River Valley Ranch—yes, the mushroom vendor you see at farmers’ markets—opened this adorable shop and café, where you can sample cheesy dips, local jams, and a veritable garden of pickled veggies before settling in for a fungus fest of beer-battered shrooms ($6) followed by portobello “Italian beef” ($8) on a mushroom baguette.
Carnivores have rotating choices: meaty omelets ($8), hot ham on wheat slathered with crabapple mustard and pressed till crisp ($8), or poutine laced with grass-fed beef in red wine sauce and capped with a poached egg ($10). Stay for a few refills of Passion House coffee ($2.49) until you’ve made enough room for a Hafs Road Orchard or Nichols Farm apple fritter or two (five for $4).
On your way out, you can buy all the fresh ingredients to cook the same dishes at home. Either way, this farm gets pretty darn close to your table.
River Valley Farmer's Table, 1820 W. Wilson Ave., 872-208-3267