Pharmacy Café owners open Farmhouse Cafe in Wendell

"Since I really dig sandwiches, I thought, 'Wouldn’t it be cool to start doing Smørrebrød,' which is a type of Danish open-face sandwich," Cowden said. "They look really beautiful."

The sandwiches are a centerpiece of the cafe, which opened earlier this month in a large community center building at the Wendell Falls development. The restaurant is open to the public.

Cowden said the inspiration for Farmhouse's menu came from the building and its architecture, which he felt had a very "Scandinavian" feel.

One of the keys to a good Smørrebrød is the bread.

"Raleigh is a great food town and one of my favorite places is Boulted Bread. Their Danish rye rocks. It really does. I’ve done features with it at the Pharmacy," Cowden said.

The next element is a smear of mayonnaise or butter to help keep the bread from getting soggy. Then, the bread can be topped with any combination of proteins and greens. Farmhouse serves one topped with salmon, a lemon aioli and roasted tomato-pea relish.

In addition to Smørrebrød, the cafe also serves up fresh bowls like the Mesa, which contains sweet potatoes, roasted corn, black bean salad, quinoa and micro greens.

The Big Bubba sandwich features beef frisket, hoop cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato and balsamic marinated roasted onions topped with a special sauce.

Farmhouse Café serves breakfast and lunch along with a "social menu" of shareable small plates in the evenings.

Farmhouse Café is also planning community events, such as planned foodie dinners, crawfish boils and wine tastings.