Cherie Montoya was born and raised in Albuquerque’s North Valley. She grew up with an appreciation for homegrown food from the farm. Now, she continues to appreciate farm-to-table food in her restaurant. Montoya owns and operates Farm and Table Restaurant and La Parada store. The restaurant focuses on local ingredients, produce, and proteins.
Montoya says, “I opened Farm and Table in February of 2012. I started the farm one year before that.” The shop next to the farm, La Parada, has been open since 2004. Guests can shop before or after meals for home décor, folk art, jewelry, and vintage items.
The philosophy of the restaurant is straightforward. Montoya says, “We are focused on local and seasonal food and supporting local farmers, and we don’t really stray far from that.” The restaurant works with farmers throughout New Mexico and New Mexico’s watershed.
Regulars know each time they visit Farm and Table, it will be a familiar yet new experience since the menu changes all the time. Montoya says, “Our customers quickly noticed what made Farm and Table a little bit different from other restaurants, and that is we’re dependent on what we grow that year and what’s available to us. I think our customers really appreciate that, and they’re maybe adventurous eaters because you’re not gonna get that same plate that you may have enjoyed the year before.”
Customers can count on Farm and Table’s featured local beef. The restaurant’s menu always has steak, chicken, or duck. With a bigger focus on local growers and producers, they now serve local poultry. Farm and Table also sells unique crops like sunchokes to like-minded chefs and restaurants.
The restaurant’s well-crafted menu is very dependent on local weather. Montoya says, “We are having a pretty abundant fruit harvest in New Mexico, which doesn’t always happen. This year, we got really lucky with fruits. If there is a late freeze, that would predict what would happen with our menu.”
One constant at Farm and Table is high-quality ingredients. Montoya says, “We have high-level professionals in our kitchen that really, really care about our ingredients, so everything is made in-house.”
The restaurant does offer some local wines but mainly focuses on bio-dynamic, organic wines, and small growers. Montoya says, “There is also a lot of thought that goes into our wine list. I think that is pretty fun and a little bit different.”
Every month, the restaurant hosts themed multi-course dinners paired with beer or wine. The dinners offer communal seating. “It’s pretty festive. They’re really fun!” In the summer, the restaurant offers private picnics on the farm.
Dining outdoors at the picturesque North Valley farm is popular with guests. Montoya says, “We have 12 acres of unobstructed views that are pretty beautiful. It kind of an elevated approach to dining and really honoring what New Mexico has to offer.”
Farm and Table is open Tuesday through Saturday. Visit farmandtablenm.com and www.shoplaparada.com.