Blue Door Farm Stand

Aubrey Barb

Behind the Blue Door

Blue Door Farm Stand on N Halsted St is true to its name.Faithful to an “upscale Farmhouse” vibe, the interior has an interesting marriage between polished table settings and rustic architecture. Furniture and dishes were ceramic and marble, while the ceiling had exposed wood beams and the walls were covered with farm imagery. Large windows provided wonderful indoor light, and the cushioned, round-backed chairs maximized dining comfort. Although I stumbled upon the place by accident, the website and ambience at Blue Door promised a fresh, produce-packed meal and warm experience, and I was excited to begin.

What We Ate

The brunch menu is short, but still contains an impressive range of options,from traditional to creative. The only menu let-down was the price of protein, as meat add-ons range from $9-$20.

The blueberry and carrot cake muffins (pictured in pieces, although the full muffins were not much larger) as well as the cheese curds provided great shareable starters. The cheese curds were somewhat greasy, but offset with pickled peppers, a deft hand, quick napkin pat, and liberal dip in the ranch dressing, they made for a decent appetizer.

As for the main plates, my Veggie Burger was a solid bean-based patty, but still unable to escape the mushy texture that is a common pitfall for many veggie burgers – this was not helped by the adornments of avocado and mango, which while creative in concept provided very little to the flavor.

The Brown Line Wrap was essentially a standard breakfast burrito, with solid size, filling, and texture. However, ketchup-hating readers will find the side of potato pancakes extremely bland. (With ketchup, however, they are quite delicious.)

On the same note, the tahini dressing on the Brussels & Kale salad was virtually undetectable. The salad still had a nice mouth feel, however, with a refreshing combination of crunchy kale and brussels sprouts with parmesan and sliced almonds.

As a further benefit, the salads are a bit of an optical illusion, appearing small but nearly guaranteeing leftovers. Everything else was well-portioned, and good enough to nearly finish.

Does the Farm Stand, Stand?

Beyond the food, the Farm Stand aspect of Blue-Door-Farm-Stand is not so clear. The website and menu have little to no verifiable information about the supposedly small-scale, farm-to-table mission of the establishment. The restaurant does feature a large, chalkboard-style map above the stairs identifying several local farms, but this correspondent did not get a very good look, and blames the logistical difficulty of a busy restaurant stairwell. The answer to whether or not “Farm Stand” is a genuine statement remains as vague as the supposed “philosophy” detailed on the restaurant website, which consists of a few nice-sounding principles without any practical substance. This might just put the Blue Door in the realm of great philosophy, but what about great eating?

Never fear, brunch diners at the Blue Door can expect a perfectly nice experience – a slight dressing up of traditional brunch fare, plenty of fruits and vegetables (ignoring possibly dubious origins), and an open door for plant-based eaters to enjoy a variety of menu items with little or no adjustment. The menu features nothing too crazy, either for better or for worse. Offering prices and portions comparable to many Hyde Park favorites, Blue Door Farm Stand is a great choice for diners up North who seek a solidly comfortable meal and ambience.