Local food effort gives out award
The Greater Ukiah Localization Project and the Ukiah Certified Farmers Market have come up with a new annual award they bestow on a local restaurant that is especially dedicated to the use of local products. The idea is to promote the growing of much more of our own food locally by expanding the markets for farmers. The local farmers who sell their goods at the Ukiah Farmers Markets were asked to vote on which restaurant they believe is doing the best job of promoting local products. The businesses themselves were also asked to fill out a questionnaire about their practices in that regard.
Winning the first of these awards is Patrona, the restaurant at Standley and School streets owned by Bridget Harrington and Craig Strattman.
Patrona's has been in business since September of 2004, and a sampling of the effort they make to use local products includes; 75 of the 126 wines on the Patrona wine list are local, coming from roughly 48 local vineyards. It regularly purchases from the following local farms: Allegra Foley, Boont Organics, Chestnut Ridge Ranch, Cinnamon Bear Farm, Elk Creamery, Shamrock Goat Cheese, Loretta Rampone Herbs, McFadden Farm and Mendo Mushrooms. It uses seafood suppliers Caito Fish and North Coast Fish. All of its bread is provided by Schats. In addition, Patrona recycles all of its vegetable oil through Yokayo Fuels and they offer up composting materials to anyone who would like them.
According to Bridget, "Patrona's menu is dedicated to and based on nature's seasonal offerings. We talk to our local purveyors regularly to determine what is in abundance at their individual farms. We then create our menus, which change daily, to
best showcase these local farm's produce. We proudly promote these vendors to our customers and catering clients. Our goal is to use 100 percent local products."
The award was given out at the Aug. 25 Farmers Market but there's going to be another celebration of the award at Patrona's coming up this month. For more information about that you can contact GULP's Scott Cratty at 463 7377.