After years of importing, chefs are staying local

Cinque Terre
Chef Lee Skawinski, who co-owns Cinque Terre and Vignola in Portland with Dan Kary and Michelle Mazur-Kary, sees the Slow Food and farm-to-table movements as two related trends, complementary ways to de-emphasize industrialized food systems. "Diners now are more savvy about knowing whether restaurants are buying everything from the back of one box truck or whether they're going out there and really trying to source local and fresh meats, cheeses, fish, and vegetables," he says.

The Karys' Grandview Farm in Greene, Maine, supplies nearly 40 percent of the ingredients for both restaurants. "Everyone at the restaurants pitches in with planting and harvesting at the farm. It's wonderful that we can plan in advance specific ingredients and menu items, and have the freedom to experiment with new varietals and seasonal offerings," says Skawinski. "In addition, we've been longtime supporters of over a dozen local produce farms, artisan cheesemakers and fishermen, and livestock businesses."

Skawinski also takes kitchen staff and servers to Italy at least twice a year to meet growers and learn about production methods: "We just returned from our most recent trip, and we'll be planting some new Italian varietals of lettuces, greens, and chicories, plus many other Italian-style vegetables. We found a wonderful Italian cress that we'll be planting, plus a great, really 'crinkly' Tuscan spinach, and a beautiful four-colored red lettuce. We've also added fresh, edible flowers to our menus, and found two styles of flavorful dandelion that we plan to start planting in the next few days." (36 Wharf St., Portland, ME; 207-347-6154)

Chester Creek Cafe
Times sure have changed for environmentally aware chefs. "I am 61 and was a hippie farmer in the early '70s," says chef and cafe co-owner Carla Blumberg, and "that was a very frustrating and disorganized time. Food prices were very low, it was difficult to compete with big stores, and there was no infrastructure. If you wanted to sell your stuff, you either had to have a stand or try to make a deal with a local grocer. The grocers were all about price — 'local' was not a concept. The scene was so alternative that it had no credibility, and nobody was willing to put any money into it."

Nowadays, there are distributors that focus exclusively on farm-to-chef and farm-to-grocery customers. "In Minnesota, we have the Heartland Food Network, an agency that focuses on the middleman problem," she says. Blumberg and her co-owner, Barb Neubert — and staff — support local farmers and promote ecological balance through their food. "It gives us pleasure to be able to help assure that conscientious stewards of the land have adequate income for their labors," she says.

On the menu: Blumberg uses aged regional cow's and goat's milk cheeses in her Cheddar Trio Salad, accompanying those items with fresh pear and a mix of toasted walnuts and pecans, spring greens, and Dijon croutons, with a rhubarb vinaigrette. Whiskey-soy-glazed free-range organic roast chicken is served with black barley zushi and gingered green-top carrots. (1902 E. 8th St., Duluth, MN; 218-724-6811)

Tupelo Honey Cafe
There was only one way for executive chef Brian T. Sonoskus and owner Sharon Schott to guarantee they'd have the freshest organic ingredients at their restaurant. So they did it: They started their own ten-acre farm, Sunshot Organics. "We grow herbal flowers and use them to garnish all the entrées," Sonoskus says. "We also grow Brandywine tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs for our salads, as well as berries."

They aim to provide as much food for the business as possible, supplementing with items from other local producers and businesses. Whenever possible, they buy organic and support local farmers, artisans, and businesses. "We serve all organic free-range chicken and eggs, " Sonoskus and Schott explain. A local bakery supplies the bread, and nearby breweries deliver their best beers. The brews change by season: Dogfish Head's Aprihop is supplied during the spring months, and beers from Highland and other local brewers are also integrated into the menu. The final local touch: Artists from the community hang artwork and photographs in the café. (12 College St., Asheville, NC; 828-255-4404)

Poppy Hill Tuscan Cafe
It doesn't get any more mutually beneficial than this: Co-owner and chef Scott Mahar works hand in hand with nearby farmer Jane Van Zalhah at Friendly Cottage Farms to decide what's planted and how it's nurtured. "All of the ingredients are chemical-free and all-natural," says Mahar. "The bottom line is that we're putting stuff into people's bodies, and we have an inherent responsibility to feed guests well from a health and flavor perspective."

Serving local fare also gives chefs more control over their ingredients: "Why should I buy my eggs from Lincoln, Nebraska," he wonders, "when I can buy great-quality eggs from someone just up the road from my restaurant? It may cost a bit more, but we know where the eggs came from, what the farmers were feeding their chickens, and we support our local economy to boot."

This year he's experimenting with some different ingredients for Poppy Hill: several new varieties of heirloom tomatoes, zucchini blossoms, summer squash, and beets, as well as zucchini, arugula, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. (1000 Charles St., Fredericksburg, VA; 540-373-2035)

Trellis
Time is literally of the essence at executive chef Brian Scheehser's Trellis restaurant. One of the specialty items on his menu is the Two-Hour Salad — the ingredients are harvested less than two hours before hitting the plate. Scheehser can manage this feat because he plants his own three-acre garden with a seasonal menu in mind.

"I got into sustainable farming because I wanted better control over the ingredients I use in cooking," he explains. "I wanted to be able to handpick my produce to assure I was getting the best vegetables and fruits for my dishes. I've gotten very comfortable out there, and I love getting my hands into the soil. It's exciting to try new techniques and plant different types of seeds. It also works out better in the cost department."

Scheehser pairs the produce he grows with meat, fish, and fowl from local artisan producers, and the seasonality is stressed on his menu—for example, the restaurant doesn't guarantee ahead of time exactly which ingredients will be served. A variety of Washington wines, such as Woodward Canyon Nelms Road Cabernet and Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Riesling, also feature prominently among the offerings. (220 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, WA; 425-284-5900)

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