Healthy Yet Hearty

Media’s Lotus Farm to Table enjoys the “sustainable” trend—and we enjoy Lotus.

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese fondue.It would seem that “local” and “sustainable” are as popular right now in the culinary world as bacon and gourmet cupcakes are—and Media’s Lotus Farm to Table is riding that wave. As the name implies, Lotus focuses on ingredients that sprout from area farms, transforming them into delightful, decadent dishes that are as good for you as they are for an eco-friendly world.

Updated classics and comfort foods fill the menu. Nothing is fried, and butter and oil are used sparingly, which allows the unfettered flavors of the super-fresh organic meat and produce to shine through. A second menu is dedicated to tea, which holds a special place in the heart of owner Courtney Rozsas, who handpicks the varietals on her trips to Asia. The rose and gardenia oolong iced teas we enjoyed were crisp and floral.

The grilled eggplant involtini was perfectly seasoned and paired with a balsamic reduction and a zesty salsa verde that I couldn’t resist running a finger through. The accompanying mustard vinaigrette-dressed arugula salad added crunch and spice. Alas, the mussels appetizer’s leek-and-white-wine broth was a bit too tame. Truth be told, the rustic grilled bread served with it was best enjoyed with the rich house mushroom butter.

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Much better was the wild boar, which arrived in succulent chops crisped on the bone and topped with a tangy vinegar-based sauce. Lean yet flavorful, they paired well with the vanilla-marinated warm apples and bacon-studded collard greens (which were neither bitter nor boring). Perched atop a mound of polenta, the tender short ribs benefited from a thick, tomato-laced wine reduction, though the fingerling potatoes seemed like starchy excess.

With an Asian name, carved tables plucked directly from the East, and a tea bar at its core, it’s a bit surprising that few fittingly Far East flavors made the menu. That disconnect may cause confusion, though my hope is that Lotus Farm to Table proves as sustainable as its food.

112 W. State St., Media, (610) 565-5554.

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