TRENTON, N.J. — Edible Jersey’s seventh annual Eat Drink Local Week — which celebrates the bounty of New Jersey farmers of land and sea, and the culinary skills of our state’s most talented chefs — will take place Sept. 21–29 at 47 restaurants statewide.
The restaurant week event is presented by Edible Jersey, a James Beard Award-winning magazine established in 2007. The popular magazine is dedicated to promoting the local, seasonal foods of the Garden State. Eat Drink Local Restaurant Week showcases the broad range of foods produced from oysters to apples in the Garden State and the creativity of the state’s talented chefs in preparing dishes using locally-sourced products.
Participating restaurants will be offering a variety of promotions showcasing New Jersey fruits, vegetables, specialty foods, seafood, beer and wines. These promotions include the chef’s choice of how he or she would like to promote local foods. They include prix-fixe menus, special seasonally driven dishes, supplemental menus, cocktail specials, New Jersey craft beer or wine pairings and more during the 10-day event. Diners should be sure to ask their servers about the restaurant’s Eat Drink Local Week specials. A list of participating restaurants can be found by visiting ediblejersey.com.
“With more people than ever wanting to be educated about where their food comes from, it appears that the farm-to-table trend is here to stay,” said Marilou Halvorsen, President & CEO of the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association. “This is great news for the Garden State, where we’re already known for our fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients. Resources like those featured in Edible Jersey make it that much easier for our members to stay on trend, providing New Jersey with healthy, fresh and exciting dining options year round.”
In addition to the restaurants’ special Eat Drink Local Week menus, some restaurants are holding special dinners with the food and/or beverage producers as hosts. Special tastings and guest appearances by farmers and producers during Eat Drink Local Week are also part of the weeklong event
According to New Jersey’s Department of Agriculture, New Jersey is home to more than 9,000 farms covering 720,00 acres of farmland. The state is among the national leaders in many forms of agricultural production. For example, New Jersey ranks second in peach and eggplant production, third in cranberry and spinach production, fourth in bell peppers and sixth in blueberries and squash. The state also produces an abundance of tomatoes, sweet corn, apples, strawberries, potatoes, hay, soybeans and nursery stock. Agriculture is New Jersey’s third largest industry behind pharmaceuticals and tourism, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue to the state.
“Edible Jersey’s ability to tell stories about the diverse sectors of agriculture we have here in New Jersey showcases the impact our farmers have on our daily lives,” New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher said. “Whether it’s restaurants that source Jersey Fresh produce, providing a list of community farmers markets, or sharing fabulous recipes that source locally grown fruits and vegetables, Edible Jersey continues to accentuate why we are the Garden State.”
“Food is New Jersey’s story,” said Nancy Painter, Edible Jersey’s publisher. “Our state is blessed with amazing seafood-producing shorelines, fertile farmland, culinary ethnic diversity and the entrepreneurial energy of artisanal producers. From our view, New Jersey has the most fascinating food story in the country. Our annual Eat Drink Local Week allows us to celebrate that fact and invite everyone to support the farmers, chefs, artisans, bakers, vintners, brewers and others who help create the wonderful flavors of the Garden State.”
— Edible Jersey