Our Favorite Farm-To-Table Restaurants Across The USA
Farm to Table
Award-winning Chef Alice Waters once said, “Only slow food can teach us the things that really matter – care, beauty, concentration, discernment, sensuality, all the best that humans are capable of, but only if we take the time to think about what we’re eating.”
Knowing what we eat matters – not only for the sake of nourishing our bodies, but as conscious consumers caring for animals and the planet. Farm-to-table dining experiences allow us to learn about the food we eat while engaging with chefs and our community. They also encourage us to slow down and savor every bite – a practice we can implement daily.
So whether for date night, celebration, or to simply indulge in farm-fresh food, here are 14 sustainable, farm-to-table dining experiences across the USA.
Farm Spirit
Cuisine | Multi-course, New American, vegan
Eco & Ethics | An earthy and intimate dining experience, Farm Spirit celebrates Cascadia and the bounty of forest, farm, and field. Guests are welcomed in as a family to sit at the Oregon Ash counter while the chefs create and share the story of each plant-based course. From the artisan wine, handmade pottery, and carved wooden spoons, this restaurant prides itself in sustainability and supporting local makers and farmers. All ingredients are sourced from less than 105 miles away.
Where To Find It | Portland, Oregon
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Juniper in Boise
Cuisine | New American, craft cocktails
Eco & Ethics | At Juniper, it’s all about the ingredients – everything is local, non-GMO, and organic on Chef Aaron Wermerskirchen’s menu. Working closely with local farmers, growers, and purveyors, each dish pays homage to the beauty and simplicity of Idaho. Juniper has also participated in Refugee Restaurant Week – a weeklong event spotlighting refugee chefs as they team up with local restaurants to craft dishes from their home countries.
Where To Find It | Boise, Idaho
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Chez Panisse
Cuisine | Multi-course New American, French
Eco & Ethics | At Chez Panisse, everything is done as it would be at a dinner party in your home; attention to detail, warmth, and generosity are of the utmost importance during the reservation-only coursed meal. This neighborhood bistro, owned and operated by award-winning chef, author, and food activist, Alice Waters, believes the best tasting food is only possible with organic, local, sustainably harvested ingredients. The restaurant also founded The Edible Schoolyard Project, a national edible education curriculum promoting sustainable, delicious, and free lunch for every student.
Where To Find It | Berkley, California
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Malibu Farm
Cuisine | American, café
Eco & Ethics | Founded by private-chef-turned-restaurateur Helene Henderson, the Malibu Farm is as local as it gets. Henderson sources from her home farm, as well as local farmers. Meat and seafood are offered in small, sustainable portions, and ingredients are mostly home grown or from local markets and vendors.
Most admirable about Henderson is her transparency and honesty about where ingredients come from, as well as the daily struggles of small business and sourcing only organic and local. For breathtaking ocean views and fresh fare, visit The Malibu Farm Restaurant or The Malibu Farm Cafe – both are located on the pier.
Where To Find It | Malibu, California
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Quiessence At The Farm
Cuisine | New American, Italian
Eco & Ethics | Taste the flavors of the desert at Chef Dustin Christofolo’s renowned farm-to-table restaurant, located on a 10-acre working farm in Phoenix, Arizona. Enjoy sipping a glass of Arizona wine while indulging in a local, fresh, and house made menu – crafted only to order. Ingredients are sourced from the surrounding farms and gardens for a rustic and surprising simple dining experience.
Where To Find It | Phoenix, Arizona
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Farm & Table
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | Located in Albuquerque’s North Valley, Farm & Table values local ingredients and respect for land and people. Owner Cherie Montoya, a native to Albuquerque, says,“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” It is this deep love and respect that led Montoya to create Farm & Table.
A seasonal menu with local ingredients from the 11-acre farm behind the restaurant, all dishes are created from scratch and reflect the New Mexico growing seasons. Farm & Table also embraces its local community by supporting non-profit organizations, artists, musicians, families, social causes, and more.
