Mark Cheffo, owner of Liberty Farms, values food from the ground up. If you tour the 600 acres of certified organic farmland, you’ll find pigs, sheep, and cows feeding from in-house grown hay, thousands of free range chickens, and an abundance of seasonal vegetables grown with sustainability in mind. With farm stores in Ghent and Brooklyn, year-round booths at farmers’ markets throughout four New York City boroughs as well as a 20-week CSA program offering flowers, produce, and eggs, it’s no wonder Cheffo’s love for getting quality food onto community tables led him to open the Tavern at Liberty Farms in Ghent down the road from his farm.
(In a previous life, the restaurant was known as the Turnpike Inn, a roadside bar that closed in the 2010s. The house specialties were Genesee Cream Ale on tap and the Big Bad Don Burger with pepperoni and tiger sauce.)
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Cheffo fell in love with restoring farmland when he moved to the Hudson Valley in 2005, purchasing Liberty Farms a few years later in 2009. “Something just clicked for me. I fell in love with restoring farms in disrepair and turning them into organic CSAs, growing vegetables and raising livestock regeneratively,” he says. Elaborating on the process of regenerative farming, which focuses on crop and grazing rotation to manage soil and control erosion, Cheffo puts it simply. “It’s about putting back into it,” he explains, an ethos of mindfulness and attention to detail which he extends not only to his fields, but to the kitchen.
Cheffo was at first uncertain as to what the space that is now the Tavern would ultimately become. “We started talking about the needs of the community,” Cheffo says. “We wanted people to have high-quality, food-focused experiences in a way that wasn’t so inaccessible it could only be done once every few years.” The Tavern aims to strike a balance between attainability and quality, keeping a reasonable price point and making every guest feel comfortable. “The aim is two-sided,” Cheffo explains, “we want to restore a place where our neighbors can drop in regularly while creating a unique restaurant experience worth seeking out for those exploring the Hudson Valley.”
Combining the comfort of a traditional pub with local ingredients from Liberty Farm and the wider Hudson Valley, Cheffo relies on a “made-from-scratch” mentality that feels like you’re eating a creation from your grandmother’s kitchen. “Take our Soup Is Supper dish,” Cheffo says, “it’s homemade chicken soup with a big plate of noodles. There’s no filler, its output from the farm and it’s made in house. It takes time. We make the stock, we roast the chicken, and the noodles are cooked to order, not unloaded off an 18-wheeler. This is the kind of food you’d spend time making at home.”
Cheffo first met Tom Ellis, chef of The Tavern, through events at The Barn, the renovated stallion barn-turned wedding venue that is part of Liberty Farms. “Tom brought all this knowledge of different cuts of meat,” Cheffo describes, remembering the cords of wood brought in to fire roast dinners under the stars. “We linked over a shared belief that elevated experiences surrounding meals should be more obtainable. We wanted to take these ideas and incorporate them with a focus on what’s local, what’s seasonal.”
This shared focus is the basis behind the smaller-than-usual menu. “There’s a reason there’s only four entrees,” Cheffo explains, “we want to serve what’s in season here on the farm. Right now, that’s root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes. When you’re here, you can look a half mile to your left and a half mile to your right, and you can see exactly where your food comes from.”
Take the roasted leg of lamb served with turnips in tomatoes and greens ($45). “There’s literally three large, whole roasted turnips and a large serving of lamb,” Mark describes, “it’s truly farm-to-table. We serve the dish with Johnny cakes, too. It’s quality and abundance. You’re not going to leave hungry.”
Also on the starting menu line-up, a half chicken with glass potato, carrot, and a side of jus ($40) and rack of pork or charred cabbage romesco with butternut squash spaetzle, apple and mashed greens ($36 and $30, respectively). “We always have vegetarian and gluten-free options available”, says Mark, “even with the limited menu.”
Starters include chicken liver mousse with housemade matzoh ($14) and delicata squash served with an agrodolce flavored with cranberry, apricot, charred shallots, and rosemary ($14). There’s also an endive and roquefort salad and a garden harvest salad (both $14).
The Tavern has been serving dinner three nights a week but will officially launch the full menu on October 13. The Tavern provides two experiences under the same roof; a dining room for a more formal experience, and a bar for more casual gatherings. “We’re keeping it small and intimate,” Mark says of the rustic vibe of the dining room, “instead of white tablecloths, we’re using butcher paper and keeping the lighting low.” The softer space of the dining room is contrasted by the brightly lit bistro with a British-pub feel, colorful wallpaper, and banquette seating.
In the bar, guests can choose from comfort foods like the Smash Burger made with organic beef from the farm topped with American cheese, caramelized onions, and Sweet Willie’s garlic sauce served with hand cut french fries and coleslaw ($18) or Spaghetti and Meatballs en Broquette ($11), which Cheffo describes simply as “meatballs on a stick.”
Both sides of the Tavern share a drinks menu with a taste for the classics. The Hemingway Daiquiri ($13) combines white rum, Luxardo, grapefruit, and lime, while the Clover Club ($12) mixes London dry gin, lemon, raspberry syrup, and aquafaba. A Mid Century Old Fashioned ($14) pairs rye with muddled candied cherry and orange, sugar, bitters, and a splash of soda; the Kir Royale ($15) brings together crémant and crème de cassis. “We wanted to bring people back to the past, to a time we associate with a more personalized experience,” says Cheffo.
On tap, choices include Polished Pilsner ($7) and Farmer’s Daughter rye pale ale ($7). Wines by the glass range from Tangent albarino from California’s Central Coast ($10) and Mohua sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand ($11), to Marques de Caceres Rioja ($12) and Chateau Tour Bel Air Bordeaux ($14). Bottle selections include Ken Wright Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley ($63) and Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah from Napa Valley ($80).
Beginning in November, those visiting The Tavern can look forward to Sunday Brunch followed by Sunday Roasts, a specialized take on the traditional British pub lunch served family style and featuring Liberty Farms meats and seasonal sides. “It’s like Thanksgiving every Sunday,” Cheffo says, “and there’s always seconds.” The Sunday Roast will be a fixed-price event with two seatings, and guests can look forward to trying several farm-fresh sides and dessert.
Most good things don’t come easy, and opening The Tavern was no exception. Between the pandemic, permitting, and construction, there were several stops and starts between the conception of the dream and making it a reality. “There were a lot of hurdles in the process,” Cheffo says, “but we’ve cleared those hurdles and we’re better for the work we put into it. Now, we’re ready, and we’re shooting for excellence.”
The Tavern at Liberty Farms is located at 1440 Route 66 in Ghent and is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm.
