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Piatti Locali,625 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941.
Maybe you won't like the idea of dining in a restaurant that has expanded into a nationwide chain. But you may be interested that Piatti, which grew out of Napa, has turned one of their branches into Piatti Locali which puts an emphasis on using sustainable local produce from the farmers' markets.
Fred and I had lunch at Piatti on Tuesday. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with stylish black and white photographs of the staff, the farmers, the farms and the markets. The Piatti Locali menu is scattered with references to local farms. I tried to ask the waiter about the source of ingredients not singled out on the menu. He wasn't very clued-up. He told me all of the pasta was made in house. "Even, the spaghetti?", I asked, clearly surprised. "Yes, all the pasta," he assured me. This made me suspicious, so when I was rooting around on their website for information and saw they had a comments section, I decided to write to the chef and see if she would answer some questions for me.
I had a lovely and heartfelt reply from Lissa Kane the Locali Executive Chef which I would like to share with you all.
Thanks for your interest in our products. I am a big proponent of eating locally and I try to support local growers as much as possible; I believe the food tastes better and is healthier for our bodies and our environment. It is also better to leave the jobs and dollars in our community and not for the mega-agri giants. That being said, I will try to address your questions regarding where the food comes from at Piatti:
* Pasta: we make angel hair, pappardelle, tagliatelle and cannelloni. Spaghetti and penne are from Italy.
* Flour: we use Giusto's flour. I believe the wheat is grown in the Midwest, I will follow up on it.
* Prosciutto, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar & Grana Padano (parm) are all imported from Italy.
* Mozzarella: North Beach Cheese Company out of Hayward, CA
* Ricotta: I use two brands depending on availability: Calabro from Connecticut & Bellwether Farms in Marshall, CA.
* Tomatoes for Pizza Sauce: California grown
* Pepperoni: made in San Francisco by Molinari
Thanks for making me research some of our 'basics'. I shop at the Farmer's Market 2x a week both in SF and San Rafael, so I am very aware of our produce. I try to buy locally caught fish and locally raised poultry and meat. I just got some samples fro m Niman Ranch for some salami and speck (an alternative to Prosciutto di Parma). I also serve a few types of local artisan cheeses - please try our cheese plate complete with house-made locally grown fig 'salami'!!
Lissa Kane
The email was good news for anyone who is interested in eating from local sources. When I was at Piatti, it felt a little as if, maybe, they were just jumping on a bandwagon. But when I received the email from the Chef it was clear that the good intentions and the passion behind the move to a 'locali' restaurant were genuine. Piatti Locali is situated overlooking the 101, but once inside, the view, over a stretch of water with Mount Tam in the background, is far more attractive. Food is Italianesque. I tried the Niman Ranch Beef Carpaccio which was a classic interpretation of the dish. On the side I had the seasonal special - two delicious, fat, deep fried squash blossoms filled with a zingy herbed ricotta, a bargain at less than $5. Fred had a margherita pizza with pepperoni from their wood burning oven which he concluded wasn't very tasty.
Lissa Kane is hosting a special 'Dinner in the Garden' on Saturday, August 27, at County Line Harvest in Petaluma. She is planning an Italian inspired feast featuring produce picked that day from the farm. The idea is to eat in the field where the products are grown. There will be a tour of the farm at the start of the evening. She plans to serve grilled California Wild Salmon and Roasted Prather Ranch leg of lamb as well organic Bonterra wines. The cost of the event is $100 a person all inclusive. If you are interested in the dinner contact the restaurant.
PS. This review was a Back for Seconds
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