There’s nothing better than fresh farm-to-table food. You can really taste the difference with every bite, but not every restaurant is farm-to-table. It’s not always obvious how each restaurant is defining farm-to-table either. Check out these six options right in Virginia Beach, all of which will be perfect for Sunday visits and local meals.
Top Farm-to-Table Restaurants in VA Beach
1. Chartreuse Bistro
Modern European cuisine in a classy place: that’s the Chartreuse Bistro. The food changes depending on the season, since all the food you eat comes from in-season ingredients and is locally sourced. With the rotating menu, you’ll always have a new option to try out, and won’t need to worry about how fresh it is. Not to mention that everything is organic, although in slightly smaller portions sometimes.
2. The Stockpot
If you’re a fan of cafes that serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll love the Stockpot. They serve good portion sizes with simple foods like sandwiches, soup, and even cookies, but rest assured that everything is still made fresh for you. The entire menu is made the entire day and also changes daily, so if you’d like to have breakfast at night, feel free to indulge in whatever is available.
3. The Green House Kitchen
The Green House Kitchen is all about healthy eating, with delicious salads, flatbread, southern foods, and other delectable choices. The place itself is
quant and quiet, and the portions are large and filling. It’s impossible to stop raving about the salads, which include sweet and spicy ingredients that you don’t normally find in your average salad.
4. Bay Local Eatery
With a mix of healthy dishes and more classic meals, you’ll love visiting the Bay Local Eatery. The menu is large and offers many options for you to choose from, and all the food is top notch. Pick out lettuce wraps, seafood, pasta, or any other of the unique choices. It’s so popular that there’s more noise here than other places, and you’ll likely have to wait for a table on busy days.
5. Handsome Biscuit
Yes, the Handsome Biscuit does indeed offer biscuits. The sweet potato biscuits are delicious, but you also have other options like waffles fries and hash browns. Everything is made fresh with comfort food that you can expect in any restaurant. Even the seared greens are delicious. Just take a seat with indoors or in the cozy inside for a nice meal.
6. 1608 Crafthouse
The food in 1608 Crafthouse is of course delicious, but beyond the food, you have many options for beer when you’re having an evening out. The kitchen makes everything completely from scratch, and rest assured that all those beers are local. There are lots of options for you to choose from, so many that you may have to ask your server for help in choosing.
What it Means to be a Farm-to-Table Restaurant
We have six farm-to-table restaurants here, but what does that really mean? Well, farm-to-table means that the food comes right from the farm without the middle man known as the supermarket or distributor in between. Different restaurants can define this a little differently though, but here’s generally what it means to be farm-to-table.
Knowing the Process
Many chefs use farm-to-table to indicate that they know how their farmer raises livestock and how this livestock is slaughtered and processed. It’s about knowing the entire process and the quality of the meat as well.
Direct Relationship
Knowing the process means having a relationship between the farm and the restaurant. The restaurant buys the food right from the farmer, and get the food delivered directly. Some farms even grow specific foods just for the restaurant.
Conclusion
We love farm-to-table food. There’s no doubt that the fresh quality is delicious, and that it’s clear the chef puts a lot of love into it. You can eat healthy and have lots of options too at any one of these amazing restaurants. Visit all of them right from your home in Virginia Beach!
by contributing writer
Sam Casteris
sam.casteris@gmail.com