Traders Point Creamery: The Loft

Yesterday, Christy and I were bad fitness friends. We skipped the gym and went out to lunch. We felt a little guilty until Christy came up with a great idea of where to go eat- The Loft at Traders Point Creamery. I've written about Traders Point- we went to Christmas On The Farm this past weekend and I got to sample and enjoy the Creamery earlier in December. The Loft is a farm to table restaurant. The food is as local as you can get- often coming from the farm all around you. The ambiance is very cozy. You are in a restaurant that is attached to the milking barn and the structure is wood and beams and natural. We got to sit right next to the tree- a real one, of course- and loved the cow bell decorations. Christy and I drooled over the menu. So many choices... so many yummy and fresh and real ingredients. There was a cheese plate that we knew would be delicious- we've had Traders Point cheeses before and they never disappoint. Soup is always a nice choice on a chilly day. But we quickly realized we wanted to eat food that we couldn't get anywhere else. We wanted something beyond mac-n-cheese, burgers, and grilled cheese. TPC has a great spin they do on each of those dishes but we were there to be adventurous and celebrate our last official lunch hour of 2010. We started with the Duck Confit Butternut Squash Salad. Spinach, butternut squash, duck, cranberries, and lightly candied walnuts with a vinaigrette dressing. It was amazing. The duck was what really made it amazing. Actually, the salad would have been tasty without the duck- the duck made it special. I'm not usually one to order duck, honestly. But this... was amazing. It was moist and flavorful. For our main course, we opted for the Pork Confit Steak. "Brined pork confit served over sweet potatoes, Gunthorp Farms bacon, tender spinach and romesco sauce." The sweet potatoes were cubed and roasted and delicious- firm, slightly crunchy on the outside. The romesco sauce was a first for me and I enjoyed it immensely. But that pork... heaven help me, I've never had pork so tasty. It was buttery when I pressed my fork into it. The outside was crispy, crunchy. The inside was perfectly cooked, moist beyond description. I wanted to shovel it into my face because it tasted so good- but I also wanted to eat it as slowly as possible so I could savor every second of it. The Loft isn't a place we'll be frequently on a regular basis. It's pricey. You get what you pay for, absolutely. The quality is beyond measure. It will be a special treat to enjoy from time to time. The service wasn't the best- but we think it was because the place was packed. There seemed to only be 2 actual servers and the bussers and manager had jumped in to help out. No one was standing around, everyone seemed busy. So slow service was forgiveable, in our opinion. If you are looking for a unique and healthy place to enjoy a meal with friends, family, or on your own, I highly recommend visiting Traders Point Creamery. And if you get a chance, be sure to buy a bottle of egg nog. I'm not an egg nog fan in the slightest but I could easily drink an entire bottle of Traders Point Creamery's egg nog. And be sure to check out all the Traders Point has to offer- from a winter farmer's market to tours to an on site shop.