Café Chatter
Locally Grown
Neighborhood
restaurants are more
creative and delicious
than ever—and easy
on the environment
BY LIZ JOHNSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN VOTE
People often ask me for restaurant
recommendations—until recently,
mostly for places for occasion dining:
birthdays, anniversaries, visiting in-laws,
that sort of thing. But the other day, I got
a di erent request.
“We’re in the theater district,” my
friend said. “Where can we get something
good to eat? Nothing fancy,” she clarified.
“Just good food.”
I thought for a moment.
“Don’t you hate when people do this?”
she laughed.
On the contrary. I love helping someone find a great meal at a great price. And
lately, coming up with a neighborhood
restaurant to recommend—one that has
a creative menu, serves delicious food
and doesn’t break the bank—has been
getting easier than ever.
Sure, everyone’s been talking about
eating local and going green, and that’s
admirable. So, to me, it defeats the purpose of “eating local” if you’re driving two
hours to dine at the fancypants restaurant
just because it procures its butter from
the dairy down the road.
What about the pub in your own town?
Mine—the Olde Village Inne, or OVI, in
Nyack, N. Y.—buys its beer from a local
craft brewer, and the bar snacks, especially the wings, are made with care. But
