Farmer's Keep: Fast, casual, fresh, healthy

New healthful food options keep popping up around town, and now the area around 20th and Market Streets is in line to get a cafe with a farm-meets-the-city philosophy later this month.

Joshua Bullock is in the finishing stages of building Farmer's Keep at 10 S. 20th St., whose previous occupants were a series of utterly forgettable bars. (The project has been in the works since last fall, initially under the name UrbanFarm.)

Farmer's Keep will offer a selection of about 25 composed salads, leaf salads, grains, and proteins. Mostly all will be local, natural, organic and sustainable ingredients, and everything will be gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and shellfish-free.

Pick what you want and build your own plate; it's all priced at $10 a pound. Seating will be at tables and a communal table.

"The allergen-free aspect will attract a lot of people who are afraid to go out to eat," Bullock said. He has retained the chef services of Ian Natowsky, previously with Starr Events.

Initially, Farmer's Keep will open with indoor seating as well as sidewalk tables.

Next, Bullock intends to finish the roof as a deck, whose stairwell will be left open and visible to those in the dining room tio bring the elements sort of indoors. The deck also will house a bar - though Bullock said it would not be a hangout.

"More like, you to get dinner and you want a glass a wine," he said.