Eating Out

This week, perhaps through my inability to cook, I've ventured to seek out restaurants in my area.  I've eaten at several different places, most of which I have frequented in the past.

The first, was a Chinese food restaurant around the corner from my house.  It has your basic Chinese-American entrees but at Unique Food, they pride themselves on preparing healthier food.  The paper place-mats had the Chinese Zodiac printed in color. The paper napkins had a small, colored piece of paper neatly wrapped around it.  My chopsticks were disposable bamboo in a paper wrapper.  After our meal, I politely asked where the meat and produce come from, and the owner advised me that their food is delivered from a distribution company. They did not believe their food to be local.  They have a rather large poultry and pork selection, but it would be interesting to see what would happen to their business if they utilized the poultry shop only blocks away.

The second restaurant, one which my friends and I tend to drive to, is a diner-style deli.  They do have a bakery and sell their own bread.  However, it appears that most of their food comes in generic containers from lord knows where.  The employees at this establishment don't know where the food comes from, but this restaurant has been around for many decades.  I don't doubt that it had once used local resources, but cost would no doubt drive them to use cheaper food sources.

The third restaurant, is literally around the corner from my house, on the corner in fact.  They don't sell any local wines.  Their food is amazing, rich, and cholesterol-inducing, but surprisingly much of their produce is not local and neither are the meats.

After eating out this week, in my search for local food, I was sadly disappointed that the local restaurants aren't utilizing the seafood market or poultry market in the neighborhood.  I think this could be a great way of promoting community. And, yes, I am still awake.