The Truth and Love about The Market Restaurant

We asked every restaurant in Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery to complete a survey detailing their passions, processes and philosophy. Discover more of our restaurants’ stories in their own words.

• WHO: Nico & Amelia Monday, chef/owners
• WHAT: A seasonal restaurant with a daily-changing menu based on the best produce from local farms & fishermen
• WHERE: 33 River Road, Gloucester, MA 01930, USA

There are many different ways to practice sustainability and integrity in hospitality. Give us some examples of an action or principle that is important to you.

Locality: “We are super-passionate about fostering a strong sense of community here. Our staff, friends, and family often stop by with gorgeous produce they may have a surplus of from their home gardens. It’s such a pleasure when we can feature a friend’s gift on the menu, whether it’s foraged purslane, an abundant harvest of peaches, or an heirloom vegetable that someone is growing for the first time. We love the work that our florist, Christa, puts into creating gorgeous floral arrangements each week. She works with a local flower farm, Aster B., as well as responsibly foraging for wildflowers. It’s so much fun to see what she brings in each week, knowing that the flowers are grown locally without the use of pesticides, bringing beauty and joy to our community, while also supporting a local bee population!”

Sustainability: “We are excited to participate in the Mass Oyster Project! This is a volunteer-run organization that partners with restaurants and events to recycle oyster shells, in an effort to build oyster beds along the Massachusetts shoreline. These beds can filter fifty gallons of water each day, immensely improving water quality; create habitat for future oyster populations; protect the shoreline from hurricane damage; and help reduce ocean acidification. We also feature a lot of local shellfish on our menu: clams, lobster, mussels, and oysters have a prominent place in our cuisine. We support small fisheries that harvest responsibly. American fisheries are already highly regulated to ensure long-term sustainability, however, we put in great effort to partner with fishermen who are doing things the right way.

“Gloucester was founded as a fishing village, and while that heritage has been threatened from years of over-fishing and mis-regulation, a lot of work has gone into fostering a sustainable fishery in Cape Ann and the greater Northeast. It’s important to us to support these local fishermen who put their lives on the line to keep small fisheries going. The USA imports over eighty percent of the seafood that Americans eat, and much of that is not harvested sustainably (in regards to environmental and human health, as well as labor practices). We want to see our fishing community thrive for generations to come, and thus are passionate about partnering with local fishermen.”

Environmental impact: “We cook dinner for our staff at the end of every night, and take a lot of pride in creating beautiful meals that nourish, while also reducing food waste. We also encourage our staff to take any leftovers home, and foster a sense of curiosity about repurposing ingredients. Perhaps that salted haddock could be the beautiful beginning of an early summer chowder, or those chickpeas could be perfect with a little leftover greens and a poached egg. While we compost at the restaurant, thinking like this helps our staff engage in the joy of nourishing themselves, while reducing the restaurant’s – and their own – food waste at home. It comes full circle in truly appreciating every step it took to bring that food to a guest’s plate.”

Other initiatives: “Much of our staff, and our general restaurant community, are passionate about foraging and wild food. It’s a great way to tap into a greater sense of time and place, and really gives us a feeling of context of the history of New England. We like to think about how previous generations nourished themselves, and this gives us a really enjoyable way to frame that conversation. There is so much sense of place and person in what we do here. Just being on the deck of the restaurant and breathing in the salty, fresh air, you can’t help but be inspired by the time and place. It’s a space where you can see the seasons change and feel the energy shift throughout the year.”

To read more about The Market Restaurant, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here