The Kitchen Bar @ Chef and the Farmer

If I could give more than 5 stars I would. We were lucky enough to dine at Chef Vivian Howard’s chef table. The entire experience was magical and the best overall dining experience we’ve ever had. The dishes were all unique and fabulously executed. Her passion for what she does is infectious during the time with her. Thank you for such a wonderful time.

Oh my goodness! What a delight to eat at Vivian Howard's restaurant. It surpassed our expectations by a mile! The ambiance, presentations, flavors, variety and service was excellent (Susan snd others)! We were not sure about some of the reviews we read and almost cancelled our reservation but are so glad we went anyway! My partner said the pork chop was the best he had ever eaten. He also raved about the basil infused gimlet. I found the Miso gingered collard greens and the marinated cucumber noodles to be the highlight of the meal. I also LOVED the strawberry salad which had an amazing strawberry dressing. The 10 layer chocolate cake with vanilla chantilly cream was spectacular. Im not a fan of caramel but the rest of the dish was so good I would order it again. We shared the cake and are glad we did because there was plenty to satisfy. We are looking forward to our next visit already as we live in upstate NY and only get this far south occasionally .

Two and a half hour ride to celebrate my birthday.
Chef& the farmer did not disappoint. Seriously the best meal I've ever had.The food is amazing.We loved our server Casey. She was so friendly and took the time to answer all are questions. Wonderful atmosphere and the candles in the ladies room are such a nice touch.

Chef & the Farmer did not disappoint again! This place lives up to the Vivian Howard hype. All the seasonal items we tried from the meat and cheese platter to the sweet potato biscuits were absolutely delicious. The chicken parmigiana was sous vide then spread and battered before being fried - very deliciously tender meal! The NC trout, NY strip steak and the pork chop were also amazing and cooked to perfection. The beef lasagna is another unique dish that I recommend trying. Also, their wine and cocktail list is vast and their bar tenders take their drinks to the next level. To top off the excellent ambience the service is top notch which creates a a culinary environment conducive to all sorts of events! I highly recommend the Chef and the Farmer experience. Side note, while waiting for your table visit Mother Earth brewery.

Stopped in for a meal with the family on my daughter's 21st birthday from Raleigh. The experience was wonderful. The waiter and staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, though the waiter did not catch my Ribeye order and instead brought me a New York Strip, regardless, the food was amazing. We had the flash fried collards, the cheese bread, a few libations, and our main course with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. We also splurged for dessert. The floor plan has changed quite a bit since our last visit, but was quite nice. If you're in the Kinston, NC area, stop by and see what Vivian has done with the place. You won't be disappointed.

My husband and I planned on visiting as part of our vacation. The whole experience was better than anything we anticipated. The food was exceptional. The delicate balance of flavors is hard to put into words. We were shown around the beautiful restaurant by our wonderful hostess, Kristen.Thank you for the calas. They were delicious, of course. Being fans of the show, it was extra fun to see everything in person. I highly recommend this restaurant for the quality of food, warm welcome from all the staff, and beautiful setting. Looking forward to when we can return.

Incredible experience! The people running and working in this eatery are warm and hospitable. The atmosphere and vibe pair perfectly with the menu. The food is exceptional...every bite! Southern ingredients with modern twists of flavor cooked and presented beautifully. Run don't walk to celebrate at Chef and the Farmer!

What an awesome experience! My wife and I discovered Chef Vivian and this restaurant years ago when her PBS show "A Chef's Life" premiered and at the time we were living in CA but we had always told ourself we would stop by and eat here if we ever vacationed nearby. Fast forward to today where we now live in OH so during our weekend getaway to North Carolina we finally got to try it!

Service was amazing, food was full of flavor and the menu had plenty of new and interesting things to try.

We had the corn bread and meat & cheese tray for starters, my wife ordered the confit chicken, and I ordered the blackened salmon. We loved every bit of it and are so glad we finally got to check this one off the list!

My wife and I have been watching Vivian's PBS shows recently. I decided to bring her for an early Birthday present. Never had Collards before but based on the many reviews I've read we tried the Flash Fried Collards. They were fantastic. We had the NY Strip and Chicken Confit. Both were delicious. Brown butter mash as a side was really good. For dessert we had the Carrot cake. I love Carrot cake and this one didn't disappoint. Not the typical heavy frosting ladder Carrot cake. It was very light and had a slight mocha flavor that was a pleasant surprise. The staff was very pleasant and helpful especially our waitress Kashia. She was there when we needed her and handled everything beautifully.

