More and more restaurants are featuring local ingredients on their menus to appeal to the current market. However, there is not always consensus on what “local” actually means. Consumers can have expectations of local being within a 100-mile radius, but the 2008 Farm Act defines the total distance that a product can be transported and still be eligible for marketing as a “locally or regionally produced agricultural food product” as less than 400 miles from its origin, or the State in which it is produced.
Definitions of “local” may vary, but most people will agree, the closer the source, the better the food. Some benefits of sourcing products locally include; targeting an audience that demands fresh food, supporting the local economy, helping the environment, allowing for culinary creativity with a rotating seasonal menu, and providing an overall tastier product that customers will love. Our coastal state of California allows for many restaurants to obtain local and sustainable seafood for their menus. A large number of establishments are even growing some of their own ingredients or buying them from local farmers. When planning a menu, consider buying local.
Dive into this magazine, which features these admirable restaurants and their chefs:
Chef Richard Mendoza, Executive Chef of Mission Inn (Recipe Included)
Chef Amy Lebrun, Executive Chef of Lido Bottle Works – Newport Beach (Recipe Included)
Chef Michael Poopman, Executive Chef of Coronado Island Marriott Resort – San Diego
Heath Bumgardner, VP Operations of King’s Fish House – Various Locations (Recipe Included)
Chef Kevin Cahalan, Executive Chef of Mount Palomar Winery – Temecula Valley
James & Michelle Jessen, Owners of Tazzaria – Visalia (Recipe Included)
Steven Delgado, Executive Chef of 17th Street Grill – Tustin
Benjamin Carpenter, Beverage Director of Balboa Bay Resort – Newport Beach
