Why: Owner Debbie Belden opened Farrar’s Bistro in Felida in 2007. The bistro has since tripled in size to occupy the entire building where it is located. Belden has extended the bistro’s neighborhood spirit through the support of many local organizations throughout the years. Menu items are a selection of creative comfort foods made from scratch with local ingredients, and meats are smoked on site.
What I tried: I settled on the Southern pulled pork sandwich with citrus slaw and butternut squash and pear soup, and my dining companion had a half-sandwich of turkey on multigrain bread and the butternut squash and pear soup.
The soup tasted of unadulterated butternut squash in soup form. I did not find that the inclusion of the pear altered the flavor so much as the texture. The soup had a distinctive pear grain.
The pulled pork sandwich was made on a toasted brioche bun with a slice of Tillamook cheddar cheese. Deliciously slow roasted, tender and lean, the pork was topped with pickled jalapenos, a few frittered onion slices, and sweet barbecue sauce. The result was a sweet and spicy sandwich that is not soon forgotten. I was especially impressed with the pork. It included a generous amount of those coveted edge pieces from the roast — combined with the barbecue sauce and the jalapenos, it was almost a candylike experience. The accompanying citrus slaw, unlike traditional creamy cole slaw, was somewhat tangy and refreshing, providing a palette cleanse to every few bites of the sweet and spicy sandwich.
Dining Out Review: Farrar’s Bistro
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Happy hour is 3:30 to 6 p.m. in the dining room and bar, and also 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the bar.
Where: 12514 N.W. 36th Ave., Vancouver.
Contact: 360-571-7005 or www.farrarsbistro.com. Farrar’s Bistro is also on Facebook.
Health score: Farrar’s routine health inspection scores over the previous year have not been particularly desirable, with the most recent two being in the 30s. Farrar’s Bistro received a score of 32 on Nov. 12. Hopefully these scores will improve. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
My dining companion enjoyed the turkey sandwich made with roasted turkey breast, tomato and crispy iceberg lettuce.
Atmosphere: My last visit to Farrar’s was a few years ago, before the expansion. A family-friendly dining room is on the street side of the building and offers a few tall, intimate booths as well as table-and-chair seating. The bar is separated from the general dining area by a floor-to-ceiling wall, and bar-side seating and tall bistro tables and chairs are available there. The decor has an upscale brewery feel, brought together by wood surfaces accented with attractive granite and metal siding. I found it interesting that the bar was more brightly lit than the dining room.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The chicken pot pie made in a personal-sized cast iron skillet sounded like comfort food at its best. The wild-caught salmon with citrus and ginger beurre blanc, polenta with goat cheese, and vegetable du jour sounded like a good combination of flavors, as did the smoked barbecue meatloaf made with beef and elk.
The end of this month will bring additional menu items, such as a house-smoked turkey breast and pesto panini; a chicken quinoa salad with cucumbers, red peppers and toasted pine nuts; a house-roasted beef sandwich with grilled onions; and a few new sides, such as clam chowder and a fresh seaweed salad.
Other observations: The waitstaff was pleasant and attentive. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and I found the food items that we tried were priced well for the quality and size of the portions.
Cost: Appetizers are $6 to $9.50. Salads cost $5 to $16. Lunch items range from $8 to $14. Dinner starts at $13 and tops out at $25. Sunday brunch is $5 to $13.50. Happy hour menu items are $3 to $8.50.
