1. 66 MARCH | APRIL 2014
local flavor
DAVID
GARFRERICK
2. ALABAMA MAGAZINE 71
Garfrerick’s
TEXT BY LAUREN MORIARTY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLI + DANIEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Cafe FRESHNES S IS ON THE
MENU AT THIS POPULAR
OXFORD RESTAURANT.
3. 66 MARCH | APRIL 2014
local flavor
CColors pop. Flavors dance.Textures
tickle. Seasonally appropriate local
produce at Garfrerick’s Cafe in
Oxford gives fresh a whole new
meaning.You’ll never have to
wonder where your food came
from because owner and chef
David Garfrerick likely raised
it himself.
Garfrerick’s foray into the
restaurant business began as a
supplier to acclaimed Birmingham
restaurants such as Hot and Hot
Fish Club and Highlands Bar and
Grill. Garfrerick Farms now
supplies his own restaurant.
“I wanted to take it all the way
from farm to table,” Garfrerick says.
Locals head to Garfrerick’s
to partake in goodies from a
menu that changes daily. Patrons
can expect dishes such as
Garfrerick’s personal favorite, a
tomato salad served in summer
months that stacks juicy heirloom
tomatoes, peas, corn, and tangy
balsamic vinegar.
Bringing food from the
farm means Garfrerick brainstorms
menu ideas months in advance,
when the actual planting takes
place. Spring sees rich green
spinach making an appearance
in a variety of dishes.
“We can grow varieties of
spinach you can’t buy in grocery
stores,” Garfrerick explains. Green
beans, yellow beans, and squash
blossoms stuffed with cornbread
or goat cheese also dot colorful
spring plates.
Garfrerick’s recently celebrated
five years of business with a
pig roast mingling growers and
customers.
“It was fun to see customers
sit across from the person who
foraged their mushrooms for
4. ALABAMA MAGAZINE 71
their favorite dish,” Garfrerick says.
It’s these kinds of connections
that Garfrerick hopes to continue
with his restaurant.With lunch,
dinner, and a popular Sunday
buffet, there are numerous options
for a farm-to-table feast. Lunch
offerings include fresh salads,
sandwiches, and burgers. Dinner
patrons can enjoy entrées such as
Pecan Encrusted Grouper with
Fennel Cream Sauce or South-
western Grilled Natural Chicken
Breast with Poblano Cream Sauce.
Garfrerick’s menu strikes a delicate
balance between red meat, poul-
try, fish, and vegetarian options.
5. Be sure to complement your meal
with a glass of wine from the res-
taurant’s extensive collection.
Garfrerick believes “people
should get to know their food,
where it comes from and how it
is handled and prepared,” he says.
The restaurant layout embraces
this philosophy with an open
kitchen. Pictures of the farm where
much of the produce originates
line the restaurant, and diners can
take a front-row seat at the chef’s
counter to watch their food be-
ing prepared. Freshly baked bread
steams straight from the oven, and
a friendly bartender shakes tempt-
ing cocktails.The kitchen remains
in view whether you choose to sit
at the bar, tables, or chef’s counter.
Evoking the menu itself, the sur-
roundings allow the food to speak
for itself.
Food is not a mystery at Gar-
frerick’s Cafe; instead it is tangible
and personal.The farm-to-table
concept is very much alive and
evident in the rich flavors and
textures of Garfrerick’s ingredi-
ents.There is something comfort-
ing in knowing the snappy beans
on your plate grew just down the
road. Garfrerick invites diners to
come and stay awhile, connecting
with the food grown locally and
prepared with passion.
THE PRIME INGREDIENT
THAT LENDS THE
RICH FLAVOR AND
TEXTURE TO THE FOOD
SERVED AT GARFRERICK’S
CAFE IS THE LOCALLY
HARVESTED PRODUCE
FROM THE CHEF HIMSELF.
66 MARCH | APRIL 2014
local flavor
