Taste the difference: Local flavor blooms at farm-to-table restaurants

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 difference at these suburban restaurants.

bleuroot

This West Dundee restaurant, at 98 W. Main St., offers a fresh, locally sourced menu. Appetizers include lamb lollipops, flatbreads, crab cakes, soups, salads and more. The dinner menu offers signature vegan and bison burgers and sandwiches, while 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, plus the French Seventy Five, London Calling, Rum Diary cocktails. There’s also wine, rosé and sparkling wines, as well as craft beer on tap. bleuroot.com/.

Hardware

Located at 2000 W. Orchard Road, North Aurora, Hardware prides itself on 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 irrigation comes from a 250-foot well with an underground aquifer. Hardware also reclaims all roof water for irrigation in their greenhouse and patio garden. eathardware.com/

Everett Farms

This farm-to-table American cafe at 840 S. Waukegan Road, Suite 113, 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, 601 Skokie Blvd., 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 handcrafted gourmet chocolates. prairiegrass.cafe/

1776 Restaurant

Crystal Lake’s 1776 Restaurant, at 397 W. Virginia St., works with a variety of local farmers and purveyors to procure fresh ingredients for the made-from-scratch menu, which includes crab cakes, octopus, meatballs, filet, lamb loin, pork, chicken, seafood, soups and salads. Desserts include 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, 2N308 Brundige Road, 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. Visit heritageprairiefarm.com/farm-dinners for details.

Upcoming dinners:

Thursday, July 17: Cowboy disco-themed Cocktail Party Farm Dinner featuring specialty cocktails and food stations.

Thursday, Aug. 7: Hops, Homestead & Honey Farm Dinner with local brew partner Obscurity Brewing.

Thursday, Sept. 11: Harvest Moon Farm Dinner featuring heirloom vegetables and unique coastal dishes inspired by Nantucket.

Cantigny

The signature dining series, Red Oaks Farm Table, offers diners the opportunity to savor the beauty of Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, while gathering around the communal table for a multicourse dinner. Each course is paired with a fine wine or a handcrafted cocktail. Visit cantigny.org for details.

Upcoming dinners:

Thursday, July 17: The Berry Best

Thursday, Aug. 21: Red & Ripe

Thursday Sept. 18: Midwest Harvest

Thursday, Oct. 16: In Smoke

The Morton Arboretum

Spend an evening dining al fresco during the Farm-to-Table dinner Thursday, Aug. 14, at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. The menu will highlight flavorful greens and herbs, freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, locally made products and a wine pairing with each course. Tickets are on sale now. Visit mortonarb.org for details.

• Shaw Local entertainment editor Aimee Barrows contributed to this story.