In Restaurant Trends, What Comes After Farm-to-Table?

When farm to table first came along, it was an innovative way for chefs to enhance a service by highlighting the importance of hand selecting the best ingredients for their restaurants. The idea took the culinary world by storm, in some instances even leading different chefs from the same region to the same vendors. Having a varied stock of ingredients to draw inspiration from can make or break restaurants, and for Matthew Accarrino, the chef at SPQR in San Francisco, the awareness that he and others had the same access to these ingredients as well as having limited access to truly unique ingredients was eye opening.

ITALIAN INSPIRED CUISINE AND WINE

It wasn’t until 2011, that a regular diner of his, Peter Jacobsen, a farmer in Yountville, CA gave him the opportunity to expand his horizons. Frequent trips to Jacobsen’s farm inspired Accarrino’s menu as he got access to otherwise unavailable produce such as crab apple blossoms that could be candied. This also led Mr. Jacobsen to attempt cultivating uncommon items like finger limes and habenada peppers.

This interpretation of farm to table was truly different from the prior practices of only using seasonal items, or using locally grown produce and calling themselves farm to table. In Accarrino’s take, he uses the farm itself, including its own individual novelties to shape what makes it to the table. “It’s been a way to bring greater depth to my food, to establish rhythms and customs that have some sort of meaning,” Mr. Accarrino said of his relationship with the farm. This is also a very sustainable operation because they are using only what the farm can offer in all their stages of growth including the “cover crop” produce from when they add nitrogen to restore the soil. This also eliminates the mundane practice of using only what is commercially available and gives the opportunity to work around the small imperfections of unique vegetables.

This shift was fundamental because the concept takes a completely new meaning from initially only sourcing locally, to becoming the source; however this change did not occur over time. This new age of farm to table was first tried by Dan Barber in 2004, and since he has been cooking food raised around his N.Y. home. Other pioneers in this method include Melissa Kelly, and Joshua Skenes. Taking the proper measure of care in selecting unique ingredients in this way is what farm to table was meant to be about; a far cry from the sea of phonies who overuse the description to the point of it not being believed anywhere any more. Their approach leaves no room for doubt that the ingredients are more than just fresh and sustainably grown; it is special. 

In conclusion, the value of growing your own goes well beyond ensuring truth in advertising, but guarantees a refreshing and unique way to select ingredients. This true practice of farm to table keeps a finger on the pulse of the restaurant’s source and serves to enhance their marketing mix by diversifying their supply of produce, quite literally, from the ground up. Drawing from a new place can as with this case enhance the product or bring new products to restaurant's menus (A.K.A. their product lines).  

Marina Sanchez

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-restaurant-trends-what-comes-after-farm-to-table-1522950591?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=7

Article by  

Elizabeth G. Dunn

Published April 5, 2018 1:49 p.m. ET