This recently-opened Uptown joint has a small but delicious menu of vegetarian comfort food. And, more importantly, they have an excellent play area to keep kids entertained while you're waiting for a table or eating (or both). Like, really top-notch as far as restaurant play areas go. There is a two-story wooden A-frame playhouse that our kids loved. There is no railing on the second level, but it's only about four feet off the ground, which presents only a minimal-to-moderate risk of injury so long as your kids are...say...three or older. Chalkboard walls with lots of colored chalk, a cozy reading corner, and a giant stuffed tiger are among the offerings of this creative play space.
The warm shabby-chic decor and young hipster-y staff, along with the aforementioned play area, give this place a very different vibe from Figlio, the beloved, bustling, quasi-Italian institution that long occupied the current Fig + Farro space. (Side note: Walking into this place made me feel nostalgic and old, because I have very specific memories of going to Figlio in high school, and feeling so grown up--being in a loud, cool, Uptown restaurant without my parents, ordering "tortellini alfredo" or whatever.)
Anyway, the food at Fig + Farro is very good! Maple-glazed brussels sprouts were predictably delicious, as was the shepherd's pie, stuffed with a savory mixture of potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. And, in my opinion, it's hard to go wrong with shakshuka (a North African dish featuring eggs poached in a mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices).
I hope the menu will continue to expand and shift, as the chef and owners find their groove. They do not have a kid-specific menu, for instance. Not that it's necessary in order to feed kids at a restaurant, but the regular menu only has a few options that most people would consider kids-friendly, e.g., macaroni and vegan "cheese", raw veggies and hummus, and couscous. This seems like something they might want to modify if they are courting families as a customer base--which it seems like they are, given the lovely play space.
Nonetheless, they are off to a great start. Our visit was very enjoyable, to the extent eating in a restaurant with a four-year old and a one-year old can ever be considered "enjoyable." You should go!
https://www.figandfarro.com/
Calhoun Square
(Lake + Hennepin, street level)
3001 Hennepin Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
hello@figandfarro.com
612.208.0609
