The Bachelor Farmer

04/30/2020

A Message to The Bachelor Farmer and Marvel Bar Community:

Dear Friends,

Six weeks ago, we closed the doors to The Bachelor Farmer, Marvel Bar, and our cafe to protect the health of our team, and the community. And today, I have reached the very difficult decision that we will not reopen.

As you know, the future of hospitality is incredibly uncertain and over the past month, we have tried our best to navigate this uncharted territory. We have explored the option of takeout, most likely evolving into a hybrid model of takeout and reduced-capacity dining room service in the months ahead, but there’s just no way for that level of business to support the financial weight of our company and the building we call home. We were already walking a fine line before COVID-19, and given that no one knows how long the impacts of this pandemic will last, or what the new normal will be, I do not see a viable path forward.

The loss fills me with sadness, but I am also overwhelmed with gratitude. We had the privilege of serving you for almost nine years. We celebrated important milestones right alongside you, hosting countless birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. We welcomed a president, a vice president, and a first lady. And we were fortunate to be able to go out on a high note, having recently received another four stars from the Star Tribune and reimagining a bar as a space where everyone feels comfortable. We helped to create a vibrant neighborhood and I hope we contributed something of lasting value to the fabric of our community. I’m proud of that legacy and can’t thank you enough for making it possible.

We have tried to provide support for our team through this incredibly difficult time, and this decision doesn’t change that. Every employee received six weeks of pay while furloughed and we will continue to provide full health benefits through May 31. And for our guests, if you have an unused gift card we will transfer the balance into a credit at Askov Finlayson. Any outstanding event deposits will be refunded in full. There is no easy way to do this, but we’re committed to doing it right.

I want to thank Mayor Frey and Governor Walz for their steady leadership through this crisis. I strongly support the decisive steps they’ve taken to protect our collective wellbeing and this decision is not a result of their actions, which have been commensurate with the crisis we face.

Lastly, to our friends in the Minneapolis restaurant community: It has been an honor to be in your company and I believe in your ability to overcome these unprecedented challenges. Hospitality will be more important than ever as we heal from the shared trauma of this experience and I know you will continue to raise the bar for many years to come.

Thank you again, everyone, for your incredible support. We will miss welcoming you through our doors, but hope to see you again soon.

Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and each other.

My best,

Eric Dayton

04/29/2020

The rosé is here! At this week's Chalkboard Happy Hour, Amy and Paul are tackling Arnot-Roberts 2019 Rosé. Join them this Friday at 5 on Instagram Liv. If you'd like to toast with the same bottle, you can find it at Henry & Son, South Lyndale Liquors, North Loop Wine and Spirits, or 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits ahead of this Friday's Instagram Live to learn about it with Amy and Paul. See you then!

04/23/2020

As we take this extended time away from business as usual, we've found an opportunity to reconnect with the world beyond our four walls. Though our daily work centers around our relationship with the natural world—from the way we source our ingredients to the wind energy that powers our building's electricity—we're spending more time in it than we usually do. The better to appreciate the stakes of this work.

04/20/2020

In the restaurant, we practice whole animal butchery, breaking down entire hogs every week. It’s a meaningful way to make serving meat more sustainable, and it challenges us to appreciate the gift of every last part of an animal.

While a hog might be an overwhelming place to start at home, a chicken is a different story. Our Event Chef Aaron Manulikow walks you through breaking down your first bird, and how his family likes to use them (including his son, Waylon!)

04/17/2020

Minnesota Central Kitchen is now preparing more than 35,000 meals every week for food insecure families in our area. And the people who are making those meals are earning wages, thanks to the generosity of you and of some incredible partners. Find out more about Northern Hospitality below.
https://2harvest.org/northernhospitality

04/15/2020

In the spirit of optimism, this week's Chalkboard Happy Hour is a bubbly, effervescent, and cheerful rosé! Find Meinklang Frizzante at Henry & Son , South Lyndale Liquors, or 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits ahead of this Friday's Instagram Live to learn about it with Amy and Paul. See you at 5!

04/14/2020

We're proud to be part of Minnesota Central Kitchen, an effort to help deliver meals to hungry Minnesotans. Led by Second Harvest Heartland, Chowgirls Killer Catering, Loaves & Fishes, with partners in The Good Acre, and Alma: Cafe, Hotel and Restaurant.

Inspired by humanitarian and chef José Andrés, the Minnesotans are using the area's talent and resources to provide hunger relief in the midst of a crisis.

04/13/2020

We loved seeing our popovers in your homes this week. Keep the photos coming! You can find the full recipe, here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-lKlzQFXLg/

04/10/2020

Popovers not popping? Want some tips for a first crack at croissants during quarantine? Pastry chef Emily Marks is tackling your questions and sharing tips Saturday at 11 am sharp. Head to our stories to ask your question now, and see you tomorrow.

04/09/2020

This Friday, join our wine director Amy Waller and assistant wine director Paul Hennessy over a bottle of Lingua Franca Pinot Noir. Our Chalkboard Happy Hour requires nothing but your presence to participate, but if you'd like to taste this pinot noir you can find it locally at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits or France 44 Wine & Spirits. We'll see you this Friday at 5 pm on Instagram Live.

04/07/2020

"Eaters, that is, must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used." Wendell Berry, 'The Pleasures of Eating'.⁣
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While apart, we're reading The Third Plate, Chef Dan Barber's manifesto on the power—and responsibility—of all of us to impact how food is grown. It's got us digging into our own sourcing systems and questioning how we can be better partners to the farmers, millers, and artisans who make our work possible. "Truly delicious food is contingent on an entire system of agriculture," as Barber says. We continue to explore how we can support that system as best we can.

04/06/2020

If you can imagine yourself settling in to work in our bright cafe over a warm cup of coffee—you're not alone. Until we reopen, we can at least help with the atmosphere. Search 'The Bachelor Farmer' on Spotify to find cafe manager Kevin Burk's Work From Home playlist, and hopefully, a new routine.