OCR Text |
Show FROM THE FARM, NOT THE FACTORY S alt Lake City is an awesome town to live in if you're a culinary connoisseur. There is a wide diversity of delicious dining options available to suit the preferences of even the pickiest palates. However, having worked in the restaurant business for a few years, I have come to realize that even some of the most delectable, aesthetically beautiful dishes can be little more than glorified TV dinners. "Prepared fresh" too often equates to "reheated." Food that doesn't come frozen has to be pumped full of preservatives in order to survive long spans of time stagnating in warehouses and riding on trucks in shipment containers. Most restaurants funnel food in from the cheapest suppliers, while funneling money out of the local economy. Fortunately, there are a few radical restaurants in SLC that are breaking free from the bonds of modern industrial agriculture and invigorating a movement towards fresh, locally or regionally produced foods. Sage's Cafe and Pago are pioneering this refreshing paradigm shift. Pago, located right next to 9th and 9th, is a chic, intimate setting. The open kitchen is situated adjacent to the main dining area, placing the chefs on center stage at all times. In most restaurants, you don't want to see what your food looks like before it's prepared, but not at Pago. They practice a farm to table approach to the dining experience. This means that a vast majority of the food served at Pago comes fresh from a farm or garden.The owner, Scott Evans, grows cannellinis, carrots and peppers in his very own garden in Sugarhouse. His personal supply of fresh veggies is supplemented with produce from community-supported agriculture programs, such as Wasatch Community Gardens. More is purchased from the local, organic Frogbench Farm. When it isn't possible to procure food locally, Pago looks to the closest available and sustainable sources. For instance, they buy goat's milk cheese from a farmer in Caineville, Utah, and their mouth-watering selection of grass fed meat comes from artisan farms in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The one food that they have struggled to procure locally or regionally is, unsurprisingly, fresh fish. However, Pago does their due diligence to ensure that all of their seafood is purchased from sustainably farmed sources. Pago's success is predicated upon Evans' love for the SLC community. Evans is a rare breed of entrepreneurs who possess a true sense of social responsibility. Over the past five years that Pago has been open, they haven't just bought local foods, they've forged strong relationships, and cemented themselves as an integral component of the community. In carefully crafting his business to be locally-dependent, Evans has created a kind of safety net for a flock of local farmers and a springboard for like-minded entrepreneurs. Take Pago's sommelier, Evan Lewandowski, for instance. Lewandowski was making homemade wine as a hobby until Evans compelled him to put it on Pago's menu. Now, Lewandowski's wine sells out faster than he can make it, and he's making a name for himself in SLC's wine connoisseur circles. Before founding Pago, Evans worked for a visionary in the local food movement by the name of Ian Brandt. Brandt is the proud owner of a trifecta of tantalizing establishments: Sage's Cage, the Vertical Diner and Cali's Natural Foods. Brandt began his career in 1998, after graduating from the U. His first restaurant was a cart located on campus that eventually evolved into Sage's Cafe. Sage's Cafe, now located at 234 W 900 S, is the poster child for a sustainable, community-oriented vegetarian restaurant. Brandt also grows local produce for his restaurant in his Sugarhouse garden. Additionally, he recently planted a lush, 800-square-foot garden on site at Sage's. Brandt's self-reliance doesn't end there. In Cali's, Brandt has established his own distribution chain, making him totally untethered to the national food trucking industry. That isn't to say that he doesn't buy from outside sources. However, whenever he can, Brandt buys loads of fresh fruits and veggies from local farmers. Buying in bulk allows him to keep a perennial stash of variegated ingredients. He preserves the food that he doesn't use immediately and uses it throughout the year to make pies, jams and a plethora of delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes. The result is a dynamic and creative menu that never fails to pleasantly surprise the patrons of Sage's Cafe. Brandt's vision of sustainable dining goes beyond procuring and preparing the food. He is concerned with sustainable disposal, as well.The grease produced at his restaurants is converted into biofuel and used to power the truck of a Pocatello farmer. Brandt hopes that he will soon be able to convert his own delivery truck to biodiesel. Next time you are hankering for a fresh meal that is as morally palatable as it is flavorful, I encourage you to check out Pago or Sage's Cafe. letters@chronicle.utah.edu IC (.) I? need r re tweets? twi tweet a need more t ee rR ee alt I heanS water ==t spe need more tweets: ew r speak t f `s maltweete altweete ard o need more tweets? twittertattgr tw tweetle ter tertweet twidiot weet tweet speak twitter maltweete twittert tweet a Ii need more tw 157 S. Main Street (801) 359-0192 mckaydiamonds.com itter itter t , e a t (A we /90 tweet r RT M wets t a litt•er e ar•erspea — WORLD MBA TOW Boost your career with an MBA Salt Lake City MBA event Saturday, October 25th UtahState Salt Palace Convention Center Registration opens: 1:30PM Panels and presentations: 2:00-4:00PM Fair opens: 4:00PM *You can attend at any time between 1:30 and 6:00PM University www.usu.edu > Meet top local and international business schools > Apply for $1.7M of exclusive MBA scholarships > Get GMAT advice, MBA application tips and more Register now: TopMBA.com/Utah #QSMBATour HOURS: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM College experience or two years applicable experience required. Associate's degree or equivalent college credit preferred. See http://jobs.usu.edu (Req. ID 054957) for more information and to apply online. EEO Employer/Veterans/Disabled 7•147 letters@ chronicle .utah .edu X;(46 ware etee.si "file anti oeeadielti e tter t s This position is housed at the USU Salt Lake Center and reports directly to the Executive Director. sters.wntedetters ha er eak witter twittertatt Staff Assistant II - Front Desk Reception USU Salt Lake Center 157 S. Main Street (801) 359-0192 mckaydiamonds.com rm < twee -d t i UtahState Universit Yeeme,9714 |