I was lucky enough to visit New York over the summer and had no problems finding good places to eat. However, I came across a newly opened Mediterranean restaurant called Organika. It is part of Marcello Assante’s portfolio – a successful restaurateur – with none other than Melissa Muller as Executive Chef (previously of Gallo Nero).
It yielded a fantastic meal which was deliciously cooked by Melissa who, when engaged in conversation, turns out to thoughtfully weigh up the pros and cons of using organically certified ingredients over sustainably sourced food, making an informed decision. But according to her, this sort of thinking is relatively new in New York.
This brought my attention to the difference in attitudes of UK foodie customers and our American counterparts. It seems there is a small selection of sustainable New York restaurants in a city where the average resident neither cooks nor bothers to have a well-stocked fridge. Most of the time, the word being advertised is ORGANIC rather than sustainable. Whether you are eating in London or in a rural UK location, you’re guaranteed that there is a local gastropub with some sort of policy which says that food is sourced from a nearby or UK-based farm. New York is a city driven by eating out – how can we be so far ahead of the average New Yorker when it comes to sustainable eating?
Answers on a postcard please.