We want to tell you about the farm and tell you about the ingredients.вЂќДuring a recent spring market dinner, my husband and I, along with 30 or so others, enjoyed six courses, each beautifully presented. вЂњItвЂ™s more than just going to get something to eat. вЂњOur market dinners are an experience,вЂќ Kaci says. Patina Green opens for lunch seven days a week, but serves dinner just once or twice a month, with two seating times that typically sell out. вЂњThese are my friends, and I count on them to keep my restaurant what it is.вЂќ вЂњThese are not just farmers to me,вЂќ he says. Robert is proud to work with many farms in his own Collin County, such as Cartermere Farms in Celina, where he gets his eggs and a great deal of produce, and Pure Land Organic in McKinney, which provides blackberries in summertime. I might change a dish for Saturday night on Saturday morning depending on my visit to the farmersвЂ™ market.вЂќ IвЂ™m always looking for the better option.

Honestly, thatвЂ™s kind of my style,вЂќ says Robert, a Dallas native and culinary-school graduate who honed his skills at such spots as the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and the former Oak Lawn favorite Ciudad. Robert tells me that sourcing ingredients from local farmers introduces unpredictability in menu planning, but he says thatвЂ™s part of the fun. Regulars simply call the latter concoction the вЂњBob,вЂќ and itвЂ™s served only on Fridays at lunch, often selling out by noon. I like RobertвЂ™s beer-can chicken-salad sandwich, chickpea-and-corn salsa, and tender shredded brisket tucked into a fluffy smoked-cheddar biscuit slathered with sweet and spicy jalapeГ±o-blackberry jam. Lunch service is casual diners order from a selection of hot pressed sandwiches at the counter, then pick up salads and sides from a refrigerated case. With each visit there is something new to admire-weathered curios, rickety sliding farm doors, dried hydrangeas, cleverly displayed vintage glass bottles-as well as something delicious to taste. In the past six weeks, IвЂ™ve made the 50-minute drive northeast from my home in Fort Worth three times to dine at Patina Green. Everything, including the reclaimed tables, rustic benches, and mismatched chairs used for restaurant seating, is for sale.

In fact, the business is a family affair KaciвЂ™s mom Luann helps run the retail side and often accompanies her daughter on back-road treasure hunts.

Named for the shimmery green surface layer that appears over time on bronze and copper items, Patina Green offers not only RobertвЂ™s seasonally inspired menu but also architectural finds, antiques, and home goods curated by his wife, Kaci. вЂњI work with everything from a 200-acre organic farm in Austin to a guy who literally has a backyard garden,вЂќ says the executive chef of Patina Green Home & Market, a restaurant and boutique that occupies a narrow, circa 1900 brick building on McKinneyвЂ™s historic downtown square. Menus change according to whatвЂ™s fresh.Chef Robert Lyford exchanges text messages daily with farmers all over Texas. In addition to daily lunch service, Patina Green hosts monthly, multi-course dinners.

Patina green mckinney