The continued movement to serve local food at Boston area restaurants has proved its staying power throughout the years as inquisitive diners have embraced the concept of learning more about where their food originated. From fresh seasonal produce sustainably harvested by a local farmer to nutrient rich milk served from a nearby dairy farm, here’s a look at some of the best farm-to-table restaurants in the Boston area.
Bondir
Photo Credit: Bondir
This small farmhouse restaurant located just outside Kendall Square in the neighborhood area known as The Port made a name for itself with its impressive locally sourced menu (think vegetables picked the same day, fish plucked from the sea just hours prior and pasture-raised meats). The multi-course dinner menu here changes nightly and may include starters like fresh Nettle cheese with melon terrine, lovage and buttermilk granita; and main events such as chicken with charred tomatillo and broccoli. Did we also mention that chef/owner Jason Bond was a 2012 James Beard Foundation Semifinalist?
279A Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139; Website
Puritan & Co.
Photo Credit: Puritan & Company
Another haute farm-to-table find is in Cambridge’s Inman Square where you will discover charcuterie platters filled with chicken liver mousse, grilled pork pate and swordfish pastrami (a must-try). Chef/owner Will Gilson had a head start with the farm-to-table concept growing up on and learning firsthand at his family’s farm, Herb Lyceum, in Groton. Naturally, farm fresh herbs and vegetables are a standout with every dish here like the wild mushroom toast with taleggio, pine nut, garlic scape and fennel; carrot cavatelli with shiitake, peas, thyme and ricotta salata; pork blade steak with mille feuille, peppers, apricot and sherry; and roast chicken with peach panzanella, red onion and baby kale.
1166 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139; Website
Cultivar
Photo Credit: Cultivar
Chef/owner Mary Dumont brings to the table a local and sustainable menu of seasonal fare featuring foraged ingredients, sustainable seafood and dry-aged meats. Many of her vegetables come from the restaurant’s on-site Freight Farm hydroponic garden. A traditional heirloom tomato salad here is dressed up with lemon balm, opal basil, saba and Olio Verde olive oil while a whole roasted chicken is served with with wild mushroom ragout stuffing, Anson Mills blue polenta, fresh snipped herbs and chicken jus.
1 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108; Website
Post 390
Photo Credit: Post 390
This Back Bay haute spot has been focusing its menu on the farm-to-table concept since it opened. Standout dishes here include roasted vegetable ribbon tart with zucchini, summer squash, eggplant and carrots, rustic tomato sauce along with cremini bechamel; roasted and confit organic chicken with lemon and wine braised artichokes, fava beans, pommes puree topped with roasted jus and specialties like Brambly Farms Pig Plate (shown here) of Pig Head Pho with braised cheek, rare skirt steak and a barbecue rib. Keep an eye out for their four-course Farm to Post dinner series that kicks off tomorrow night showcasing Foraged and Wild featuring Feral Boar and Forgotten Fruit.
406 Stuart Street, Boston, MA 02116; Website
Clover Food Labs
Photo Credit: Clover Food Labs
Simply prepared with a vegetarian and vegan menu offering that changes daily and features “ingredients that have just come out of the ground, just been laid by a chicken, or just been picked,” Clover Food Labs has 13 locations throughout the city and continues to expand. From the Financial District to Harvard Square, this fast-food concept churns out delicious Baja mushroom sandwiches, chickpea fritter platters, eggplant sandwiches layered with silky hummus and even a soy BLT that you won’t believe doesn’t include bacon.
160 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110; Website
Haute Cuisine
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