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Business & Tech

Dream Farm: American Bistro as it should be

Fork re-envisioned itself as a moderately priced one-page menu of American classics.

"Comfort food" is a marketing term in vogue with restaurants. In a down economy, everyone wants to eat food that makes them feel happy and at ease.  Dream Farm sensed the angst when it opened in early 2009. 

Co-owners Charles Low and Oliver Knill, known for their acclaimed restaurant Fork, offer a moderately priced, one-page menu of American classics that sources flavors from French, Italian and American Southern kitchens. Chef Beau Burroughs, formerly of Syrah in Napa and Bottega in Birmingham, AL, took over the stove after the departure of Nathan Lockwood, who built the menu at Dream Farm and Fork.

Burroughs considers all aspects of the food he serves – texture, taste, temperature, visual appeal – and finds balance in savory and tart, crispy and creamy, sweet and sour. Sage- and milk-brined pork tenderloin is pan-seared, then finished in the oven. The result is a tender, delicately scented meat with a crisp finish and unending appeal. Duck confit served with orange gastrique, blue lake beans, and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes has a crisp skin, butter-soft meat, and a satisfying tang. Organic baby lettuces seem bitter until your palate has a chance to appreciate the mellow Parmesan and toasted cashews.

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Pillowy is a pleasant adjective often used to describe gnocchi that are soft and tender. Taste homemade gnocchi that are feather-light on the inside, gently caramelized on the outside, and melt on your tongue like an expensive candy truffle, and the adjectives jump up a notch to downy and heavenly. The "little lumps" ("gnocchi" translates literally to "lumps" in English) offered by the people at Dream Farm are all of the above.

The menu offers regular features – the Caesar salad, mac-n-cheese, pork loin, and chicken and dumplings, among others, will always be available – while some will change with the season. Desserts are homey: panna cotta with blackberries, pear tart, Georgia pecan pie, and chocolate devil's food cake were recent selections.

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The wine list is not built for power, but every glass or bottle offers a serene complement to the diverse flavors of the food. The service is understated, but attentive. No dessert? No problem. Portions are ample. A children's menu is not available, but the kitchen will work with you to create half-portions of many dishes. Divided into three rooms, all painted a muted mustard flower green, the side rooms are a bit more subdued, while the main room is open and bright with doorways that lead to the kitchen and restrooms.

Most memorably, dinner for two with wine and tip came in well under $100. For thoughtfully prepared, well-executed food, we felt like thieves who got away with the crime while the authorities watched and raised their glasses to toast our success.

Dream Farm, which could be called an American bistro, aims high and bills low. Steal away to Dream Farm for a memorable evening of good food, good wine, and good cheer.

Dream Farm

198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo

415-453-9898; www.dreamfarmmarin.com

Starters ranging from $5.95-$10.95, pasta from $10.95-$13.95 (all available as half-size), and entrees from $10.95-$19.95.

Hours: Dinner – Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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