82 Acres is the sister restaurant to Carlton’s Abbey Road Farm, an estate winery that’s also a working farm. It’s helmed by chef Will Preisch, who was co-chef at now-closed Holdfast. Diners at 82 Acres can watch the chefs work in the restaurant’s open kitchen. Banquette seats are backed by corrugated metal, evoking the rustic-industrial feel of a winery, while photos of the farm line the walls.
Items that come from Abbey Road Farm’s 82-acre property are italicized on the menu, like eggs, tomatoes, sunchokes, and calendula flowers. The winery’s verjus, or unfermented wine, is used to marinate beets and turned into a gelée to pair with oysters. Menu staples include a soft-boiled farm egg ($12) with tomato aioli and a rye bun burger ($22) with Gouda.
My favorites were the inventive vegetable dishes and the hearty meat entrees, though the kitchen gets a little over-zealous with grain garnishes like puffed amaranth and quinoa. Vegetarians, look elsewhere; there were no plant-based mains when we visited.
Every item on the menu has a suggested Abbey Road Farm wine pairing, from softly bubbly Blanc de Blanc to juicy gamay.
Though it’s not listed on the menu, ask for half-glasses so you can pair a little wine with each dish.
Dining and Cooking