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A casual, all-day cafe concept created by a longtime Bay Area restaurateur debuted June 9 near California Avenue in Palo Alto.
The Farm, created by Ismail “Jan” Unlu and Cemo Orge, specializes in single-origin, organic coffee and housemade syrups, as well as healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food menu is a combination of classic American and Italian favorites, including eight flavors of housemade New York style pizza, with a few Turkish dishes sprinkled in, such as lahmacun and manti. It replaces Pizza Boulevard, which was previously Legends Pizza Co.
The project is a departure from Unlu’s previous full-service Italian restaurants, including Cafe La Scala, previously in Burlingame and Los Altos; Cafe Maremonti, previously in Palo Alto; and Scala Mia, previously in Menlo Park. He also previously owned Cafe Silan in Menlo Park, a Mediterranean and Kurdish restaurant.
“As I get older, I want to have something smaller, like a cafe, where I can hang around,” said the Los Altos resident.
Eggs Benedict with smoked Canadian bacon, hollandaise and eggs ($16) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm. 
An egg and cheese sandwich with scrambled eggs, housemade sauce and mozzarella cheese on multigrain toast, served with roasted potatoes and pickled red cabbage ($14) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm. 
An omelette with red bell pepper, onion, tomato and spinach, served with roasted potatoes and pickled red cabbage ($16) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm.
The Farm is partnering with ALTimpact Coffee to roast single-origin, organic South American coffee beans in Oakland. Using a La Marzocco espresso machine imported from Italy, The Farm crafts traditional espresso-based drinks with organic milk. Lattes, available hot ($5.75-$6.25) and cold ($6.50-$7), can be flavored with housemade syrups in flavors such as rose, orange and lavender. Pour-overs and cold brew are also available. The Farm will soon sell its beans in half-pound and full-pound bags at the cafe.
“We only order (our coffee) four or five days before we need the coffee. We used that (roasted) coffee only for two weeks. Because the coffee loses its flavor (if it’s) on the shelf for a long time,” Unlu said.
The Farm also offers a variety of wines by the bottle ($22-$48) and glass ($6-$14), bottled beers ($6-$7) and mimosas ($7).
For The Farm’s food menu, Unlu said he aims to utilize as many organic ingredients as possible and provide healthy options at an affordable price. Brunch ($11-$16) is served until 3 p.m., featuring dishes such as acai bowls with berries, oats, honey and chia seeds and avocado toast with housemade pesto, arugula, tomato and a fried egg.
For lunch, available starting at 11 a.m., Unlu recommends the chicken wrap ($16) with grilled organic Mary’s chicken, roasted vegetables and homemade special sauce in lavash bread; the roasted wings ($14), also made with Mary’s chicken; and the Garden Greens salad ($16) with baby mixed greens, carrots, strawberries, kiwi, avocado, dried figs, apricots, feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
The Farm in Palo Alto offers a variety of housemade oven-baked pizzas, including this Farm Fresh pizza with housemade zesty tomato sauce, mushrooms, fresh thyme, fresh mozzarella and arugula ($25-$33). Courtesy The Farm. 
The Farm in Palo Alto offers a variety of housemade oven-baked pizzas, including this combo pizza with zesty tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, pork sausage and pepperoni ($24-$32). Courtesy The Farm. 
Cheesy garlic bread with garlic, olive oil and mozzarella ($12) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm.
But Unlu’s favorite food on the menu has to be the pizzas ($12-$33), he said. Find flavors such as the Blanca, made with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil, as well as the Pesto with fresh mozzarella, avocado, roasted red beets and homemade pesto.
For dessert ($6-$9), The Farm offers rice pudding, baklava and gelato from Artisan Gelato Fiorello by the cup, pint or slice of gelato cake.
The Farm co-founder Ismail “Jan” Unlu steams milk to make a latte at his new all-day cafe in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm. 
The Farm co-founder Cemo Orge shapes pizza dough at his new cafe in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm. 
The interior of The Farm in Palo Alto seats 65 and has televisions playing sports games. Courtesy The Farm.
The Farm seats 65, with an additional 18 on its covered patio. Window-facing seating that Unlu calls the “kitchen counter” is designed to be a relaxing space for those just wanting a cup of coffee. Complimentary Wi-fi is available, and three televisions stream sports games as well.
Unlu grew up in the Kurdish village in Turkey on a farm. At 9 years old, he left home for Istanbul and was homeless for nearly three months before becoming a gardener for a wealthy family. After that, he became a dishwasher, then worked front-of-the-house at a hotel restaurant. At 22, Unlu moved to London to study English, working in the kitchen at Turkish and Gaelic restaurants. He cooked on cruise ships for a bit before settling in the Bay Area in 1986. Since 1989, Unlu has opened seven restaurants.
The Farm’s Veggie Delight dish features roasted eggplant, peppers, zucchini, pickles and mozzarella cheese on a brioche bun, served with roasted potatoes and pickled red cabbage ($12). Courtesy The Farm. 
Lamb casserole with roasted eggplant, baby onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese ($26) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm. 
For lunch at The Farm, co-founder Ismail “Jan” Unlu recommends the chicken wrap made with grilled Mary’s organic chicken, roasted vegetables and housemade specialty sauce on lavash bread, served with roasted potatoes and pickled red cabbage ($16). Courtesy The Farm. 
Grilled salmon with bulgar and vegetables ($26) at The Farm in Palo Alto. Courtesy The Farm.
The idea to open The Farm first stemmed from Unlu’s love of coffee, he said. He noticed there were very few coffee options near California Avenue. California Cafe, which was a pop-up along California Avenue, closed in March, and Backyard Brew has been closed since February due to permit violations. Besides The Farm, ZombieRunner is the only coffee-centric cafe in the immediate area.
As for the future of The Farm, Unlu welcomes feedback. He wants The Farm to fit the needs of the community, he said, and would love to better tailor his menu to suit what people want.
The Farm, 2450 Park Blvd., Palo Alto; 650-656-9831, Instagram: @thefarmpaloalto. Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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