Eat Locally while Dining Out

August 13th, 2009 at 11:37am Lenae Weichel

Last night, I snuck out to see a late showing of Julie & Julia, looking for inspiration from the French chef and her unlikely protégé. The irony of the blog-related storyline didn’t immediately occur to me but it struck me soon enough after the film began. I enjoyed watching the two women’s discoveries of the joys and pains of good food play out on the big screen (and I especially enjoyed the insight into the life of Julia Child).

Film critique aside, I did observe some local food happenings in the movie, especially in the scenes where Julia Child was shopping for food in the markets of Paris. You not only see her selecting the fresh ingredients but interacting with the shopkeepers and market vendors. She got to know the people and their families as well as the foods they sold. And she probably got to know the food better because of her relationship with those from whom she bought it.

I know you’ve read before in this column about the benefits of shopping locally (getting to know those who grow your food, keeping your money in your community, enjoying fresher and healthier foods) but what about encouraging your favorite eateries (for the same reasons) to buy locally as well? Asking your server (or better yet, the chef or manager) if the restaurant has sourced any ingredients locally is a great start to reminding restaurateurs that there are many of us who do care about such things. You see, procuring and preparing local foods may take a bit more effort on the part of restaurants but they could easily feature a dish or two with local ingredients as a noted menu item or special of the day. Let your favorite restaurant know that you value local foods, even when eating out. Chefs and others who purchase food for commercial operations can utilize the information resources of the local University of Illinois Extension Office, which can connect them with farmers and producers in the area.

Another way to eat locally when eating out is to treat yourself to a meal in the series of local foods dinners organized by the Winnebago County Local Foods Workgroup. The fourth in the series of eight was last Thursday night at Brio and it was fantastic. We were treated to a five-course meal that was well-conceived, well-prepared, well-presented, and well… just delightful. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience a local dinner yet this season. The next dinner is August 20^th at Severson Dells, catered by Toni’s of Winnebago. Find more information on the U of I - Winnebago County Extension website.

With a little planning (and encouragement), we can spend our food dollars on great food that contributes something to our community. With any luck, we’ll enjoy it half as much as Julia Child, even if we haven’t mastered her art of French cooking.

Entry Filed under: Eat locally