and pavilion are open every day of the week, brunch is only served on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reserve a table outside on the gorgeous patio, sit back relaxed, and prepare for a culinary adventure. “We launched Sunday brunch at Farm for the first time in the restaurant’s history last summer,” Meneghelli explained to Haute Living when we asked him about the relatively new service. “Our region has very limited brunch options (a part from Boon Fly Café), so we saw an opportunity to invite locals and resort guests to experience Farm in a completely new atmosphere with patio seating, live music, and classic brunch items featuring Napa Valley nuances.”
It’s not an ordinary brunch where you order eggs Benedict and call it a day. Instead diners select four items from the menu and the food is served family style. The size of the party doesn’t affect how much is ordered. Whether you’re a couple or a group of eight, four dishes are chosen for the entire table. When the food arrives, course by course, everyone in the party gets their own individual portion be it the lobster roll, shrimp and grits, or chicken and waffle. It’s a substantial amount of food—all seasonal, local, and scrumptious. “When I conceptualized the brunch menu, I wanted the presentation of the food to gather people closer together around the table and hopefully add to the conversation,” Meneghelli says. “We have always done a family-style, individually coursed menu, which is different from our dinner menu. Ingredients change seasonally which we source from our culinary garden. The menu allows guests to choose their favorite courses together as a group, but still receive individualized portions generously sized and plated with the elevated Farm aesthetic.”
Meneghelli’s menu is perfectly curated with an assortment of sweet and savory dishes that are upscale, yet comforting, familiar, yet innovative. Avocado toast goes gourmet with crispy capers and pickled pearl onions. Southern-style buttermilk biscuits come with a luxurious foie gras mousse and apple butter. A sweet corn cake is piled high with beef short rib, sautéed garden greens and a sunnyside egg. Meneghelli prefers the hash—“my favorite dish is the duck confit hash,” he says. “The duck confit is pulled from the bone and folded into shredded potatoes that we form into a cake and crisp, adding a small salad of frisee and topped with a poached egg and pickled ramps. I love the ramps as they hold a great color with our pickling liquid and add a nice punch of acidity and subtle sweetness that counter the poached egg and rich duck.” Caviar, oysters on the half shell, and housemade beignets (with cherry and chocolate mint marmalade!) are supplemental add-ons to the menu.
A proper brunch requires a certain pedigree of beverage and Farm does not disappoint. There are three different types of bubbly and a mimosa (classic with fresh-squeezed orange juice or pomegranate and lavender) made with Domaine Carneros, which is produced just up the road from the restaurant. Green juice, French press, and espresso drinks are available as is an assortment of wine and beer. Brunch cocktails include a Bloody Mary, French 75, or limoncello drink with Meyer lemon and club soda. If you feel like hanging out after brunch you certainly can—in fact, it’s what chef recommends. “We have recently enhanced our Town Square so guests can linger beyond brunch, with lawn games, additional seating in our alfresco lounge area, and live music. Visitors can also shop at the resort’s new high-end boutique, Coop, which opened over Memorial Day weekend.” Sounds like the ideal wine country Sunday.
