
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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I had this on Saturday night! It was so good. My boyfriend – who’s not a vegan – had the vegan one and that one was also really good!
I’m not a fan of Chicken Pot Pie but their’s looks really delicious. I’m there soon
For $28 there better be enough to share
Better off staying home and making ten chicken pot pies for the same cost.
Well I could easily make Four. And no tip or delivery charge!
If you can make a chicken pot pie that size for $2.80, I want the recipe.
I like this place a lot…my family is lukewarm…what to do?
I’ve been around a while and haven’t tasted one, ever. The ones I saw here and there never looked even close to as good as this one, here’s my opportunity!
Is the pot pie sitting on a normal-sized dinner plate in the photo (9-12″)? Is that the $28 version?
Hi Charisse: thanks for your comment on my column. Yes it is a normal dinner plate, the thing is big and also deep. There’s plenty. Just noticed there wasn’t a fork or any other referential on the pic, thanks for the question.
“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.”
Really, in Gramercy Park, the gated private park that only the residents of the immediate area (Gramercy) have a key to? I doubt it.
The food (potpie review) from this review: I’m not sure how good or bad this pie tastes, but I am sure it has the herb rosemary in it. Seems to me that rosemary would overwhelm the taste of the chicken, especially if it’s only white meat chicken. Rosemary is used for strong tasting meat like lamb.
Hi Jay: thanks for your comment on my column. I’d agree with you on the rosemary but, surprisingly, i thought it worked really well and didn’t overpower the dish. It is dosed just right. Why don’t you give it a try and let me know what you think?
Re Gramercy Park: point well taken, I was referring to the Gramercy neighborhood, not the Park itself!
Looks amazing. You had me at that wisp of rosemary steam, perfect for a winter dinner night out
Wasn’t the original Friend of a Farmer in the Long Island town of Roslyn? I was working at a job in the 1980s that involved a reverse commute from the UWS to the North Shore, and the charming FoaF, one of the early proponents of the farm-to-table concept, helped make up for the daily shlep on the LIE. Unless my memory is skewed, I’m pretty sure the Gramercy branch came later.
Hi Carmella: thanks for your comment on my column. I looked it up and you’re right, there was a FoaF in Roslyn LI in the 90’s, but it appears that the orginal location was in Gramercy, opened in 1986.
https://www.ediblemanhattan.com/uncategorized/friend-of-a-farmer-restaurant-new-york/
Thanks for the clarification, Abby. 80’s, 90’s, after a while all those last century decades begin to run together. Except for the 60’s.
Good column, btw.
The chicken pot pie is out of this world so is there apple pie for two or take the rest home with you!!!!
I’ve been to the Upper Westside restaurant many times as well as their restaurant in Woodstock, Vermont.
The brunch is out of this world. Everything is good. I recommend you start with the Apple pancakes, my favorite.
I’m also in love with the Shepherd pie.
start off with the cheeseboard and a nice warm red glass of wine.
I was looking at the shepherd’s pie and wondering what veggies? Anybody know?
Agree with comment from @Jay. I had this about a month or so after they opened and thought the rosemary was overwhelming and gave them feedback. I guess they kept it the same. My app was also meh bc I bit into shell in 1:3 of the fried oysters so did not love my meal there.
Turmeric and black pepper would be better.
If sticking with a green leaf herb, then basic (or a tiny bit of bay) would be better.
Love your restaurant column, Abigael–you write so well and vividly!👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks Abby.
We’ve been to the original several times pre-Covid but not gotten to the West Side location yet.
The best part of this restaurant is the tiny bar at the front, a cozy place to have a warming drink on a cold winter’s evening.
At last — chicken pot pie! Now bring back chicken a la King! 💕