Tonight I joined my boyfriend’s family for dinner at The Farmers Wife, located in West Allis at 6533 West Mitchell Street. I was happy to hear they are a farm to table restaurant, meaning they try their best to get all or most of their ingredients from locally sourced vendors. This is a great way to support your community and local farmers.
We had reservations for a 6:00 p.m. dinner for 6 people. It was a good thing we did, because there were two other large groups that made reservations. The three reservations basically took up the whole restaurant.
Justin and I arrived a tad early so we sat at the bar until the rest of our party showed. We both ordered the Bloody Mary because the online pictures made it look so good. We received our Bloody’s, and I think a few garnishes were missing, but that’s OK. The Bloody was still good and you get a beer back of your choice.
Just before 6:00 p.m., Kim, Justin’s mother, arrived. She confirmed our reservation and we were seated. She informed us that Josh, Mya, and Ana would be a little late. So in the meantime, we ordered the Farmchos.
The Farmchos appetizer was delicious. It was served with what seemed to be homemade, very light and crispy tortilla chips and was fully loaded with tender, melt in your mouth hot pulled pork, paired with a fresh pico de gallo salsa to freshen it up. Finally, the Farmchos was topped with a generous amount of warm cheese sauce which made it all that much better.
The three of them showed up shortly after 6:00 and was able to try the Farmchos as well. They thought it was a good appetizer choice. Our waiter, Frank, was well aware they arrived and came to our table right away. He took all of our drink orders and those came out in no time. Then it came time for us to order our dinners.
I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. This dish truly made me think of homestyle southern cooking. The chicken fried steak had a nice crunchy breading, but the steak was a little bit chewy and the gravy was scrumptious; I just wish I had a little more.
The garlic mash potatoes included the skins, which I like. They were garlicy as promised and nice and creamy, with the pleasant addition of the same gravy placed on top of the chicken fried steak. The collard greens were served warm and great southern addition.
Every month The Farmer’s Wife has a Burger of the Month. This month it was a grilled chicken burger. Mya order this and was shocked when she received the dish. While the presentation was spectacular, this was not a Burger. Instead, it was Grilled chicken on a flatbread, open faced. She thought all the ingredients tasted fresh and was pleasantly delighted with the whole meal.
Her daughter, Ana, ordered the Chicken and Waffles. The tender white meat breast on top the waffle was perfectly breaded with a crispy outer shell that didn’t fall off the meat. It was overall “delectable,” as Mya put it.
The waffles were served with what Ana thought was a sweet but spicy syrup. We came to find out after our meal that the syrup had a hint of cayenne pepper in it – that’s probably why she didn’t like it. They do have regular maple syrup the owner said, but I guess you just have to ask for it. Ana’s favorite part was the waffles which she said were nice and fluffy
Justin ordered the Lobster tail sandwich. Another shocker, the lobster was served cold – but he was fine with it. The texture was just how it’s supposed to be. He also pointed out that the lobster had a prominent seafood flavor to it seasoned with a little butter and what he thought tasted like paprika.
His brother, Josh, ordered the Chicken Bacon Wrap. You have the option of crispy or grilled, and he chose grilled. Josh said the chicken was perfectly cooked but was wondering where the bacon was because he could barely taste or recognize if it was even in there. This is a man who eats to live, not lives to eat, so he wolfed it down in no time – it must have been good anyway!
Finally, Kim ordered the Shrimp and Grits. The grits were creamy, the shrimp was plump and juicy and very well cooked. This reminded her of something she would get in New Orleans in the French quarter
Overall, everyone was completely satisfied with their choice of dinner. I’d like to mention that The Farmer’s Wife is also open on Sundays for Brunch, running from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Something I will deffinately have to check out one day – so should you!
By: Amanda Landowski