Life (and lunch) is good! The Cheese Board and local food.

A couple of weeks ago while shopping at the Sparks farmers' market I was wandering around, checking out what was available that week, when I noticed one particular stall. All the produce was nicely displayed in baskets, the signage said "organic", and the farm name, Watanabe Farms, rang a bell. Where had I heard that name before? It took a few days but then I remembered. I'd seen the name on the lunch menu at The Cheese Board.

Last summer The Cheese Board served a delicious salad that included tomatoes grown by Watanabe Farms. Great tomatoes are unforgettable, as are really good meals, so the connection stuck with me. It seemed reasonable to assume that the Watanabe Farms selling produce at the farmers' market is the same one the Cheese Board purchased from, but I wanted to make sure the connection was real before saying so here.

So, yesterday I stopped by The Cheese Board for lunch hoping for an opportunity to speak with someone who could talk to me about the bistro's philosophy regarding local farms and producers, the restaurant's purchasing practices, and whether or not my assumption about the Watanabe connection was correct. I know a guy who knows a guy who said the person to talk to was Dave. And, Dave Kidder was the guy. He very generously took some time to visit with me, even though the lunch crowd would be coming in soon. And he told me what I'd hoped to hear: the Cheese Board is dedicated to the local food ethic and purchases whatever they can from local producers. The Watanabe Farms on the menu and at the farmers' market is one and the same. The Cheese Board and Heidi at Watanabe Farms have developed a very successful partnership and anyone who's had one of Cheese Board dishes made with Watanabe produce knows how that success tastes....Delicious!

Dave returned to the back of the house and I stayed in the dining room to eat my lunch. As usual the meal was stupendous. Baby greens with Heidi's Watanabe beets, roasted, served with a balsamic reduction and little toasts slathered with tangy, creamy goat cheese. And, even though I knew it would be too much for me to eat I couldn't pass up the artichoke Parmesan soup...yummy! If you're a soup lover, Dave's soups are heaven, year round.

Stop by for lunch and bring your friends and family. I’m sure you’ll find something to love. We always do!