Going Local

As our resort transitions into a whole new operation, our Culinary team is in for a great ride. With many food trends, you see things happening in the food world that are cool, unique, and yes, of course trendy. The molecular gastronomy, the meals that require dozens of tiny portions, the fads that practically wipe out entire species like Chilean Sea Bass. One of the more recent ones, I don't think is going to fade out or disappear like many of its previous trends. Local ingredients, grown organically, and where the chef has a more intimate knowledge of where his ingredients come from. With many vendors I have dealt with over the years, this is the first time I have ever had them send me photos of the products I intend to buy, as they are growing so delicately on the hillside overlooking the Pacific. This photo was taken 4 weeks ago, and I was delighted to see the beautiful lettuces arrive today. This is the first step in a direction for our resort that I believe is just a brush stroke of a much larger picture.

We have plan to (in the near future) build and aquaponics garden set up on property. When its said and done, and running at its full potential, we will be harvesting hundreds of pounds of produce per week. This is not only as fresh as it gets taking "local ingredients" to a whole new level, but the financial benefit for the hotel and the consumer is dramatic. In addition, the aquaponics will use about 2% of the amount of water a traditional garden or farm would use. Better yet, a Tilapia farm will be produce the food for the plants, which in turn filter the water for the fish. We will have some of the best, cleanest tasting tilapia you can find, literally in our back yard.

Though it is not yet reality, I am confident that it soon will be. This is a bold statement, not just a trend. This one is here to stay, whether its supporting the local farmers, growing your own or just being picky about the quality of produce you serve, everyone is going local.