Local Food Culture Continues Improvement

I promised Graeme in my last post that I would have something more upbeat. I was looking for answers, and it hit me as I ate my wonderful fresh salad at the downtown Farmer’s Market: This is it. Our downtown market is now featuring prepared meals utilizing our local produce, which I had been clamoring for. Aside from the salads, you can get fantastic homemade tamales, local sausages, and a wider variety of pastries (those that know me know that my sweet tooth is unrivaled).

Outside of the farmers market, there are other positive new developments. The Earth House Cafe serves solid sandwiches, using local and organic sources. Nicole-Taylor’s fresh made pasta now has a storefront on 54th and the Monon, and the store will also feature pastries and other quality items. Big City Farms has turned vacant city lots into a place for food production, and is now a producer to Goose The Market. Finally, the Indy Food Coop aims to bring good local food to a larger audience, and is hoping to open on East 10th Street later this year.

Of course, not everything is rosy on the food front. Unfortunately, we have also seen the closing of 2 of our better fine-dining restaurants in L’explorateur and Elements. There is no doubt, however, that we have more quality locally-sourced options than we did 5 years ago, and that we will see even more of them as the public becomes more aware of where their food originates.