Local flavor blooms at farm-to-table restaurants in northern Illinois

One of the nice things about dining out is treating yourself to a beautifully plated meal. The meal becomes extra special when you know exactly where your food comes from.

The farm-to-table movement continues to gain traction with restaurants partnering with local vendors to supply their ingredients whether it’s produce for a salad or the craft beer to go with it. In addition to promoting environmental sustainability, these eateries often feature an ever-changing menu based on seasonal offerings.

Grab a fork and taste for yourself the farm-to-table dining difference with these culinary experiences.

Camp Aramoni

While staying at this boutique campground in Tonica, guests are treated to a taste of many local vendors when dining at The Barn. Start off the day with a cup of specialty coffee locally sourced from Metric Coffee in Chicago.

At dinnertime, order the Pub Burger, featuring a beef patty locally sourced by Goodbred Farms (located only two miles away from Camp Aramoni). It’s served smash burger style on a toasted pretzel bun layered with bacon, cheddar and pub cheeses, pickles, tomato and house garlic aioli.

Whatever you order for dinner, pair it with a glass of Berlyn from August Hill Winery or a nice rose from Illinois Sparkling Company, both located in Utica. Or order a cider from Right Bee in Chicago. The whiskey and chocolate flight features all Illinois whiskies and chocolates from the nearby Minonk Chocolate Company. camparamoni.com

bleuroot

This West Dundee restaurant offers a locally-sourced, fresh menu to its guests. Appetizers include lamb lollipops, flatbreads, crab cakes, soups, salads and more. The dinner menu has burgers, bison burgers, sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and more. Entrees include beef tenderloin, falafel, salmon, steaks, pasta and more. The craft cocktail menu includes the Irish Goodbye, made with Paddy’s Irish whiskey, ginger syrup, pear nectar and ginger beer; French Seventy Five, London Calling, Rum Diary; red, wine, rose and sparkling wines, as well as craft beer on tap, in a bottle or can. bleuroot.com

Hardware

Located in North Aurora, Hardware prides itself in sustainability. The eatery grows its own produce year-round in its greenhouse. They also grow fruits and nuts in an on-site micro orchard and garden. In addition, Hardware’s 1.5 acre hop farm provides one of the base ingredients for all of its beer. The menu varies by season based on what’s growing. The bacon as well as some sausages and charcuterie are made in house.

In addition to growing their produce, Hardware uses reclaimed building materials for design elements. All the water for production in their brewery and irrigations comes from a 250-foot well with underground aquifer. Hardware also reclaims all roof water for irrigation in their greenhouse and patio garden. eathardware.com

Hardware in North Aurora (Photo provided by Hardware)

Everett Farms

This farm-to-table American cafe in Lake Forest serves up fresh meals including vegetarian and gluten-free dishes featuring locally sourced foods. For example, the “BLT for the ages” features smoked bacon, Illinois tomatoes, organic romaine and house mayo nestled between two slices of Hewn Bread – baked at a rustic bakery in Evanston.

Be sure to save room for a scoop of Everett Farms’ house-made ice creams, gelatos and sorbets – all made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Flavors include deep caramel, Tahitian vanilla and meyer lemon. everettfarm.com

Prairie Grass Cafe

The award-winning chefs at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook pride themselves on showcasing the best seasonal ingredients. Since the menu reflects seasonal fare from local sustainable farms and Chicago’s Green City Market, the answer to “what’s for the dinner” is always changing.

Recently the eatery served a parmesan-breadcrumb-herb-crusted Wild Alaskan Halibut with purple asparagus from Mick Klug Farm – a St. Joseph, Michigan farm that’s a staple at farmers markets in Chicago. Dessert options that night included chocolate turtles and chocolate praline candy bar from Chicago Artizen, a holistic culinary company focused on hand-crafted gourmet chocolates. prairiegrass.cafe

Before the produce makes its way to the plate at Wild Ginger Bistro in Princeton, it's first grown on the family's own organic farm. (Photo provided by Wild Ginger Bistro)

Wild Ginger Bistro and Wine Bar

Located in Princeton, Wild Ginger Bistro sources most of their ingredients from their own farm while using local suppliers for others. Wild Ginger’s owners run Mill Road Farms, which is an organic farm. This is where the bulk of the ingredients come from – making this restaurant a true farm-to-table experience. Serving “comfort good with a twist,” some menu items vary depending on the season. Visit Wild Ginger on Facebook for more information.

1776 Restaurant

Crystal Lake’s 1776 Restaurant works with a variety of local farmers and purveyors for the fresh ingredients used ito create the menu’s impeccable dishes. The made-from-scratch menu includes crab cakes, octopus, meatballs, filet, lamb loin, pork, chicken, seafood, soups and salads. Desserts are Julie Ann’s frozen custard, carrot cake, pound cake and more. The bar menu includes local and craft beer, specialty cocktails and mocktails, a large selection of bourbon, whiskey and other spirits, as well as a variety of wines. 1776restaurant.com

Farm Dinners

It’s not just restaurants getting in on the farm-to-table trend. Several places offer farm dining special events.

Heritage Prairie Farms

The monthly Farm Dinners at Heritage Prairie Farms in Elburn offer family-style meals showcasing produce in season at the farm. For some meals, they partner with a local brewery or distillery. Others feature food stations and cocktails for a night of charitable giving. Farm Dinners begin at 6 p.m. with butler-passed appetizers during cocktail hour followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

Upcoming dinners include:

Cowboy Disco themed Cocktail Party Farm Dinner, Thursday, July 17, featuring specialty cocktails and food stations.
Hops, Homestead & Honey Farm Dinner, Thursday, Aug. 7, with local brew partner Obscurity Brewing.
Harvest Moon Farm Dinner, Thursday, Sept. 11, featuring heirloom vegetables and unique coastal dishes inspired by Nantucket.

Visit heritageprairiefarm.com/farm-dinners for more information.

Cantigny

This signature dining series, Red Oaks Farm Table, offers diners the opportunity to savor the beauty of Cantigny in Wheaton while gathering around the communal table for a multi-course dinner. Each course is paired with a fine wine or a handcrafted cocktail.

Future dinner themes include:

The Berry Best, Thursday, July 17
Red & Ripe, Thursday, Aug. 21
Midwest Harvest, Thursday Sept. 18
In Smoke, Thursday, Oct. 16

Visit cantigny.org for more information.

The Morton Arboretum

Spend an evening dining al fresco during Farm-to-Table dinner Thursday, Aug. 14, at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. The Farm-to-Table Dinner menu will highlight flavorful greens and herbs, freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, locally made products, and a wine pairing with each course.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 1. Visit mortonarb.org for more information.

Entertainment editor Aimee Barrows contributed to this story.