Inside a converted barn with a rustic wood interior, 40 people gather just in time for supper in the tiny East Texas town of Van. Guests sip on wine, enjoying their five-course meal around three long tables adorned with tapered candles, fine china, and elegant flower arrangements. On this late October night, the menu includes paté paired with toasted pistachios, torched figs, and pomegranate reduction; followed by roasted quail with apple, leek, and fennel stuffing.
Though the menu changes, a similar scene plays out one evening each month at The Farmhouse, a mom and pop restaurant just off Interstate 20, about
