By Erica Thomas, managing editor
SPRINGVILLE — A fresh and flavorful culinary option will soon be available in Springville. The Farmhouse of Springville plans to open by Tuesday, June 9, 2020.
Owner Ryan Zargo is no stranger to culinary perfection. After 15 years in the food industry, Zargo is hoping to offer a unique culinary experience to patrons.
“We’re just looking to bring a different selection of food to the area,” said Zargo. “We will offer a lot of local-type dishes but we will also put our own spin on it.”
That “spin” will include a variety of options daily. The Farmhouse will have a regular menu with appetizers, creative salads and sandwiches.
“I live here and when I’m not working I want to go eat,” Zargo added. “There’s nothing wrong with the places that are around but you kind of look for something different from time to time.”
Zargo is striving to do something different by offering a range of local and fresh options.
“We will have two to three entrees after five,” Zargo said. “We’ll have things like chicken pot pie with honey biscuits, beef tips and rice, chicken fried steak, pot roast, shrimp and grits, stuff like that.”
Zargo said the menu will alternate and will include special nights such as steak night, BBQ night and pasta night.
“We will change it up in order to give people a variety of things to choose from instead of always having the same old thing every day.”
There will also be daily specials that you won’t see on the regular menu, along with a soup of the day.
The Farmhouse of Springville is going the extra mile to ensure patrons leave with pleased palates. Many of the spices and vegetables are grown by Zargo himself.
If he can’t grow it, Zargo said he will aim to source locally.
After growing up in Trussville, Zargo played semi-pro baseball before joining the Marine Corps where he served for four years. He then found his passion for cooking, thanks to a TV commercial.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, then I saw an ad on TV for a local culinary school,” Zargo said.
He sharpened his knives and dove into the food industry. With experience at places like The Fish Market in Southside Birmingham and The Club, Inc., Zargo was able to become the Executive Chef at Bellinis Ristorante, where he has been for the past five years.
Zargo said his earthy style of cooking is rooted in Trussville, where he was raised.
“We grew up with our own vegetable garden, we pretty much always cooked at home,” said Zargo. “We made everything from scratch and didn’t go out to eat very much.”
That “made-from-scratch” mentality stayed with the chef and will be served on the plates at his new restaurant. Zargo said a staple in the restaurant will be the smoked chicken. Dry-brined for 24 hours, the chicken will be used in many of the sandwiches offered at The Farmhouse of Springville. One of those sandwiches is the Midnight Chicken Cuban, made with chicken breast, avocado, smoked provolone cheese, chipotle-caramelized onions, spicy mayonnaise and pickles. But these aren’t just any pickles.
“Our pickles are going to be house-made,” said Zargo. “We’re going to try and do a lot of things like that.”
To get the perfect “earthy” flavor, Zargo said his seasonings are simple. A dash of salt and a bit of pepper are likely used in his recipes, along with fresh herbs and seasonings.
“I use a lot of celery seed,” said Zargo. “It just adds a different aromatic flavor. It’s one of my secret ingredients.”
Right now, the restaurant is undergoing renovations but it shouldn’t be long before it is up and running. In fact, Zargo hopes to have a soft opening on June 5 or 6 and he plans to use the restaurant’s Facebook page to offer an exclusive treat. The Farmhouse of Springville’s target opening date is June 9.
“We hope that we can create a great product to keep people coming back,” said Zargo. “We hope to be around here for many of years.”