This is our fourth trip for an Anniversary dinner and our fifth trip overall. Our first dinner there was before the television show premiered. We started with two appetizers, tempura okra and cornbread with peach butter. The okra was fried whole, which I was not used to, but it was lightly fried and juicy on the inside. The accompanying ranch sauce was flavorful, but not overpowering. While I would have preferred the cornbread hot, it had a nice texture, and the peach butter was tasty, but a little too sweet. Our entrees followed--my wife had the Not Lobster Risotto, while I had a pork chop with peach chutney. The risotto had a playing mix of textures with a pleasant seafood flavor even without the lobster. My pork chop was cooked perfectly, with the sweet heat of the chutney perfectly complementing the tender meat. We finished our meal with two desserts, banana cake with pecan buttercream and orange baklava, which were both excellent. The service was attentive and friendly. We would not hesitate to return again.

Quite possibly the best dining experience I have ever had. The service was on point and the food was extraordinary. The menu changes so be prepared for an amazing array of seasonal foods. The pumpkin soup was outstanding. I had the trout which was beyond awesome. The dessert was a great way to finish the experience. This was on my wife's bucket list and the experience far exceeded out expectations.

This evening's long awaited experience ... We're including photos.

Arriving about 5 pm on a Saturday evening, we waited about 30 minutes for a table, which was about 15 sooner than expected. We had a comfortable table for two upstairs in front of a window. The lighting was perfect. The details, the colors add to the ambiance and comfort. The style is earthy and unpretentious. We love all the wood and warmth here. It's a place one wants to hang out in with your best friends and dearest family.

Let us be clear about one thing, from start to finish Jessica (and company - those helping her) provided truly excellent service! We felt very special. Jessica's recommendations were most appreciated. We hope she serves us again on our next visit. :)

We started with small plates ... a couple of appetizers. The flashed fried collards were seasoned wonderfully with sea salt. How did you get them so thin? Gee. They were almost chip-like. Not sure what oil was used, but it added nice flavor. The only critique is they were a bit oily.

We also tried the fried okra with ranch ice cream. Yeah. Seriously good. We would have liked to have taken a container of the ranch ice cream home with us, as that would seriously go great with so many things! The only thing, the okra was a little slimy. Still, this was delicious. Love the light breading.

Entrees, we went with the tomato pie and the crusted catfish. Both were fantastic ... the tomato pie especially so. The flavors and textures in both dishes had incredible harmony.

The seasoning, the sweetness, balanced with savory of the tomato pie is instantly habit forming! -Haha! We should have asked what the summer vegetables were on that dish, as most of it was more okra. Still, this is highly recommended, and a signature dish!

The salad a top the crusted catfish has some marvelous pickling, and the gazpacho added so much depth and refinement. Definitely ask for a spoon, to drizzle the gazpacho over the fish. Mmm ... so good!

We were full, so we passed on dessert. That may have been a mistake however. -Haha!

Kinston is so fortunate to have Chef & the Farmer! The staff works hard and truly care. It shows. We came from out of state, and are in eastern North Carolina and wanted to have this experience. We see that Kinston is our kind of community ... yet it struggles. Main Street is beautiful with so much potential, but there are too many vacant building and storefronts. It's obvious people are working hard to make this a vibrant community. We wish we knew how to help. Truly.

We wonder why Chef & the Farmer are not open more days during the week, and more hours during the day. Perhaps theirs is the best business model, but we've been through Kinston on different days of the week and earlier in the day, and couldn't stop for a wonderful meal at Chef & the Farmer. Admittedly, we're fans of Vivian and Ben, "A Chef's Life" and "Somewhere South", and the incredible people who work to make this a shining star in the Kinston community (and other communities too).

As we were finishing up, and getting ready to leave tonight, we were asked to "please come back". Of course we will! Wow! How many times have we been made to feel that our business as customers is appreciated? Not often, sad to say. Thanks Jessica and all the team working tonight (Sat July 3, 2021). We're not going to forget our experience! We hope to see you soon.

