RESTAURANTS
Town Restaurant 3435 Waialae Avenue #103
Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 735-5900
“Local first, organic whenever possible, and with Aloha always” is the mantra upon which this unpretentious neighborhood bistro was founded. With a menu that changes daily to reflect the freshest market ingredients, Town features hand-cut pastas and gnocchi, slow-braised meats, fresh local seafood, a wine list of small artisan producers, and hand-crafted cocktails. Drawing inspiration from classic recipes of the Mediterranean, Town’s cuisine is best described as Contemporary American with an Italian sensibility, where the ingredients are allowed to shine and nothing is wasted. With bar and “dog-friendly” patio seating reserved for walk-in guests, the restaurant has become a favorite for casual impromptu dining as well as for special occasions. Town is located in hip Kaimuki, just minutes from Waikiki, and is loved by locals and visitors alike. Go to Town.
This blurb was taken from opentable.com. The only actual site I can find for the place is http://www.townkaimuki.com/, which only allows you to make reservations, not learn anything about the restaurant.
I’ve heard for awhile that Town is known for having an emphasis on local and I hope to talk more about where they are comign from with that. From this description, Town prides itself on it’s dynamic and ever-changing menu. In reports and articles I have read that explore the issues other restaurants have that hold them back from committing to purchasing local produce include the inconsistancy in availability of products. Like I said, that variability and flexability appears to be part of what gives Town a unique reputation. The idea I have is that a lot of restaurants and businesses imagine customers are very concerned with consistancy of quality and product; Joe Schmoe faithfully gets the portebella mushroom burger everytime he comes therefore the restaurant does buisness with a provider that is a large, dependable chain or corporation that has a reputable history rather than Ted the farmer up on North Shore whose quantity varies with the seasons. But what if there was a deeper trust between Joe Schmo and the business, and Schmo’s faith in the quality allowed him to appreciate a fluctuating menu based on season and the conditions of local farms? I know this may be getting a little too deep for a hypothetical situation involving portabella mushroom burgers but this is the win-win-win situation between businesses, consumers, and farmers that we are looking to encourage, and we believe a more integrated and sustainable community is a by-product of this dynamic. If you know of other businesses and resaurants that perpetuate these ideas, let us know!
There are other options to going out to eat though. I’ve learned Farmer’s Markets are far more prevalent than I imagined and it is probably one of the most significant things you can participate in to support local farmers. More research is to come ut I believe these markets and Community Supported Agriculture are where farmers find their largest markets with the least amount of hassle. Grocery stores and super markets can be very selective and require a lot of time and travel for a farmer to pursue. The Department of Agriculture had the only comprehensive listing of Farmer’s Markets and at 4 pages and being listed alphabetically by name, it’s not as easy to navigate as it could be. I am working on putting together a calender or interactive map of Oahu that allows you to find a market by region (with address and zipcode), day of the week, and hours of operation. Perhaps even organize a carpool in the future. The idea is that there are so many market options out there and if people had more concise and accessible information about them I believe they would make the choice to hand their moeny over to a farmer rather than a grocery store chain or corporation that may or may not export that money out of Hawaii.
Another option is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) which I mentioned. These is where individual pay in advance for a season or a number of months and pick up a basket of produce weekly from that farm. Some farms have more basket variety in terms of size and items. Most have the option to pick up from the farm, specific locations in town, or to be delivered. This option gives farmers a more depnedable income while saving consumers a good deal of money by taking out the middle man. Also, the experience of directly seeing from who and where their food comes from reconnects people to their food and community which has several beneficial side affects we hope to explore in this blog as well. Look below for a list of participating CSA programs on Oahu.
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CSA PROGRAMS – Oahu
Ma’o Organic Farms (Wai’anae) http://shop.maoorganicfarms.org/products/ma’o-organic-farms-csa-subscription
Just Add Water by Kimberly Clark http://www.just-add-water.biz/csa.htm
Otsuji Farm otsujifarm.blogspot.com
Kahumana Organic Farm (Wai’anae) http://kahumanafarms.org/C.S.A..html
Ailani Gardens ailanigardens.com
