Haddon Heights Chefs Plan an Appetizing Week for 2013 "Farm to Fork" Celebrations

Chef-owners of Anthony's Creative Italian Cuisine and Elements Café take a leading role in getting their colleagues prepared for feasts inspired by the abundance of the fields in the Garden State.

The  SJ HOT Chefs 2013 “Farm to Fork” Week – Sunday, July 21 through Saturday, July 27 – will feature the bounty of Camden County farms and the talents of many of the county’s most creative kitchens, in the annual collaboration between South Jersey’s growers and chef-owned and operated restaurants.

Two of Haddon Heights' chef-owned restaurants --- Anthony's Creative Italian Cuisine with John Pilarz and Anthony Iannone and Elements Cafe presented by Fred Kellermann --- cooperate and collaborate to bring fresh excitement to this partnership year after year. Instead of viewing the proximity of their restaurants as competitors, instead they actively collaborate on a variety of exciting campaigns which put fine dining in the spotlight. It's this kind of enlightened view that makes "Farm to Fork" possible.

Other nearby restaurants in the program this year are da Soli, The Little Tuna and Tre Famiglia Ristorante, all in Haddonfield and Keg & Kitchen in Haddon Township.


"Farm to Fork” takes advantage of the full bounty of Garden State produce as it peaks in late July. In all, chefs in 34 restaurants throughout Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties will be offering delicious deals on special menus for $35 and $25 featuring the freshest, most exciting dishes showcasing the best of the local, mid-summer harvest. An exciting new edition for 2013 is the introduction of special $10 “Farm to Fork” lunch menus at select restaurants.

 

Fred Kellermann is president of the South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association known as SJ HOT Chefs, and he's passionate about this annual summer festival of fresh-from-the-farm food. “It’s been such a win-win for the restaurants, nearby farmers and especially our guests. As it became more apparent to chefs that guests truly care about the origin of the food we serve, we started building stronger relationships with local farmers and discovered the many advantages of preparing food made with locally grown ingredients.”

Kellermann and his colleagues have learned that working with local farmers is good for both their patrons and for the region. While discriminating diners appreciate the superior flavors in fresh-picked produce, the SJ HOT Chefs – themselves all local entrepreneurs – cite the economic benefit of keeping the entire food supply-chain right in the neighborhood.

When chefs work with local farmers, there are also multiple environmental benefits. When chefs can use local fresh produce, it reduces the use of fossil fuels otherwise needed to transport provisions over long distances. Chefs are also exercising their influence on local growers, encouraging some to employ organic principals in their farming or to restrict their use of insecticides and toxins in the fields.

While there is always a predictable selection of fresh produces available during “Farm to Fork” Week, the exciting challenge for the SJ Hot Chefs is to use their creativity to design menus around fresh-picked items that are exceptionally abundant in late July.

Key event sponsor SJ Hot Chefs, with the assistance of media partner SJ Magazine, has prepared a hotlink showing all of the participating restaurants in SJ 2013 “Farm to Fork Week”, including contact information and restaurant websites. For more information on SJ Hot Chefs and the palate-pleasing events they hold throughout the year, please visit www.SJHOTchefs.com. Click here for a list of New Jersey Farmers that have been selected for the 2013 partnership, allowing the chefs to bring the freshest produce available to their diners.