Last night we ate at my friend Vinnie Dotolo and Jon Shook's new restaurant on Fairfax: ANIMAL. While I think my meal was one of the best in my life, Scott swears it was the finest to ever grace his palate - PERIOD. Great ambiance, handsome and talented chefs and a yummy, local menu. We returned today to interview Vinnie about where their food comes from and why it is so important to buy locally.
They go to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica once or twice a week and place their orders ahead of time to insure they get the best picks. Apparently, Wednesdays at the market are a haven for chefs across LA and they try to get their orders in early to beat the crowds. All herbs, garlic and produce come right from southern California. You can taste it too! Such a fresh, aromatic meal and its succulence, I believe was derived mainly from the ingredients that were so recently harvested that they maintained all of their original flavor.
We like to ask everyone what their definition of "local" is and Vinnie's was unique to a chef's perspective - "anything from the US". It turns out that so much meat and fish comes from outside of the country that chefs are often forced to buy them from such a distance to make their clientele happy. Vinnie supports the local food movement and buys only sustainable, antibiotic-free meats as well, though they may have to come from outside California. It is amazing to get all of the different sides of the spectrum. Vin is as caring and conscientious about the food that he creates for his patrons as he is well-educated about the sources of the food he brings in his kitchen. Refreshing to meet someone so attached to the food he makes!
Later in the afternoon, we headed over to the Santa Monica Co-Opportunity. It is a local grocery store where members and regular consumers can stop by and guarantee that 97% of the products inside are organic. While their emphasis is on organic over local, being in California, there are many local farmers to choose from and they have created a huge selection because of that. Labeling many of the fruits and veggies with stories about the farmers and the farms from which the produce came, the Co-op allows the consumer to be very connected to the food they buy. Unlike a farmer's market, the Co-op is open all hours of the day, 7 days a week. Bruce, the general manager started out there over 20 years ago as a regular shift worker. It's easy to see why he became to so dedicated to a store that dedicates itself to feeding the community fresh, local, organic goodness!
They go to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica once or twice a week and place their orders ahead of time to insure they get the best picks. Apparently, Wednesdays at the market are a haven for chefs across LA and they try to get their orders in early to beat the crowds. All herbs, garlic and produce come right from southern California. You can taste it too! Such a fresh, aromatic meal and its succulence, I believe was derived mainly from the ingredients that were so recently harvested that they maintained all of their original flavor.
We like to ask everyone what their definition of "local" is and Vinnie's was unique to a chef's perspective - "anything from the US". It turns out that so much meat and fish comes from outside of the country that chefs are often forced to buy them from such a distance to make their clientele happy. Vinnie supports the local food movement and buys only sustainable, antibiotic-free meats as well, though they may have to come from outside California. It is amazing to get all of the different sides of the spectrum. Vin is as caring and conscientious about the food that he creates for his patrons as he is well-educated about the sources of the food he brings in his kitchen. Refreshing to meet someone so attached to the food he makes!
Later in the afternoon, we headed over to the Santa Monica Co-Opportunity. It is a local grocery store where members and regular consumers can stop by and guarantee that 97% of the products inside are organic. While their emphasis is on organic over local, being in California, there are many local farmers to choose from and they have created a huge selection because of that. Labeling many of the fruits and veggies with stories about the farmers and the farms from which the produce came, the Co-op allows the consumer to be very connected to the food they buy. Unlike a farmer's market, the Co-op is open all hours of the day, 7 days a week. Bruce, the general manager started out there over 20 years ago as a regular shift worker. It's easy to see why he became to so dedicated to a store that dedicates itself to feeding the community fresh, local, organic goodness!
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