An Excuse to Indulge: Local Harvest Restaurant Series Supports Local Farm-to-School Programming!

After winding down from a jam-packed summer of Certified Local Food Events, we are preparing for an exciting new fall event that highlights the Grand Traverse Region, and its enthusiasm for locally grown food!

In collaboration with Cherry Capital Foods, TLD is proud to announce, the first annual, “Local Harvest Restaurant Series! This week-long Certified Local Food Event will take place from September 18th – 24th and feature a variety of restaurants within the Grand Traverse Region.  All participating restaurants will demonstrate their devotion to the local food community by featuring a “Harvest Week Special” menu item that is either 100% locally sourced or a recipe from one of Alice Waters’ cookbooks.

In addition to diverse and delicious food offerings, participating restaurants will donate 10% of their proceeds to be split between Groundwork Center’s Farm-to-School Program and Alice Waters’ non-profit, The Edible Schoolyard Project!

Fifteen of the region’s finest restaurants will participate in the “Local Harvest Restaurant Series.” Among them, new eateries participating include: Ziatun Café and Wren the Butcher, located in State Street Marketplace. They will feature recipes from Chez Panisse Vegetables and Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza, and Calzones. Raduno, a new neighborhood café on Eighth Street that offers house-made pastas, sausages, and salads will feature “Fusilli with greens and sausage,” a recipe from Art of Simple Food. Sugar2Salt, a seasonally driven and locally sourced new breakfast eatery at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, will feature a “Root Vegetable Waffle, poached egg, and ham with hollandaise.”

Screen Shot 2017-09-05 at 11.25.20 PM

To culminate the week-long event, a true champion of the local food movement, and author of multiple best-selling cookbooks, Alice Waters, will be speaking at the National Writers Series on September 24th co-hosted by Chefs Eric Patterson & Jennifer Blakeslee of The Cooks’ House. In the days before her event, Alice intends to partake at a variety of the participating restaurants, so keep your eye out because you may be dining together!

Throughout the week, The Little Fleet will feature a custom “Local Harvest” cocktail menu, also donating 10% of proceeds. Additionally, Fustini’s is proud to support the event with their School of Cooking, offering a variety of classes that week to focus on the use of local products.  

You don’t miss out on all the delicious local food and drink. So, give in to temptation and dine out during Local Harvest Restaurant Series. It’s your chance to support two influential farm-to-school programs, and the perfect excuse to indulge!

Visit www.localdifference.org/localharvest for a full list of participants, and their offerings.

Bailey Samp is the local food coordinator for NW Michigan and the events manager for Taste the Local Difference. Contact her at [email protected]