FarmBar Raises Oklahoma Culinary Standards

Totally worth a trip to T-Town for this lauded restaurant and bar

Twenty-two years ago, Lisa Becklund left Seattle to escape the restaurant industry and embrace a quieter life as a farmer in Oklahoma. Instead, she became the driving force behind the state’s culinary renaissance, redefining farm-to-table by elevating local ingredients to their fullest expression. Her legendary Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy in Depew not only put Oklahoma on the fine dining map but also introduced tasting menus that remain unparalleled in the state’s dining landscape.

In 2020, Chef Becklund brought her vision to Tulsa with FarmBar, an urban extension of Living Kitchen that delivers the same excellence with greater accessibility. From $10 burger nights to $115 tasting menus, FarmBar offers something for everyone. She soon followed with Il Seme, seamlessly blending Italian traditions with Oklahoma ingredients, creating an experience as compelling as her previous ventures.

Running a single top-tier restaurant is a feat — Lisa Becklund has done it three times over. Now a 2025 James Beard Semifinalist for Most Outstanding Chef, it’s time for me to return to the place where I first met Lisa — and where I first understood what Oklahoma fine dining could be. Let’s eat!

Atmosphere

FarmBar radiates warmth and intimacy, striking a balance between comfort and elegance without a trace of pretension. Plush seating invites relaxation, while the open kitchen offers a front-row seat to the chefs crafting indulgent, sensory delights. Thoughtfully curated background music enhances the ambiance, never overpowering conversation, while soft lighting sets the stage for a truly magical evening.

Service

FarmBar’s service is top-tier, offering a personalized and immersive dining experience. Guests are attended to not only by the servers but also by Sous Chef Caleb Mohr and Chef Lisa Becklund herself. The team’s enthusiasm is palpable, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Lisa and her staff take the time to connect with each guest, passionately describing every dish in detail. Water glasses remain full, silverware is seamlessly replaced between courses, and every aspect of service is executed with exceptional care and attention to detail.

Food

Course 1: Bacon and Potato Croquette with Apple Butter and Goat Cheese

A crispy exterior gives way to a silky-smooth interior for an ethereal result. The croquette unfolds with tangy goat cheese, transitioning into warm, spiced potato before culminating in a gorgeous, sweet finish of apple butter. A perfectly balanced bite.

Course 2: Radish-Radicchio and Citrus Salad

This vibrant salad begins with sweet, tangy onion, flows into bright citrus notes, and finishes with the crisp, slightly bitter edge of radicchio and radish. The interplay of sweet, bitter, and tangy is seamless, each element enhancing the next.

Course 3: Country Bird Bakery Sourdough with Gochujang and Sweet Cream Butter

James Beard-nominated baker Cat Cox makes her grand entrance with a masterfully crafted sourdough, featuring a beautifully crisp crust and a soft, pillowy interior. The bread’s sour, earthy complexity is elevated by the gentle heat of gochujang, while the sweet cream butter tempers the intensity, creating a perfect balance of flavors.

Course 4: Braised Baby Collard Greens with Fresh Ricotta, Pecans, Honey-Soaked Raisins, and Fermented Chili Flakes

Slightly bitter collard greens serve as the perfect foundation for creamy, delicate ricotta, finishing with a hint of sweetness from honey-soaked raisins. A touch of fermented chili flake adds gentle heat that lingers on the palate, while pecans bring a delightful crunch to round out the dish.

Course 5: Braised Beef Cappelletti in Onion Brodo

This dish teeters on the edge of the transcendent. Perfectly cooked pasta absorbs a rich, beefy onion brodo, creating a luxurious bite. As you break into the cappelletti, an explosion of savory beef and cheese harmonizes beautifully with the slightly bitter depth of the broth. Simply divine.

Course 6: Chicken Roulade with Sage Jamón, Grisontaler, Wheatberry, and Beurre Blanc

Lisa Becklund transcends culinary boundaries with this pièce de résistance course. The Grassroots Ranch chicken roulade is flawlessly executed — its exterior, crisp and golden, giving way to a succulent, tender, juicy center. Every bite reveals evolving layers of blue cheese, salty jamón, and a beurre blanc that adds an intoxicatingly rich, slightly fermented depth. The wheat berries burst like caviar, bringing an herbaceous, crisp vibrancy to the dish. This is Lisa at the height of her brilliance.

Palate Cleanser: Blackberry Rose Soda

A refreshing interlude of blackberry and delicate rose, cleansing the palate for the final courses. Simply delightful.

Course 7: Butter-Seared BF Farms Tenderloin with Celeriac Purée and Cherry Balsamic Beef Glace

The tenderloin is masterfully cooked, its richness elevated by a luscious cherry balsamic glace — a pairing seemingly blessed by the beef gods. The silky-smooth celeriac purée adds an earthy, buttery contrast, balancing the dish with elegant restraint.

Course 8: Fennel Ice Cream with Spiced Olive Oil, Buckwheat Cake, Pecans, Licorice Salt, Candied Fennel Frond, and House-Made Black Walnut Nocino Reduction

This is what culinary adventure is all about: flavor complexity and discovery. The silky-smooth fennel ice cream carries delicate licorice notes that harmonize seamlessly with the earthy, spiced olive oil buckwheat cake. The black walnut nocino reduction lends a slightly bitter, nutty depth, while each element — pecans, licorice salt, and candied fennel — adds a new dimension. A dessert of remarkable sophistication.

Course 9: Peanut Butter and Jelly Profiterole

A stunning final act. The profiterole erupts with a luscious peanut butter filling, its richness offset by a glossy whey caramel sauce. A subtly tangy grape-like component ties everything together, delivering the perfect nostalgic-yet-refined bite. The ideal punctuation to an extraordinary meal.

Overall

Lisa Becklund’s passion, love, and soul are evident in every bite. Not a single course tonight faltered in flavor or technique — each dish was flawlessly executed. Several reached the level of pièce de résistance that defines Chef Becklund’s cooking, while none fell below excellent.

Since Becklund came to Oklahoma more than two decades ago, the state’s food scene has flourished. Though she humbly jokes that she “sucks” as a farmer, what she has cultivated is as valuable as a great harvest — a culinary awakening that has shaped a city, a people, and an entire state. With every dish, she continues to elevate the essence of Oklahoma to new heights. Until next time, friends — let’s eat.

Atmosphere: 20/20; Welcoming, homey, elegant, fun, hits all the right notes.

Service: 20/20; Chef driven service that makes you feel like part of the experiences

Food: 58/60; Every bite from beginning to end starts with world class ingredients and ends with pure satisfaction.

Overall: 98/100; pièce de résistance

Jared’s Scale

95-100: pièce de résistance

80-94: Excellent

65-79: Above Average

35-64: Average

20-34: Below Average