Here’s the UWS Dish: Friend of a Farmer’s Chicken Pot Pie

By Abigael T. Sidi

Neck deep into winter wouldn’t you love a good, filling meal beside a crackling fireplace? We’ve got the spot, and you don’t have to travel 100 miles north to the Catskills. Friend of a Farmer is right here on West 71st Street, off the corner of Columbus Avenue. And the warm-the-soul dish that will fill you with satisfaction (and calories) is none other than the star of the menu, the great American classic, comfort-food icon: chicken pot pie.

For urban Gen Zers like myself, chicken pot pie is the stuff of worn English literature or history books; we all sort of know what it is and how it might look, we’ve just never had it. When our server presented the pie, it was a show stopper. Served in its cast iron pot, it flashed crisscrossed, butter-golden, crispy strips of pastry dough.

The rosemary sprig stuck in the center was a foreteller. The first plunge with the fork, the first crack of the crust, released a wisp of steam that filled the air with the herb’s distinctive, woody, camphoraceous scent. Rosemary permeated every mouthful of the filling, made of traditional chicken chunks, green peas, corn kernels, and diced carrots. The pie is not cheap ($28), but it is a monster, more than enough for two. Don’t plan on a workout or just about anything after the meal, other than a nap.

Friend of a Farmer started as a small café in Gramercy Park in 1986, serving dishes made exclusively from ingredients purchased at the nearby Greenmarket. True pioneers of the farm-to-table movement, Friend of a Farmer focuses to this day on locally sourced, fresh, and sustainable ingredients. Taylor and Weston Morabito, sons of the restaurant’s founders, currently operate the family-owned business, opening the UWS location in the fall of 2023. “Our commitment to supporting local farmers is reflected in our menu, featuring fresh and seasonal ingredients” says a recent Instagram post.  “We just take a lot of pride in the ingredients that we are bringing in. Our dishes are not extravagant, it’s just simple ingredients and care”.

That same pride and attention to detail comes through in the restaurant’s décor. “Most people experience the uniqueness of Friend of a Farmer the first time they walk in,” say the Morabito brothers in a video on their website. “They see the fireplace, wooden columns, wooden ceilings, tapestries on the walls, and they’re like, am I still in Manhattan?” They are transported out of the city bustle if only for a couple of hours. The lights are dim and soothing, the music is low and relaxed, and, yes, this is one of few places in the city where conversations are kept to a civil murmur. The vibe applies to all three dining rooms — bar room, small lounge by the windows, and larger back room, featuring the fireplace and open ceilings allowing natural light.

Vegan options are plenty, including for the pot pie — mushrooms, spinach, and red pepper substitute for chicken. The salads are crunchy and fresh, with ingredients such as toasted farro, meaty and juicy slices of beets of many different colors, pomegranate seeds, and a superb blood orange dressing (see, “West Side Salad”). The farm-to-table aspect is perhaps most evident in dishes such as bacon and eggs, whose freshness elevates offerings as common as eggs benedict. Takeout and delivery available, open every day from 9:00 a.m. till 9:15 p.m.

The Dish: Chicken Pot Pie ($28)
The Restaurant: Friend of a Farmer, 68 W 71st street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

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