Farm-to-Chef Week Begins Today in Connecticut

Niantic's La Belle Aurore restaurant is one of 65 restaurants and farmers' markets participating in the Connecticut Department of Agriculture's 2012 Farm-to-Chef week.

The weeklong event runs from September 16-September 22 and includes a variety of restaurants and even a few school cafeterias (Ella Grasso Technical High School in Groton, for one) from all over the state.

Participating locations often create new and unusual dishes using local foods, and they all set their own prices for their Farm-to-Chef menus. Businesses that serve alcohol will also offer one or more Connecticut Grown wines. 

“We encourage participants to go above and beyond for Farm-to-Chef Week,” explained Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky.  “Some are new to buying and using ingredients from local farms, so they might start more conservatively. Others are accustomed to working with local farm products on a daily basis. In that case, we ask them to stretch creatively, incorporating Connecticut Grown proteins, dairy, maple, honey, and more unusual produce items.”

As locally-grown and produced foods contribute $3.5 billion to the state economy and represent about 20,000 Connecticut jobs, Governor Dannel P. Malloy is encouraging everyone to go out to eat this week.

“Our state’s farmers produce an astoundingly wide variety of foods, and Farm-to-Chef Week is a great opportunity for people to get out there and really enjoy everything Connecticut has to offer,” he said.

La Belle Aurore is located at 75 Pennsylvania Avenue in Niantic. During Farm-to-Chef week it will be open Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday 5:30-9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 5:30- 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call (860) 739-6767; click here for the restaurant's Farm-to-Chef Week Menu.