The Real Deal of Sourcing From Local Farms

I really wince when I hear restaurants promote themselves as “farm-to-fork”.  And the seemingly non-stop self-aggrandizement of Sacramento as the so-called “Farm-to-Fork Capital of America” pushes my gag reflex into overdrive.  At Carpe Vino, our crew has always sourced as much locally grown produce as possible, and they do it as a matter of course.  We’re smack dab in the middle of year-round vegetal abundance, and Chef Eric Alexander has taken advantage of our proximity since we launched the restaurant nearly nine years ago.  Indeed, we support local agriculture, but the more you travel around the country or read about the food industry, you’ll understand that there are localvore movements in just about every state.

We walk the walk at Carpe Vino. . .as you can see by reading the email that was sent out yesterday by the Foothill Farmers’ Market promoting a Carpe Vino cooking demonstration tomorrow morning from 10 to 11:30 at the Auburn market.  Our Sous Chef Ben Durham will be previewing a dish from our prix-fixe menu next week, sharing some of his knife skills and cooking tips in the process.  At the same time, Chef Alexander will be on his regular Saturday morning tour, seeking the best of the market.

And, oh yeah, our Pastry Chef Courtney McDonald just happens to also be the General Manager of the Foothill Farmers’ Market Association.  On top of this, Eric and Courtney operate their own farm outside of Auburn, and you only get one chance to guess who their biggest customer is.

You’re invited to the demo, and read below about how to register for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Carpe Vino.  I’ll be there, along with half our staff. . .and we look forward to saying “hello”.

Our Sous Chef Ben Durham drew an SRO crowd last time he did a cooking demo at the Saturday Auburn Farmers' Market. Join us this week when he presents again from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Our Sous Chef Ben Durham drew an SRO crowd last time he did a cooking demo at the Saturday Auburn Farmers’ Market. Join us this week when he presents again from 10 to 11:30 a.m.