The Farmers Wife

Delicious, thoughtful sandwiches in a charming country atmosphere. So glad to stumble across this little gem. I particularly liked the roast beef and the pulled pork sandwich although the menu has been a little different each time I have been in.

Come here for: The best pork sandwich of your life (if you come on the right day).
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In barely-​there Ancramdale, you won’t find any cell service, but you WILL find an unassuming little restaurant with the kind of farm-​to-​table cooking that will make you want to call your momma (if only you could).
There’s no telling what The Farmer’s Wife will be serving on any given day, and the menu is definitely limited. I went on a Thursday, and the 5 features included a burger, a sandwich, 2 salads and fried calamari. They also have a wide variety of prepared foods, so lots of folks just stop by to gaze and graze at the glass-​front display case. The salads looked good enough to tempt even an avowed carnivore like me. I’m pretty sure all the veggies were still in the ground just 24 hours ago.
I ordered the roast pork & ham Cubano, and it was perfection. Seriously, the best pork sandwich I’ve ever eaten, bar none. It was so fresh, I thought I heard a little squeal when I bit into it, and the smoky, salty flavors were perfectly complemented by a ring of cracked black pepper. I tore up some of the pork for my dog, and I can still smell the smoky scent on my fingers as I write this. I might never wash my hands again.
The dining room has only 4 tables, but there’s also outdoor seating that’s perfect for enjoying the prepared foods. I sat outside with my schnauzer, but I saw another gentleman eating inside with his cocker spaniel. Major points for that kind of laid-​back charm; I’m sure it helps keep some of the more effete city folks at bay.
As for décor, The Farmer’s Wife is totally cute in a natural, unaffected way — think Katie Holmes before Tom Cruise (or Tom Cruise before Scientology).
Trust me, one look (or one sniff), and you’re going to covet this Farmer’s Wife.

like rachel, i wanted to like this place. it was ok. when you say vegetarian it shouldnt have bacon, basic stuff like that. cute little café though. not much else around here, so it is probably your best shot if you are on a side road looking for cold fried chicken.

Out of the way but worth the trip, especially if you want to show out of towners some cool country
Great for breakfast or take out for a great picnic
It’s a gathering place for locals and a great spot for farm news and gossip
They also sell fun food gifts that make nice thank you gifts

I wanted to like this place, I really did. The place was so small-​town-​adorable, complete with the old man sitting on the outside porch on a rocking chair. Everything on their menu and specials board sounded delish.
Stopped in for a sandwich because I’m on the road alot and was craving anything that did not resemble a taquito.
I ordered the specialty BLT which was supposed to come with fried slices of tomato and an avocado spread. Yum, right? The person at the counter asked if I would like my bread toasted, to which I clearly replied, «Yes, please.»
I didn’t unwrap the sandwich until I was already far enough down the road and was not going to turn around.
What I got was a plain BLT. No fried tomato, no avocado spread, bread NOT toasted. For $ 7. /​Sigh. Maybe it just wasn’t my day.

I have only been to the Farmer’s Wife once, but plan to return. We were there around the holidays after visitng Ronnybrook where, BTW, they turn out the best Egg Nogg. I enjoy the cozy, country atmosphere of the Farmer’s Wife and the food is terrific.

Let me first qualify this by stating that there is not much there for me to eat since I do not consume land dwellers so if you are looking for a vegetarian place, forget vegan, this is probably not the best choice for you. One is very limited though it is not impossible to do a veggie lunch.
However, I will say they use local, natural «ingredients» in their cuisine (Ronnybrook, Coach Farm, etc.) and I am sure if I were of that taste, I would be very happy with the plethora of choices there. My friend who does enjoy their food raved about this place and from her perspective it is easy to see why. It is country bumpkin local yokel adorable. Food is made fresh daily in their open kitchen and they have many things from which to choose. They did have lots of sides that I could have but I wanted a meal not a bunch of scoops of this and that, such as wild rice salad, chinese noodles or farfalle with pesto. I wanted a real meal after spending the morning picking strawberries. I had hoped to try their vegetable lasagna which was listed in the menu and seemed promising. Unfortunately it did not sell very well so it is discontinued. I guess they did not know we were coming! Oh well. Grrr.
I would recommend The Farmer’s Wife though as it is one of those lovely NY upstate experiences and everyone who was eating there seemed very happy.