It’s one thing to boast a farm to table concept. Chef Joshua Lawler of the acclaimed The Farm and Fisherman (1120 Pine Street), however, has bragging rights to his original “Its ‘N’ Bits” Menu, which is an ever-changing selection of dishes that give new meaning to “whole animal” cooking. We’re talking whole as in everything from fresh pig’s ears to the day’s best vegetables and all that’s in between.
In fact, The Farm and Fisherman brings in whole animals, including humanely raised, hormone-free heritage pigs from nearby Wyebrook Farm located in Chester County, PA, and puts every possible component of the animal onto guests’ plates. Those dining at the BYOB shouldn’t be surprised if their eyes catch pigs’ trotters or snout when glancing through the menu. Instead, they should embrace it and have some fun, just like Chef Lawler, who hand-writes the Its ‘N’ Bits Menu himself and distributes it to guests with a count beneath each dish; when guests order one of the dishes, the count goes down until none remain.
“Our Its ‘N’ Bits Menu is a fun, interactive way for our guests to experience new and different plates featuring the very best ingredients available on any given day,” says Chef Lawler, who runs the restaurant with his wife Colleen, also a chef. “When we bring in animals for the menu, we prepare and serve as much of them as possible, and Its ‘N’ Bits is a showcase for the rare and special parts we don’t include in regular menu items.”
Recently, Chef Lawler brought in pigs from Wyebrook Farm for a pork dish; the Its ‘N’ Bits menu that night featured Crispy Pork Snout and Bacon and Bleu Cheese Figs. Other Its ‘N’ Bits dishes have included 24-Hour Slow-Roasted Squash and Baby Chicken with summer vegetables and smoked eggplant broth so there’s certainly a variety to enjoy. Although the Its ‘N’ Bits Menu is not available every night – only when the chef has special ingredients he wishes to share – the restaurant announces its availability on social media (including Facebook and Twitter), alerting guests of the rare opportunity, so stay tuned and maybe you could snag a chance to experience true farm to table dishes.
Photographs courtesy of The Farm and Fisherman.