Where To Find It | Albuquerque, New Mexico
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24 Carrot Bistro
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | Only 30 miles north of Denver in a historic butcher shop, 24 Carrot Bistro is passionate about sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farms all over Colorado. Founded by Chef Kevin Kidd and General Manager Bianca Retzloff, a native to Northern Colorado, the restaurant has deep roots in the farming community. Seafood is flown in daily, all ingredients are non-GMO, and herbs come from a nearby greenhouse. 24 Carrot Bistro was recently voted 2017 Best of the West by Yellow Scene Magazine and 2016 Best New Restaurant by Boulder Weekly.
Where To Find It | Erie, Colorado
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Odd Duck
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | A brother-owned, farm-to-trailer eatery turned brick and mortar, Odd Duck sits on the gravel lot where the Gilmore brothers’ beloved food truck once lived. A menu inspired by seasonal fare and handcrafted plates, Odd Duck seeks to capture the true craft of sustainable cooking while encouraging relationships between chefs and local farmers. It’s Texas forever fare, but a vegetable-forward menu caters to vegans and meat-lovers alike.
Where To Find It | Austin, Texas
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Juniper in Tulsa
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | Not to be confused with Juniper in Boise, this independently owned, award-winning farm-to-table-restaurant is located in downtown Tulsa. Stunning artwork commissioned by local artists makes for an intimate and fun dining atmosphere, rustic brick columns add a touch of warmth and romance. All the ingredients at Juniper are locally sourced and seasonal – guests can expect a menu full of fresh and delicious choices to pair with a house-infused craft cocktail.
Where To Find It | Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Braise
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | Braise started in farm fields, so it seems natural that the city restaurant continues serving only the freshest, seasonal ingredients. By embracing slow-grown foods, Braise not only supports Wisconsin’s farmers and artisan producers, but it advocates for the larger principles of sustainability.
Menus are written daily, cocktails are handcrafted, and a green roof for herbs and vegetables reduces pollution in the city. Community is also important at Braise; in the dining room, guests are encouraged to eat at the chef’s counter or sit at community tables to engage with others. Moreover, an on-site culinary school is available to home-chefs and Braise created the nation’s first Restaurant Supported Agriculture (RSA) Program to support local farmers and provide fresh ingredients to area restaurants.
Where To Find It | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Lula Cafe
Cuisine | New American, vegan options
Eco & Ethics | An award-winning restaurant and celebrated forerunner of the Chicago farm-to-table movement, it’s hard to imagine Lula Cafe was once using a four burner home stove and thrifted pots and pans. Serving brunch and dinner in the hip Logan Square neighborhood, Lula is a self-proclaimed boheme bistro with self-taught chefs using only seasonal and local farm-fresh ingredients.
Where To Find It | Chicago, Illinois
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Woodberry Kitchen
Cuisine | Traditional American
Eco & Ethics | Located in an old factory, Woodberry Kitchen boasts more than local farm-to-table ingredients. The restaurant helps regenerate oyster beds by returning shells to the Chesapeake Bay, food waste is ground and extracted, and ash from the wood-burning oven is given to small farmers. Other sustainable elements of the restaurant include tables made from salvaged wood, glass-blown light fixtures and candle holders, and handcrafted metal work – all done by local artisans.
Where To Find It | Baltimore, Maryland
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ABC Kitchen
Cuisine | New American
Eco & Ethics | Attached to ABC Carpet & Home, a sustainable home goods store in New York City, ABC Kitchen is an award-winning, slow food restaurant by Michelin star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Sourcing only local, fresh, and seasonal ingredients, the menu is free from GMO’s, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, antibiotics, and hormones. Moreover, the restaurant is passionate about global sustainability and nurturing the earth. Guests can expect atmospheric elements that inspire and cultivate a healthy relationship between the dining table and our planet.
Where To Find It | 18th Street, New York City
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The Spillover
Cuisine | Seafood, craft beer
Eco & Ethics | More sea-to-table than farm-to-table, The Spillover is one of three sister restaurants by Lokal, the first restaurant in Miami to use 100% clean, renewable energy sourced from wind and solar power. Located in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, owner Matt Kuchar aims to challenge the status quo by sourcing local ingredients – all the seafood is caught daily in Florida waters. Other sustainable elements include repurposed and recycled materials in the restaurant decor, as well as wall murals and paintings by local Miami artists.
Where To Find It | Miami, Florida
