Departments

Area Restaurants Embrace Farm-To-Table

For most of history, foraging for food has been a staple in our diets. From prehistoric times to now, it has evolved from gathering for oneself to farming, with the food industry’s mass production now in the mix.

Restaurants and chefs are bypassing those traditional distribution processes for direct connection to local land (foraging) and local farms.

The farm-to-table movement allows consumers the opportunity to eat healthier and connect with their food and its growers, promotes sustainability and supports the local economy.

It’s a philosophy many chefs in the Fox Cities believe in. They’re embracing the movement and supporting area producers, while offering guests fresh, delicious eats.

Green Fountain Inn

Salvatore Friedel, Executive Chef

“The menu is ever changing. Our lunch menu has a few staples including a local Wagyu beef burger, but there are changes every day,” Friedel says. “The weekend dinner menu also changes every week. I am often inspired by the foods that I am hungry for and what I know will sell, but mostly our menus begin with what’s in season and what’s available from local farmers.”

How are you bringing “farm to table” to life? “I use over 20 local farmers and ingredient artisans. In house right now, I have:

• Living Lettuce from Produce Point Farm
• Whole chickens from Heier Farms
• Ground Wagyu beef from Drath Farms
• Red Wattle Pork from Schultz’s Green Acres
• Lamb from Sustainable Dreamer Farms
• Eggs from Turners Produce Market
• Garlic from Morgan Family Farm
• Honey from Dancing Bear Apiary
• Squash, onions and potatoes from Purslane Farms
• Beer from Central Waters
• Butter from Star Dairy
• Microgreens from In Bloom Microgreens

“There are so many fruits and vegetables and other meats that I bring in from local Farms during the season. There are also many more farmers that I start to purchase from once their season starts. Spring is really exciting because I forage. So I will be out harvesting wild leaks, which are called ramps, two different kinds of morel  mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, chicken of the woods mushrooms, and wild strawberries.”

Green Fountain Inn’s menu boats the following that use the above farms: “Chicken Consommé with Gently Cooked Mirepoix,” “Red Wattle Pork Spare-Ribs with Black Ketchup,” “Living Lettuce Salaf with Honey Vinaigrette,” “Confit Red Wattle Pork Belly” (Thursday Ramen), “Drath Farms Wagyu Beef Burger,” “Row 7 Butternut Squash Bisque.”

Green Fountain Inn’s foraging philosophy: Our living lettuce salad is something that is very special for us. It is grown hydroponically by Produce Point Farm in Stevens Point. The lettuce is delivered to us with the roots intact, in its living state. We keep it alive in the basement and don’t tear the roots off the lettuce until right before we make your salad. (No matter how busy we are.) one of the owners of the farm. Forrest is a good friend of mine, and he has done a lot to help me work with other farmers and food producers. He cares just as much about other farmers as he does his own farm.

I started foraging in 2012 when I found Chantrelles  on my mother‘s land. Since then it has become a love and obsession of mine. I forage for all of the mushrooms that we use in the restaurant from May to November and I am legally certified to do so. I pick around 40 different kinds of mushrooms and serve 10 to 20 different varieties in the restaurant. it was a very bountiful mushroom season last year and I picked and processed enough hen of the woods mushrooms to be able to make mushroom broth for Thursday night Ramen until next season.”

Why use local produce? The number one reason why most chefs purchase food locally is because smaller producers are going to take better care of the ingredients they produce. Local foods will be healthier and tastier, and when we purchase locally, we are choosing to Love Our Neighbor.

I don’t have to preach about the number of preservatives and harmful chemicals that play part in the processed foods we see at our supermarkets. If we all purchase more foods locally, local farmers will be able to grow more foods. But we have to be proactive and vigilant in purchasing local.

Fun fact: My dream restaurant would be one that only serves local foods. And I would call it a salt and pepper restaurant. Meaning that the only ingredients we use to cook and serve food to our customers that aren’t local are salt and pepper. We actually do a few of these menus in late July and early August.

