Earlier this week, we had a dinner with some friends at Foragers City Table, a recently opened restaurant-within-a-market emphasizing on fresh, local fare. Over the past few years, more and more farm-to-table restaurants have been entering the culinary scene in NYC. I love seeing this trend, as I believe it is important for restaurants to emphasize eating locally grown food not only because it tastes better but because it healthier for us to eat and it’s environmentally friendly too. I try to eat food that is in season as often as possible because I know that the food choices I make directly impacts my health. 

What was unique about Foragers is that the restaurant is actually connected to a market. So I decide to check it out before our dinner to see what they had to offer. Here were some of my favorite items:

Pickled veggies

local, vegan and gluten free ice cream -- they even had a brand that only uses milk from grass-fed cows.

Lots of local and organic produce

Once I finished paroozing around the market, I met Jes at the bar for a cocktail infused with fresh ingredients.

I decided on a Cucumber Gimlet, made with local vodka and fresh cucumber muddled to perfection!

They also have a pretty extensive wine list -- mostly from local vineyards. 

And, as you can see below, every ingredient they use is locally sourced! The majority of the farms, where the food has been "foraged" are within a 100-mile radius from NYC! It doesn’t get any fresher than that and what a great way to support our local economy! 

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures of our meals (there were a few people at the dinner that I was meeting for the first time and I thought it might be strange if I took a picture of what they were eating... oh and everything is family style!) but here are a few of my recommendations:

fermented tea leaf salad

smoked black cod

baby bok choy

mushrooms baked in packets

Overall, I was impressed with the meal, the market was smaller than I expected but they do have a lot to offer -- coffee bar, grab & go sandwiches, a butcher's counter and prepared foods. If you live in the neighborhood, it is definitely worth checking out. I really wish it was closer to me, because it would be so nice to get fresh local produce any day of the week. 

Foragers City Grocer
300 West 22nd St, NYC

What are your thoughts on the locavore trend? Would love to hear from you! 

That’s all the dish I have for now! XO