The Farm Table Bernardston, Mass.

With the demise of Chandler's in Deerfield, we needed to find somewhere else to stop for lunch on our route to and from Vermont. A Google search brought up The Farm Table at Kringle Candle. A check of their menu convinced me that this was a restaurant we needed to try. Given the fact it was Columbus Day, I was surprised to be able to get a reservation but I did. Not that the restaurant wasn't busy, it was but we were just lucky with our timing.

The Farm Table is only a mile or so off of I-91 and they have a large parking lot behind the building. We were given a small table along the wall with large wingback chairs, very comfortable. The overall atmosphere was lovely, the chandeliers are made from empty wine bottles and there are sleigh bells flanking the windows. I can imagine a roaring fire in the fireplace during the winter, The overall feel was warm and the dress is casual but maybe leaning toward business casual.

We arrived at 12:45 with service closing at 2:30 p.m. Given it was October, the soup of the day was butternut bisque and the sandwich was a pork schnitzel on a hoagie roll.  I decided to try both specials and also ordered the roasted olives as a starter. Al ordered the mac and cheese with fries taking the place of the normal salad side.

The soup was perhaps the best butternut squash soup I have ever had, So simple, so creamy and so delicious, just perfect. I didn't get my order of olives however and I ended up asking for them after I ate half of my hoagie.  The pork was okay, I wasn't impressed. It was a large piece but I would have preferred it to be thinner and not quite so well done. I didn't care for the taste of the pork but that is just me. 

The olives were the biggest disappointment. They were supposed to be flavored with lemon, chili, and garlic, I could taste none of those flavors, they were just salty. They were served in a cast iron pan with no implements to eat them and since they were roasted and hot, fingers seemed an odd choice. The fries that were served with the hoagie were very good.

Al's mac and cheese was excellent and a generous portion served in a small cast-iron skillet. I got a cappuccino and Al a ginger ale which they were good about refilling. 

Now I bet you are thinking I won't be returning here but you are so wrong. We ordered the blueberry crumble for dessert. Oh my, I don't even know where to begin except to say it is gluten-free!! It is served with vanilla ice cream and usually, in these cases, Al eats the ice cream and leaves me the crumble. To say we had dueling spoons scooping up these phenomenal blueberries would be an understatement. I can't praise this dessert enough, I would go back there tomorrow just for the dessert and the soup. 

Lunch with tip was north of $80, not inexpensive but I see the potential of many delicious meals here. I would just perhaps not order the daily special again and stick with their known favorites. I feel confident recommending The Farm Table. 

If you feel like shopping, there is shopping on both sides of the street here at Kringle Candle.