Hear more about Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen on episode 13 of the Canby Now Podcast!
It has been a long wait for the people of Aurora, but Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen is finally open for business.
The construction going on at the Mohler farmhouse has been the source of excitement and anticipation for months. But local’s desire for a nice, upscale restaurant goes back some 15 years, when Chez Moustache closed, leaving patrons to wander north if they wanted a fancy dinner for a special occasion. Now, Bernice and Warren Bean hope their restaurant can fill that void.
Bernice is the driving force behind Filberts. Her inspiration came from overseas.
“I was on a trip to Italy and enjoying beautiful old restaurants and wonderful furnishings and the great service,” she said a few weeks before opening night. “Our business has been hotel and restaurant management. So I got the people to do it and the gumption and just went with it.”
And from the moment those living in Aurora caught wind of the new eatery, the positive feedback has been pouring in.
“People are just really excited,” Bernice said. “They not only say they’re going to come to eat here, they’re going to come have all their meetings here. The whole area was in need of a nicer restaurant and it’s just drawn all kinds of people and they’re all smiling, so we’re excited.”
Saturday night, the staff at Filberts had their final practice run before the restaurant officially opens after Christmas. They welcomed guests past the bar and into the dining room, with the chandelier hanging from the open beam ceiling, and the open kitchen, where one of the chefs tossed pizza dough. Servers brought out appetizers — tomato bisque, deviled eggs, calamari and crostini (a hit with everyone).
Each item has a flourish that makes it unique to the Filberts menu: the port wine sauce drizzled next to the steak; the filbert crust on the pork chop; the hint of pepper in the cornbread.
“Classic American comfort food is where we’re coming from … but executed with modern culinary expertise,” General Manager Aaron Wolfe said.
When asked what the future holds for Filberts, Wolfe said he hopes the restaurant becomes a part of the fabric of the community.
“A place where people walk in and on the way to their table they see two or three of their neighbors and they feel at home,” Wolfe said. “A place where people come and have community within the four walls of our restaurant.”
He couldn’t have predicted it better. On the night of a recent test dinner shortly before the restaurant officially opened, neighbors crisscrossed the dining room to greet neighbors. Old acquaintances got reacquainted. And family and friends connected over a delicious meal.
Filberts opens for dinner starting Dec. 26. Lunch hours will be added in the coming weeks. For more information, visit https://www.
