Cosecha

• WHO: Dominica Rice-Cisneros, chef/owner
• WHAT: Fresh Californian Mexican food prepared from scratch every day in Downtown Oakland
• WHERE: 907 Washington Street, Oakland, California, USA

“I try to source everything I can from Californian farms and organic farms, especially ones that are young, new and starting out. There are more women-owned and immigrant-owned farms that make me excited and motivated to continue this work. I try to put my money where my mouth is, and since I am a small business myself who asks people to support me, I have to turn around and do the same for them. I am not just trying to make food, I am here building a community for my family, my daughter, and our staff.

“One of our favourite producers is Swanton Berry Farm for fresh produce such as berries and broccoli. They have a rich history and pushed forward with the organic movement, and so we go out of our way to show support for farmers like them. We source our sustainable seafood through the Monterey Fish Market. We purchase wild shrimp from them that isn’t farmed and that doesn’t use antibiotics. They are small enough to provide individualized service, and they buy directly from local boats and producers nationwide to sell the best quality seafood."

To read more about Cosecha, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

The Way Back

• WHO: Kade Gianinetti, Jared Schwartz & Chad George, owners
• WHAT: Neighbourhood restaurant serving seasonal, sustainably-sourced comfort food
• WHERE: 3963 Tennyson Street, Denver, Colorado, USA

“The Way Back started as a passion project, created by community-focused Denverites that wanted to change the way we think about our food systems. We focused on sourcing our ingredients locally, supporting craft industries, and building a community around responsible food. We’re proud nerds about finding the best of these local farmers, foragers, and purveyors, and creating a constantly changing menu focused around seasonal availability, responsible husbandry, and organic, perennial agriculture.

“We try to give our restaurant family the opportunity to invest in the idea of ‘local’ to show the sense of community that lives in the farmer/producer-to-restaurant relationship – a relationship of understanding that we are all in this together. Local is not only about the food or products that are being made close to us, but the relationships and people you support from activating your local marketplace.”

To read more about The Way Back, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

The Way Back (Denver, Colorado, USA)

Black Dirt

• WHO: Jonathan Justus, executive chef/co-owner
• WHAT: Kansas City farm-to-table, nose-to-tail, & vegetable-heavy to citywide acclaim
• WHERE: 5070 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

“At Black Dirt, everything we have done has been about sustainability. I am extremely conscientious about what goes into our trash. I am very aware of the disrespect to an animal’s life if we let it go bad, overcook it, don’t bring it to fruition or use the whole animal.

“Our entire menu is ‘small farm’. I know that there are restaurants now that grow everything that they serve, however I don’t have the resources or the temperate climate to be able to do that where we are. When we try to do sustainability there is no economic payoff at the end – we do it because it’s right.

“I’ve been trying to convince farmers to band together and get restaurants to help put up seed money to form a warehousing co-op with centralized distribution. Instead of twenty local farm-to-table farmers going to twenty local restaurants every week, they could all go to the warehouse and one truck could go out and make the twenty restaurant stops. This would turn four hundred trips a week into forty meaning savings and efficiency, along with the reduction of carbon footprint.”

To read more about Black Dirt, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Jonathan Justus, executive chef & co-owner, Black Dirt (Kansas City, Missouri, USA)

The Pritchard

• WHO: Shelby Sieg, executive chef
• WHAT: Neighbourhood restaurant offering contemporary tapas-style food
• WHERE: 1749 NW 16th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

“We are a neighbourhood café and bar with a commitment to locally sourced, fresh, and simple foods. We rotate plates through our menu every few weeks to make sure that we are using the best produce currently in season.

“We work with a local farmer at Prairie Earth Gardens to source many ingredients, in addition to several other small, local farms. Over sixty per cent of our menu is, or can be, vegetarian or vegan with only a little over ten per cent of the menu including red meat. This is a big accomplishment for a restaurant operating in the heart of cattle country where steakhouses reign supreme.

“The Pritchard highlights our local purveyors to our guests in order to make them aware of the amazing local farmers and producers that are in our community. We also do many workshops and guest education events working with our local producers whenever possible.”