Excellent. Had to go gluten free and they have a menu plus will attempt to take regular menu items and prepare them gluten free. I had NC shrimp and grits. Unbelievable flavors (I accentuate the plural) in that dish. Of particular note was the flash fried collards and sea salt. Just like a thin, crispy chip. Desert was cinnamon ice cream with caramel and salted glazed pecans. I didn’t have a reservation but they made the effort and seated me. Recommend a reservation. The staff from greeting to service was as good as I have ever experienced. Vivian Howard should be proud of her folks. I fully recommend this place. Kinston is less than hour off I95 so if you have the time, take it.

My husband and I came here for our anniversary and everything was great! The daily bread was the perfect starter! The entrees were a very generous size and so tasty! Dessert was amazing!!! We were stuffed when we left! We picked up a few sauces before we left and it was nice that we got a discount because we ate there!

We had a fantastic experience. We did not have reservations so we got there around 4:50 (10 minutes before opening) to grab one of the small bar tables (3 people max). The service was excellent and very friendly. We even got to speak with the chef, Vivian Howard. Food was excellent from the flash fried collars, the speckled trout, and the peppermint chocolate cake. I would definitely recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for interesting seasonal food.

My husband and I have followed Chef Vivian Howard for years. Eating at Chef and the Farmer has been on my bucket list. It definitely lived up to its reputation. I've eaten at restaurants owned by world renowned chefs and I would put this up against theirs. The experience, atmosphere, and food were worth the visit! If you want a spin on Southern classics, this is the place to experience them!

Oh my..!!!
A dream of mine to be here. Came from OKC just to be here!
Sad that it didn't look like her show. Sad she wasn't there.
The charcuterie plate was wonderful! The fried greens, excellent! We had the pork chop and chicken thigh. Oh so yummy! Wine selection was awesome. Waitstaff was wonderful 👏 ❤
Sigh .
I ate at Vivian Howard's restaurant 😋

Awesome little 'farm to table' kinda place. Loved the decor upstairs and down, there's still part of the buildings sole with their own modern spin added (kudos for that)
Food was amazing...... and beautifully plated.
We ordered the flash fried collards, the lamb burger, (which I forgot to steal a picture of) and the rice breaded catfish.
The ranch ice cream side with the fried okra intrigued me enough to ask about it. Our host was happy to explain (with her own little excitement about it lol) and generous enough to gift us an order to try.(it was our 1 year anniversary.. I forgot her name, sorry about that, but I remember her red hair and genuine excitement about the food.... please thank her for that from both of us)
Date night, week night, special occasions... go here, you without a doubt will be glad you did!

My sister, her husband, and I took my mother here for her birthday. We are all huge fans of the PBS show "A Chef's Life". The seasonal menus are extremely well thought out and executed. I ordered the North Carolina bourbon flight and was very pleased. The house made pork rinds were legit. Our reservation was adjacent to the expo station. It was crazy watching the precise attention to detail displayed by the staff. Vivian was on vacation and there was no film crew present, but every single dish was still amazing. We started with the charcuterie offering. House made cured meat paired with pickled seasonal veggies. The pork "wings" were great with the blueberry inspired Buffalo sauce. We all had an amazing time. I definitely hope to return at some point. Vivian even sent me an autographed menu from the night we went. Worth every penny!!!

Went again to celebrate my wife's birthday with my sister and BIL. James was our server. He was amazing. He knew the menu front, back, and sideways. Great personality and attention to detail. The flash fried collards are always delicious. Tempura fried okra was light and scrumptious. It was served with ranch ice cream . . . which I did not know I needed in my life. Would buy pint of it. It would actually go stupendously with the pork "wings". Lane Angus Beef served with tallow confit potatoes and garlic chimichurri really brought the flavor experience. Brittany Ridge pork was cooked to perfection and the blueberry agrodulce sauce complimented the protein nicely. We ended the meal with Coca Diablo and Tiramisu Eclair Cake. It's always a great evening and James took it to the next level.

Well deserved reputation for the finest of dining. The small plates, entres and deserts are all exquisitely prepared and served. Bar list has many outstanding creations plus the favorites. Wine by glass is limited but excellent. Many bottle choices.
We've been twice and will return.