Carmella’s an Italian Bistro

Nicole DeFranza, Co-Owner with sister, Kristen Walzer

“Carmella’s menu directly reflects the food we grew up eating in my Grandmother Carmella’s kitchen. The food is the same food she learned to make from her Mother and the same food she taught our Father to cook. The marinara is our family recipe and all the dishes are family creations that our chefs have perfected and continue to bring to life each day for our guests. We do have some entrees that change with the seasons and help highlight the incredible talents of our chefs as well as the bounty of local delights available to us here in Wisconsin.”

How are you bringing “farm to table” to life? We use many local farms and artisan makers to bring our menu to life! Most are listed on the menu and if they are specials we talk about that in the presentation of the special to the table. It is very important to us that we give proper credit the people responsible for helping provide the amazing and fresh ingredients we use in our dishes. The following farms and makers are always used:

• Micros and edible flowers from New Community Farm
• Organic chicken and duck eggs from Kellner Back Acre Garden
• Heritage pork from Two Bear Farm,
• Sausage and meat processing from Haen Meats
• Italian rounds (Crusty Italian bread) from Breadsmith
• Lamb from Givens Farm
• Sourdough from Thunderbird Bakery
• Various Italian cheeses from BelGioioso Cheese
• Various Italian cheeses from Grande Cheese
• Menu item “Build Your Own Meat and Cheese Plate” artisan products from WI Artisan Cheesemakers

“In spring and summer we buy local produce whenever possible. We also have a beautifully curated wine list and

although we do not source wine locally, we do spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about and trying the wines we put on our list. Most are grown organically or biodynamically on small family farms throughout Europe, especially focusing on Italian wines. As well, we like to bring in beer when possible that is from the Midwest and often from our very own Appleton breweries, like McFleshmans. The above locally sourced ingredients are incorporated into almost all of our dishes in some way.

“We feel this is important because it supports our local community and economy in helping to keep our passionate people doing what they’re doing. It also lends to creating a sense of community. I know in my own life, shopping small and local is important, so we want to help bring this opportunity to our guests both by remaining a small, family owned restaurant and by incorporating these superior local ingredients into our dishes.  I do believe that more and more people are placing importance on supporting our community in this way and I love to see that. I think it is one of the reasons our guests love coming to Carmella’s, as well as many other independently owned incredible restaurants in the Valley.”

Stone Arch Brewpub and Stone Arch Tied House

Executive Chef/General Manager Benjamin Harper

“I would describe each restaurant as a Brewpub with a flare. Meaning we take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. using as many local and environmentally friendly products as possible.

How are you bringing “farm to table” to life?

• Steaks and pork from Meadow Farms
• Microgreens from Foxtail Produce
• Seasonal vegetable selections from Produce with a Purpose
• Seasonal produce from SLO Farms
• Seasonal produce from Parkridge Organics
• Meat and poultry products from Melotte Distributing
• Stone Arch cheese curds from Waters Edge
• Dessert and bread products from Manderfield’s Bakery
• Brats and select meat products from Jacobs Meat Market
• Wild game products from Primal Eats

“As we move into spring we plan to add a couple more local suppliers: Mill City Farms Oyster Mushrooms and possible button mushrooms, one of our Brewery staff also does micro greens and we plan on building him a spot down stairs in our dining room to produce fresh microgreens.

To address the importance of sourcing local: It’s all about community. Feeding people is only part of the equation for us. When we source locally, we’re supporting other small businesses like our own. And what better way to better know the food we’re serving than by being able to call the farmers who grow, harvest and butcher the items we serve? I would note, too, that even our beer is locally sourced, with our malt being provided by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Additionally, our spent grain is sent to a local cattle farmer to be used as feed.”

What you should know: The more local your source, the better you feel a lot of local farms including all of the ones we use pride themselves on using as little intervention as possible which means less chemicals in your food. Throughout the year a lot of farms also allow tours of their farms so you can see first hand where your food comes from and how it is handled. Nowadays you hear in the news all the recalls and different diseases coming from things like produce. All of our farms are diligent in making sure their food is happy, healthy, GMO free, and as close to the way nature intended it to be.”