“We started Naked Farmer to build a better food system for all," Jordan Johnson, the founder of Naked Farmer, tells New Times. "It's this idea of connecting farmers to the community. We just so happen to be doing it through restaurants, and that is the Naked Farmer mission.”
Naked Farmer was created during the pandemic in 2020. The menu is crafted seasonally and offers vegetable-forward dishes. The locally sourced ingredients speak to the high quality of food that is made available and affordable to the whole community while supporting local farms.
“Some people call us ‘fine-fast’ because the quality of food and the techniques we use to cook it are very elevated and refined but it's very fast," says Johnson. "You don’t need to be dressed all fancy to eat in our restaurant because we are so approachable. Yet the food quality is really high.”
The menu follows the harvest seasons so it is reinvented every two months based on what farmers are growing. Johnson says the menu relies heavily on talented chefs and open-channel communication with the farmers, and while it is a challenge, he says guests look forward to the menu changes.
“It is harder to create a menu every two months," Johnson admits. "But for us, we look at that as one of the most exciting things about what we do because we are able to serve food that is very seasonal and truly at its peak of freshness, food that was picked only days ago instead of weeks ago. We don’t think of it as having to create a new menu — we look at it as getting the chance to create new recipes."
According to him, some "must tries" from the fall menu include roasted carrots with spicy vegan ranch, charred broccoli with lemon and garlic, and roasted sweet potatoes.
Right now, about 70 percent of the food is locally sourced but the restaurant's core value is to have 100 percent locally sourced ingredients. That is food that honors the land, the farmers, and the chefs who prepare it, according to the restaurant. It could mean the menu changes daily or weekly while keeping its quality and novelty.
Items from the fall menu are already available in the restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Santell / Naked Farmer
Because it was created during the pandemic, the restaurant was built with takeout and delivery in mind. It encourages guests to experience the food the way they want, whether that is to sit down inside, eat on the patio, or grab it on the run.
This location features 40 indoor seats, an open kitchen, and an outside patio area. Johnson said they love the sense of community in the Gables and consider it a special slice of Miami.
"To understand why we chose Coral Gables, you have to understand Giralda Avenue,” he explains. “It’s become this hub of activity where people now gather around the table for some of the best culinary experiences in Miami. There are no cars, it's open, you’ve got kids running around, it's just special.”
The restaurant has just opened and will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 19 at 6 p.m. featuring live music and local vegetable giveaways. The Mayor of Coral Gables, Vince Lago, and Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Trowbridge will be present.
In December the restaurant will open its fourth location — this time in Sunrise, with plans to expand to downtown Miami and Las Olas in 2023.
Naked Farmer. 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. 137 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables; eatnakedfarmer.com.
