Review: American farm-to-table restaurant has ties to the Hamptons

Lucie Regensdorf
Updated ·3 min read

Do not panic if you pull into the parking lot and walk to the door where you last left South Fork Kitchen & Bar and it’s not there. Luckily, it did not go very far.

South Fork moved into the inviting space next door previously occupied by Mero Mero, embracing the beautiful tile floors, inviting bar, and open kitchen while also adding its own personal touches.

I was curious about the logo for South Fork Kitchen, which is a windmill. The owner had been cooking in the Hamptons for many years, where windmills are a common sight. He wanted to incorporate some of the timelessness and style of the Hamptons here.

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At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,
At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,

The name of the restaurant is a nod to the north and south forks of Long Island and the north and south forks of the St. Lucie River.

The compact but complete menu emphasizes farm-to-table, seasonal specialties. From The Sea includes Coldwater Oysters, House Crudo (raw seafood), and Crispy Tuna Sushi.

Starters are handmade pizza, Grilled Octopus, Cuban Empanadas, and a Bread Board with candied bacon, pimento cheese, and honey butter. Salads are Brussels & Kale Caesar, Burrata with pesto and tomatoes, and Hummus. South Fork offers a few pasta dishes including a veal Bolognese and Spicy Rigatoni. Large platters are Salmon, Pan-Seared Scallops, Filet Mignon, Fish, Bacon Onion Jam Burger, Chicken, and a vegetarian Stir Fry Rice with farro.

At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,
At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,

We ordered the Cauliflower Street Style ($16) to start. We were served a long narrow platter filled with lightly fried cauliflower florets, a non-trivial amount of pickled red chilies, and cilantro. The menu described crumbled feta as well, but the cheese was lightly applied, and the flavors were mild.

We also tried the Tomato Salad ($14) which was slices of tomatoes, sprinkled with goat cheese, pickled red onions, pine nuts, and drizzled with a truffle vinaigrette. The salad was very nice. The truffle oil was deftly applied so as not to overcome the fresh flavors of the ripe red tomatoes.

Hubby ordered the Cider Brine Pork Chop ($34) for his dinner. Pork chops are typically dense cuts of meat, and this did not disappoint. The brine on the bone-in chop imparted confident flavors to the savory meat. He was not a fan of the parsnip puree and sauteed baby spinach on the side and felt that the meat and red wine demi glaze would have benefited from a starch such as mashed potatoes or rice.

At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,
At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,

My dinner was Shrimp Pad Thai ($28) which our waitress, Hunter, told me was South Fork Kitchen’s innovative rendition and would be different from the traditional dish found in Thai restaurants. A bowl of colorful vegetables was placed in front of me. Sliced red cabbage, corn, scallions, slices of pink daikon radishes, sesame seeds, and chunks of red peppers were swimming with oodles of fat noodles and sauteed shrimp in a coconut curry broth. There was so much here that I loved. The flavors were bursting and direct. A different version of Pad Thai indeed, but not one to be overlooked.

For dessert, we feasted on Apple Crumble ($10) which was a warm ramekin filled with tender chopped apples, cinnamon, a sweet crumble topping, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream draped in a light shower of caramel sauce.

South Fork Kitchen & Bar has recently added weekend brunch to their repertoire with bottomless drinks and breakfast dishes. It also has ideas for the space next door, but those plans are in the works. The sound level is humming, the atmosphere is lively and bustling, and the food and service are enjoyable.

At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,
At South Fork Kitchen & Bar in Stuart,

South Fork Kitchen & Bar

  • Cuisine: American Farm-to-Table

  • Address: 900 S.E. Indian St., Stuart

  • Phone: 772-247-7382

  • Hours: Dinner is 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Brunch is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Closed Monday

  • Alcohol: Full bar

  • Online: southforkkitchenandbar.com

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at Lucie@theloveofcooking.com

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: South Fork Kitchen in Stuart moved into Mero Mero