Article and photography by Joshua Fitzwater
Nic Hagen looks like the type of chef I want sweating in the kitchen for my stomach. He’s fat, constantly wears an authentic smile, sports a pig tattoo on his arm and laughs straight from his gut. He recently messaged our publication about one of the local farms HomeGrown goes through for veggies, Brother’s Farm, and informed us of the economic hardships Brothers Farm’s are experiencing due to the weather last year. There is nothing arbitrary or trend motivated about Hagen’s commitment to choosing to source local produce.
Nic Hagen
HomeGrown has a modest selection of beer that consists of a few local craft beers and domestics. Their wine list, however, is much more extensive. I started by ordering the homegrown house made treats appetizer listed on the menu as, “Nic’s house made pickles & meats.” At this time, I was informed by the chef that the meats were not local but the greens were. This reminded me of the conversation I had with the owner/ chef of LeGrand recently who pointed out that it can get ridiculous when everything on a menu must be labeled as local. I very much concur with this sentiment. It is impractical when menus have to adapt for seasons and available supply.
HomeGrown house made treats
The fact that the meats were outsourced did not detract from the platter. The fresh tasting salty salami paired well with most all of Nic’s locally sourced pickled veggies. Out of all the assorted meats, cheese, and vegetables, the pickles shined the most. Hagen shared with me that when he makes his pickles he does a straight forward two parts sugar, one part salt, four parts vinegar with a bit of pickling spice and coriander. Going by my pallet along with the opinion from the sound guy at the magazine, Jimmy, apple cider may also have been involved in some of the pickling. Usually, pickling is an overnight preparation according to Hagen. It did not surprise me to find out that he plans on selling his pickled veggies at the market this summer. I will be there grabbing a jar or two.
Nic’s jarred pickled veggies
For my main course I ordered the pan-seared scallops with sweet potato mash and greens. When the waitress arrived with my dish, Hagen simultaneously delivered several plates to the table across from mine from the upstairs kitchen. It was a packed night at HomeGrown. Hagen, red in the face with a bucket of sweat on his brow, was seriously hustling. It was an endearing sight to see from a chef I believe is sincerely turning diners on to local produce.
Pan-seared scallops w/ sweet potato mash & greens
Unfortunately, the scallops fell short due to over seasoning. The scallops were just too salty, and had it not been for this fault, the dish would have been first-rate. This was a shame because the locally sourced sweet potato mash was so good that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. The greens had a nice char on them, which Hagen informed me he does to bring a little bit of bitter into the flavor profile of the dish. The scallops did, however, have a nice caramelized singe on the outside giving you that initial crispness with a tender medium inside. In the end, the saltiness of the scallop still cut through the sweetness of the mash and the bitter note of the greens too aggressively.
I ordered the cheesecake for dessert. Hagen’s recipe for the bottom crust of the cake is inspired by a local lady at the market that he buys granola from. He adapted the recipe to suit his cheesecake needs. He now buys the granola and oats raw locally and bakes them with an assortment of spices. The end result is a rather nice and nutty, sweat and flaky bottom crust supporting an alright but not amazing cheesecake filling with honey drizzle on top.
Cheesecake with granola crust and honey drizzle
In terms of the decor, let me first mention that it was a relief to finally walk into a new restaurant that wasn’t rocking Edison bulbs. Not that I was blown away by the lighting, but at this point if an establishment resists the trend they get bonus points. Edison bulbs are on a fast track to becoming the fedora of local restaurant lighting. Both the black chalk boards adorning the walls with wine listings on them and the wooden animal shaped appetizer boards straddle the line of quaint and hokey- it could go either way. It could be appealing to the youth and aid in getting them excited about learning about food that’s local. Personally, if I was doing interior design for a local restaurant in Hampton Roads, I would be reluctant to play with chalkboards. Any place when incorporating chalkboards is going to be hard pressed to top Chow on Colley Avenue in Norfolk aesthetic wise.
Lighting at HomeGrown
We at the publication try to stay as objective as possible in order to bring you honest reviews and impressions of food, free of pandering. I would be lying however if I didn’t say that I hope Homegrown and Hagen succeed. I do not think that he is trying to arbitrarily pay lip service to the buy local growing wave in Hampton Roads. He comes across as both passionate and genuine about sourcing produce locally.
On April 11th, Hagen at Homegrown will be hosting Brother’s Farms for a pig roast duel. Many of the products for this event will be from Brother’s Farm. It’s an all you can eat event with a seat running 30 bills a peice. I hope this event does well and Brother’s Farm ends up with some much needed revenue. I’m also interested in tasting what Hagen can do with a whole hog. I plan on attending and recommend our readers mark their calendars for this pig roast.
HomeGrown is located at 455 Court St., Portsmouth, VA 23704
HomeGrown’s Website www.facebook.com/homegrownva
Link to event page for HomeGrown & Brother’s Farm pig roast www.facebook.com/events/1645214159032803/
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