Suamico Farm to ten-et’s Table
Tucked between industrial buildings and sports bars off a West Mason Street frontage road, ten•et restaurant is a warm and welcome addition to not only Green Bay’s west side dining scene, but to Northeast Wisconsin at large.
A true farm-to-table restaurant (and food truck), the majority of ten•et’s ingredients are sourced as locally as possible – with the exception of those not grown in Wisconsin (e.g., citrus or cocoa). ten•et was forged from the meeting of two local minds – Chef Joseph Schmidt and Jason Campbell of Sandy Brook Farms in Suamico. Both are steadfastly devoted to supporting local Wisconsin family farms, dairies, distilleries, wineries and breweries; practicing sustainable farming; cooking with locally-derived and organic ingredients; and celebrating the bounty of Wisconsin flavors.
Chef Schmidt was born and raised in Green Bay and worked in kitchens from corporate to true farm-to-table in a variety of positions all over the country over the past few decades. After returning to Green Bay and spending time working at several area restaurants, he was inspired to bring a true farm-to-table restaurant to Northeast Wisconsin. Schmidt’s kitchen is committed to sustainable practices, minimal waste, maximizing flavor and seasonal ingredients. He pickles, preserves and cans produce; he processes, cures and ages his own meats; and he dries, grinds and stores herbs and seasonings to be stored for future use.
Schmidt’s partner, Jason Campbell, runs Sandy Brook Farm along with his wife Lisa and family. Sandy Brook Farm raises 100% grass-fed beef and lamb and pastures pork and poultry, which are fed only certified organic grains. The family farm is committed to practicing “restoration agriculture by reducing tillage, promoting biodiversity and focusing on sustainability from the ground up.”
Established in 2013, the farm’s meats are not only available at ten•et restaurant, but through their website for pickup at their homestead or at the markets they attend. (They also initiated a protein CSA in 2015 and expand that program each quarter).
The two men fondly recounted the genesis of the restaurant. ten•et was conceived during a conversation at the farmer’s market, where Joe and Jason discovered their shared calling to create a transparent collaboration between farmer and chef. ten•et restaurant is an apt name for their mutual commitment to sustainable farming and cooking.
Both men work diligently at honing their craft; both clearly approach their collaboration as equals aligned with purpose. Both men’s families are also involved in the nose-to-tail, farm-to-fork process. Joe’s wife, Rachel, runs the front of the house and Jason’s wife Lisa joins him in the farming operations. Joe and Jason’s respective children spend their time between the country idyll of the farm and the cozy, casual restuarant.
ten•et’s menu is continually oriented around the availability of ingredients and yields of the season’s harvest from hyper-local organic and sustainable producers, foragers, and farmers. Everything is sourced as local as possible – and not just the produce. Joe and Jason made thoughtful selections when renovating and furnishing ten•et, right down to the vintage, mismatched china; artisan flatware by Liberty; chairs and barstools from Holland Bar Stool out of Holland, MI that are the only kind produced completely by US craftsman; and butcher-block table tops from John Boos in Illinois.
The original in/out swinging kitchen doors were salvaged, a nod to the building’s history of tavern ownership. Herbs for the bar grow in the sunshine near the entrance. An employee planted cherry tomatoes in a tangle near the back door.
Despite being somewhat constrained by local availability, the menu options are robust. The menu lists seasonal-based soups, starters and vegetables, grains and pastas; and offers a dazzling array of Wisconsin meats, including Wisconsin Fresh Whitefish, and beef, lamb, poultry and pork from Sandy Brook Farm.
The alcohol selection highlights Wisconsin’s many esteemed distilleries, wineries and breweries. I enjoyed a lovely 2016 red wine from Parallel 44 (“M”) that was a perfect accompaniment to that evening’s autumn chill.
I sampled their “Daily Bread,” made from Meuer Farms (Chilton) Hard Winter Wheat and Ahnapee (Algoma) Little Soldier beer bread, which was served with house-made garlic and fresh herb butter. I also enjoyed the house-made charcuterie plate (featuring Sandy Brook Farm meats cured in-house and cheese from local dairies); their signature tallow fries ; and the ricotta gnocchi (sautéed gnocchi caressed by cider-braised beef, spinach, young butternut squash and cut with a hint of mint).
ten•et restaurant offers a private, soundproof room for private dining events, a chef’s table with a three-pane panoramic view into the kitchen and (weather permitting), a three-tiered “garden on the rocks” slated to open in Spring 2020. Due to the nature of their constantly changing menu, consult their facebook post for their daily menu.
