Blackberry Farm covers 4200 acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, in Tennessee.  For over 80 years it has been the resort offering “decadent cuisine and pleasurable pastimes.”  When Florida and Dave Lasier discovered the setting for their dream home, she snagged her stocking on a blackberry bush and thus the name of the Farm.   In 1976 Kreis and Sandy Beall set about protecting and preserving the land with three other local families.  The Beall family wanted to share the area and opened a 6 room country inn which their son Sam took to another level in 2000, greatly expanding the footprint.  He expanded the wine cellar and opened The Barn and Dogwood restaurants for culinary experiences. The Barn has become renowned for food, much of it grown on the property, and the only way to experience it is to stay in one of the many rooms or cottages.  I understood that some of the people who own property nearby are allowed to dine there, so maybe that would be your preferred choice, either way you have to have a reservation.  The menu changes every other day and there are vegetarian options.   A huge wine list is available, but many of the selections date back several years, and a full bar is in the barn.  The menu is 4 courses, including dessert and there are at least 4 choices for each course.  The Barn is a huge red building that is too far to walk to so they provide car service or you can drive yourself in a golf cart.

Set-Up

 

Food

The bread service was a slice of spelt sourdough bread or a Turkish red wheat & maple roll, or both with sheep cheese with chives and salted butter spreads.  The roll was yeasty and doughy with a touch of sweetness on the glazed exterior.  The bread slice had a slight crust and good flavor.  The salted butter was our preference but neither bread really needed a spread.

 

A small amuse bouche was a compressed turnip with turnip greens, pickles and potatoes.  It was small placed on a giant block of wood but tasty.

 

Foie gras and spring onion custard was decorated with crispy cabbage, pickled mustard seeds and a champagne vinaigrette.  The custard was on the bottom with the vinaigrette placed on top.  It nicely balanced the richness of the smooth custard below.  The toppings added lots of flavor combos and some added texture to this fine dish.

 

Creekstone Farms beef tartare was mixed with black garlic aioli, fermented kohlrabi, pickled garlic buds and covered with crispy potatoes.  The beef was fantastic and a great blend with the crispy potatoes.  Another winner.

 

Hearth fried farm egg was topped with whipped country ham cream, pickled peppers and a hickory gastrique.  This was a very flavorful dish and though it sounded like breakfast it was not at all that.  It was fun.

 

Wood Grilled pork collar was smeared with charred dill creme fraiche and mixed with cabbage and horseradish onion marmalade.  The tender flavorful pieces of pork were terrific mixed with the herbs and onions.  The dill was strong but it worked well.

 

Elysian Fields farm lamb was on duck fat confit potatoes, green garlic, celery and spring garden greens.  Underneath was also some braised shank meat.  The chop meat was cooked just as requested and was tender and delicious.  This was a yummy plate.

 

Wood-grilled beef ribeye cap was plated with potato puree, crispy potato skins, spring peas and smoked pickled onions.  The beef was cooked as requested and perfectly tender.  It had a fairly salty rub on the exterior which worked well when cut with some interior meat. A well reduced sauce underneath added extra flavor.  The potatoes were rich and creamy but the crispy skins on the top elevated this to another level of goodness.  Absolutely delicious.

 

Espresso caramels were a bit of pre-dessert.  Filled with wonderful flavor and texture I could have eaten a plate of these for my dessert.

 

Peanut and chocolate sundae was made with peanut toffee, crispy meringue and hot fudge.  Ice cream was under the thick meringue layer and the hot fudge was dotted with toffee.  A great sweet ending.

 

Cruze Farm buttermilk pie came with blackberry caramel and fermented honey.  Topped with a generous pile of cream the pie was on a buttery crust.  It could have been thicker because its taste was the star of the pie.  The sweet sauce was lovely with the cream and the pie filling.  Another fine sweet ending for the meal.