Now all vegan (again), Fern hires a new executive chef and launches a new menu.
Have you been to Fern, Flavors from the Garden lately? The now-all-vegan (again) Charlotte restaurant has hired a new executive chef, Brad Collins, and has launched a new menu.
It’s not the first vegan adventure for the Dilworth spot.
Fern opened in 2011 as a vegetarian restaurant and went fully vegan shortly afterward. At the beginning of the pandemic, as a way to branch out and get more people to embrace the plant-based lifestyle, Fern added cheese and eggs to select dishes.
But when Collins joined Fern, the team looked at the product mix and decided to go back to being 100 percent vegan.
“Chef Collins felt very strongly about this and wanted to make a very intentional distinction to be all vegan, so we’ve removed eggs and cheese entirely,” said Jill Marcus, owner of Mother Earth Group, which includes Fern.
Perfect for January nutrition reset
January is typically the busiest month for Fern, as new year’s resolutions often bring new customers seeking a healthier lifestyle.
“The trick to plant-based food is to get it to taste like normal food so that when you eat here, you don’t feel like you’re missing anything,” Marcus told CharlotteFive. “Customers want something delicious and satisfying, but also something that isn’t made with chemicals or strange things. For example, our crab cake and burgers taste playful and smart at the same time.”
Fern’s entire menu is created from scratch, with no pre-fabricated burger patties or store-bought pastries. Most of the vegetables are grown nearby at the Mother Earth Group garden off Freedom Drive.
Fern is also one of very few vegan restaurants with its own cocktail menu.
“If you’re going to eat out, it needs to be an experience. And why not do it with a clean conscious?” Marcus said. “People want to feel good about their choices.”
What’s on the new menu?
Fern’s new menu launched this week with a combination of old and new favorites, and it now includes a mocktail selection.
We’ve posted a few highlights below, so you know what to order the next time you visit the Dilworth spot:
Daytime menu (brunch/lunch)
For the table:
- Winter Roll: Tofu, kimchi, spiced nuts, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, mint, basil. $13
- Cauliflower Wings: Buffalo - crumbled blue cheese, celery microgreens, smoked tomato ranch; or Thai chili - spiced nuts, basil microgreens. $15
Mains:
BBQ Sandwich: Caramelized jackfruit, barbecue sauce, jalapeño slaw, pickles. GF bread or lettuce wrap available. Choice of side salad or herb potatoes. $18
Avocado toast: Sourdough, vegan feta, pomegranate arils, pepitas. $14
Breakfast burrito: Scrambled vegan cheddar tofu or JUST Egg, sofrito, potatoes, pico, guacamole, vegan queso. $18
Weekends only:
Chicken & Waffles: fried oyster mushrooms, maple sriracha, scallion. $18
Cinnamon rolls: $10
Dinner menu
For the table:
- Gyoza: Plant-based beef, cabbage, Shiitake mushrooms, tamari dipping sauce. Pan fried or fried. $15
Mac n Cheese: Cashew mornay, panko crispies, Parmesan. $15
Mains:
- Burger: Plant-based beef and mushroom patty, queso, shiitake bacon, fancy sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle. Add JUST Egg for $2. $18
- Zo Boy: Fried oyster mushrooms, remoulade, lettuce, tomato, cocktail sauce. $18
- Masala: Cauliflower, chickpeas, Shiitake mushrooms, roasted cashews, rice. $22
Eggplant Parm: Herb crusted eggplant, zucchini noodles, basil aioli, cashew ricotta, kalamata tapenade. $25
Desserts:
- Carrot cake. $10
- Seasonal cheesecake with coconut cream. $10
- Chocolate hazelnut torte. $10
Cocktails:
- Gin and Green Juice Cocktail: Gin, green juice, elderflower. $15
- Cinnamon Irish Coffee: Jameson Irish whiskey, goldschlager, coffee, cinnamon syrup, coconut whip. $14
Mocktails:
- Cosmic Lemonade: Lemon, simple syrup, butterfly pea tea. $7
- Faux 75: Hibiscus syrup, lemon juice, bitter lemon soda. $8
- No Mosa: Pear juice, cinnamon syrup, sparkling mineral water. $8
- Lychee Lemongrass Fizz: Lychee puree, lime juice, lemongrass syrup, sparkling mineral water. $9
- Pomegranate Mule: Pomegranate juice, lime, ginger beer. $7
Fern, Flavors From The Garden
Location: 1419 East Blvd Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28203
Cuisine: Vegan
Instagram: @fernflavors
