Restaurants Step Up Use of Local, Organic Products
Published Feb 16, 2009
Steamed clams are a popular choice at Bluehour restaurant.
Greg Higgins has been an active organic gardener for decades, and he runs his Portland restaurant pretty much the same way he runs his kitchen at home.
“Whatever is freshest and best out of my garden is what is going onto the plates at my restaurant,” says Higgins, chef and owner of Higgins Restaurant and Bar. “I’ve been in business for 15 years, and my focus has always been to source directly and locally, using as many organic and sustainable products as possible.”
Higgins says his food is driven by the outstanding quality of local agriculture.
“You can’t find healthier, fresher ingredients than on my menu, and I feature seasonal offerings,” he says. “For example, in the fall I will offer dishes such as forest mushrooms, halibut and duck. I always include one-third vegetarian, one-third seafood and one-third meat dishes.”
Higgins adds that his background is French cuisine – not the butter-and-cream French cooking but French country cooking that is found in farmhouses and bistros.
“My customers appreciate nature and respect the lifestyle here in Portland,” he says. “They dine here frequently because of the freshness of the food.”
Fresh and organic also can describe the offerings at other Portland restaurants such as Beast, Bluehour and clarklewis.
Appetizer menu items at Beast include chestnut soup with garden-grown onions, and salads containing organic baby greens and local grapes.
At Bluehour and clarklewis restaurants, owner Bruce Carey believes that any fine restaurant worth its lamb chops will design the menu offerings to reflect the best products available.
“I use local, organic products for several reasons,” says Carey, who also owns the 23Hoyt and saucebox restaurants in Portland. “Local organics tend to be superior, and I have built relationships with the people we buy from. I also want to avoid shipping, because that hampers freshness.”
As for specific dishes, he encourages diners to try the handmade pasta offerings created by Chef Dolan Lane at clarklewis. “The pasta at clarklewis is sublime and peerless, and Chef Dolan simply adds accompaniment and love,” Carey says. “The entire healthy Portland food scene continues to evolve exactly at the right clip, and it always keeps me interested. I am never bored in this city – and always challenged.”
Farmers Markets Galore
As for cooking at home, residents can purchase fresh ingredients at more than 25 farmers markets in the metropolitan area, with perhaps the most visited being the Portland Farmers Market.
It convenes three days a week in four different locations in the city.
The market stocks the usual fruits and vegetables, but also has items such as Swiss chard, kale, cured garlic, parsnips and shiitake mushrooms.
Also on site are meats such as beef, buffalo, lamb and pork, and seafood such as abalone, smoked salmon, rock cod and oysters.
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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