An all-local menu and a Sunday supper series that sounds like a real party ... FARM is open

There is now an answer to the frequent inquiry, “Is it open yet?”

FARM, the long-anticipated restaurant on May River Road in Old Town Bluffton, served its first dinner to the public this past weekend.

In light of delays — the restaurant was originally slated to open earlier this year — and destroyed crops from Hurricane Matthew, co-owner Josh Heaton said that it felt incredible to finally welcome guests through FARM’s doors.

“I went through this whole process feeling really confident that, you know, the public would really value the philosophy that made FARM come to life,” he said. “And it was confirmed this past weekend.”

FARM’s seasonal menus will rely chiefly on local ingredients, including those cultivated from a 5-acre farm, which Heaton and his partners own, and from other local farmers and fishermen.

The opening night menu included plates ranging from $8-$50 like flounder crudo, ossabaw garlic sausage, lamb kebab, grouper cheeks, charred ribeye and North Georgia apple crisp. Even the drink menu featured local brews from Savannah, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, and mixed drinks using local honey.

“Our guests feel like they’re part of, you know, a food movement that is meaningful, that’s important,” Heaton said. “We’re supporting local farmers, and our guests are supporting them too, with every dish that they order.”

FARM was lively the night of the grand opening, Heaton said. He even recognized a few followers from the restaurant’s Facebook page, where a post Oct. 22 announced their plans to open for dinner that night.

“Everyone really enjoyed it,” he said. “We got all positive feedback, and it was a great time. We felt really good about the whole thing.”

FARM will be open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday. There also will be a Sunday supper series that will feature a chosen vendor of the week. This coming weekend, Heaton said, FARM will feature a tortilla maker from Mitla Tortilleria in Charleston that makes traditional Mexican-style corn tortillas from scratch.

“So we’re going to theme the music. ... We’ll play some Latin hip-hop and reggae. We’ll do like a drink feature that’s ... aligned with it. (The) music’s going to be a little louder,” he said. “It’s going to be more like fun, festive, like Sunday afternoon, last chance to enjoy the weekend kind of party.”

Heaton said the local food movement shows that people are starting to understand that they can contribute positively to the land their food is grown on, rather than add to its deterioration with chemicals and unsustainable agricultural practices.

“I think we’re realizing we’re responsible for, you know, keeping our environment safe and clean and healthy for future generations. (And) making smart food choices is one way to do that — one damn, tasty way to do that,” he said.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "An all-local menu and a Sunday supper series that sounds like a real party ... FARM is open."