It looks like 2016 is going to be the Year of the Steak, judging by the number of upscale steakhouses opening in Philly in the near future. Leading the stampede is Urban Farmer Philadelphia, which recently opened at Logan Square.
Urban Farmer definitely goes against the grain when it comes to the décor and vibe, as it eschews the typical male-dominated steakhouse feel with a bright, welcoming and homey — but still chic — aesthetic. And judging by the number of families and couples dining in the place when we visited, it’s working.
As soon as you get settled, the cheese cart gets rolled to your table by a maître affineur (we thought that sounded classier than saying “cheese peddler”), who explains the cheese selections and, if you are so inclined, will craft a cheese plate on the spot with your selections ($6 each) and all the accouterments. It definitely starts off the meal on a high note.
The shellfish bisque ($13), on the other hand, was somewhat disappointing. The presentation itself was artistic enough but the bisque was a tad thin and didn’t deliver a convincing amount of shellfish flavor, although it was saved by the presence of a burgundy truffle cracker, which gave the dish a much-needed boost.
Urban Farmer offers a number of seafood, poultry and pork entrées to satisfy those of you who don’t want red meat. But, since it is a steakhouse, we doubled down on some red meat in the form of the New York Steak Tasting ($66, an additional $34 with Waygu beef): three 6-ounce cuts of the best New York strips from around the country with the option to add a fourth cut of Waygu beef from Colorado. And yes, you can get gloriously drunk off of red meat. We found that out. The steaks themselves were great, but Urban Farmer’s sides excellently rounded out the meal. The Cattle Valley popcorn grits ($9) were comfort-food decadent, with a poached egg resting in the middle of its silky, buttery confines. The fingerling potato tart ($11) was basically a loaded baked potato filtered through the artistic imagination of the fine pastry chef. And definitely order the candied bacon to go with your steak; the thick-cut slabs of sweet bacon and the huge helping of bacon jam put the culinary sparkle to the steaks.
For dessert, the lemon cheesecake crème brûlé ($9) was a nice surprise, with the hearty sweetness of the cake balanced out by the brightness of the champagne sorbet that accompanied the dish.
With its relaxing atmosphere and solid meat and potatoes menu (no pun intended … really), Urban Farmer gives a welcome twist to the traditional steakhouse.