To read more about The Pritchard, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

The Pritchard (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA)

Arepa Mia

• WHO: Lis Hernandez, founder/chef/owner
• WHAT: Traditional Venezuelan cuisine in Southern surroundings
• WHERE: 10 North Clarendon Avenue, Suite A, Avondale Estates, DeKalb, Georgia, USA

"At Arepa Mia we only buy in small quantities on a weekly basis in order to not make extra waste. To this end, we actually have almost zero waste at our restaurants. We recycle all cardboard and plastic and take the time to gather this to the local recycling centre.

“Our pork comes from Riverview Farms who don’t overreach the capacity of their pastures, fields and forest and never use artificial or toxic means to force their land or their animals to yield more. Their farming techniques exceed organic standards and go back to a time when farming did not depend on outside, artificial support. Our chicken comes from Bell & Evans farms where chickens are raised humanely under the highest standards in the industry. White Oak Pastures has a grassfed pastured program and they gave up feeding grain, hormone implants, and antibiotics in raising their cattle.

“When it comes to my restaurants, I'm most passionate about my cooking, doing it with fresh ingredients and having a friendly atmosphere.”

To read more about Arepa Mia, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Arepa Mia (DeKalb, Georgia, USA)

Catalpa

• WHO: Liz Huff Kennon, chef/owner
• WHAT: A fine dining restaurant in the village of Arrow Rock, located on the bank of the Missouri River
• WHERE: 510 High Street, Arrow Rock, Saline, Missouri, USA

“Catalpa is a small fine dining restaurant located in a little red brick house in Arrow Rock, Missouri – a village of just fifty-six people on the Missouri River at the very beginning of the Santa Fe Trail. We pride ourselves on creating lasting memories for our customers through our food, service and fun, laidback atmosphere and attitude.

“We use local produce and meats whenever possible and partner directly with local organic farmers and producers to get what comes out of the ground the same day it is picked – and from the pasture within two days. There is a fifty gallon rain barrel at the rear of the restaurant that triples as a composter and herb garden where we harvest over twenty varieties of herbs for the kitchen.

“Catalpa serves only sustainable fish and shellfish and we often use fresh apples, pears, nuts and wild blackberries from our neighbours who graciously contribute. I also seasonally pick watercress from the freshwater spring a few streets away from the restaurant. We make everything we serve – including ice creams, sorbets, frozen custards, pastries and crackers for the salads. We start from raw ingredients and avoid all processed foods.”

To read more about Catalpa, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Catalpa (Arrow Rock, Missouri, USA)

Field & Main

• WHO: Neal & Star Wavra, owners
• WHAT: Farm-to-table dining over an open flame
• WHERE: 8369 W. Main Street, Marshall, Frauquier, Virginia, USA

“A key feature of our menu is a ten-foot wide hearth where dishes are prepared over live fire. This method of cookery provides primal, satisfying cuisine that supports our mission of being comfortable and refined.

“When possible, much of our vegetable offerings come from a few local growers. We write menus based on what is available from them, not the other way around and our menu changes with the availability of premium, healthy, just-picked produce. We source meats and poultry from local sources who care for the animals humanely and provide a healthier product. Our menu offers composed dishes as well as à la carte, which afford guests with options when following specific diets.

“Community is central to our mission from building and supporting a community of team members that create the culture of our restaurant to a network of farmers and artisans that not only supply our restaurant, but also eat in it. We also seek to enrich our dining community through our club called Hestia Guild. This club offers patrons an opportunity to learn more about our food and drink through educational experiences, meet other like-minded diners and help support our local food bank in the process."

Upcoming Field & Main event:

On September 12th is Butter & Corn. This evening will celebrate Chardonnay and corn! Of the great wine and food matches, Chardonnay and corn is one of the best. Some may rival, but none surpass. Dinner will feature various preparations of corn matched with different Chardonnays from around the world. Find out more and reserve your table here.

To read more about Field & Main, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Field & Main (Marshall, Frauquier County, Virginia, USA)