Local, Sustainable and Organic Food: The Eat Well Guide

Looking for a restaurant? Of course you are. If you love local, sustainable and organic food, what can you choose? There are the local family burger or fish and chip joints, or the chain restaurants where the kids can go wild. There are fast food chains and fancy dining. Increasingly now, there are also restaurants that brand themselves as organic and even local.

Visiting my sister in the UK a few years back, I stumbled upon a lovely local restaurant in her small town. I scoffed at the idea of local produce in Britain in early April, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the menu. Yes, there were a lot of rhubarb dishes, but I happen to adore rhubarb. There were stewed fruits, root vegetables, and local meat, all topped with fresh cheese. The meal was delightful, and best of all it was local, sustainable and in season, whether from preserved food or from fresh and delicious rhubarb.

It can be a challenge to find these gems in cities that you visit, and it can even be difficult to find them in your own city. This is where the Eat Well Guide comes in. The guide is a directory of North American local, sustainable and organic restaurants. No longer do you need to rely on the old standby of the salad at the chain restaurant. You can explore local and delicious cuisine across North America using keywords, cities, states, even zip codes. You can even plan a trip to visit the food you've discovered.

The guide is much more than restaurants, though. A trip through its inner workings reveals lists of bed and breakfasts, farmers' markets, and community supported agriculture ventures. It's a cornucopia of local eating, all of the tip of your fork - I mean, fingers. Vegetarians and vegans can check off a box to find suitable entries, and there are other environmental requirements too. Those who eat meat can find restaurants and other companies that use only meat raised in a very specific manner.

What is in it for you? A visit to the lovely culinary flavors of two nations. A quick search of an upcoming vacation spot led me to a vegan dessert restaurant that sounds scrumptious. Part of cherishing food is enjoying food, and the Eat Well Guide certainly promotes the discovery of new edible delights.