Why Your Food Providers Matter

(Source: Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar Facebook page)

These days, “eat local”, “organic”, and “sustainable” are becoming commonplace terms. This is an extremely exciting prospect for foodies and chefs alike: it marks an era of amazing awareness about where our food comes from and how it is produced.

But the idea of knowing and caring where our food comes from and how it is produced isn’t just a trend or marketing bullet point. It’s a vital part of keeping our food of good quality, safe, and sustainable. At Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar, we are committed to using the finest food providers we can, because we want to create a delicious experience for our customers, both now and in the future. We know that our customers can taste the difference that comes as a result of our diligence about using the best quality food providers we can.

Here, we’ll take a few moments to discuss some of the reasons why your food providers truly matter, and how it makes a difference on your plate and in your community.

(Source: Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar Facebook page)

Because ingredients matter. At Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar, we care about the flavor of our finished dishes. Yes, we have an award-winning chef to thank for much of that. But as any chef can tell you, even the fanciest culinary training can’t make up for low quality ingredients. As such, it’s important to really take care in finding the best food providers.

For a restaurant, this can create a tricky balance between finding the best quality food products, the most reliable vendors, and offering reasonable prices for customers. But it’s worth the sometimes tricky logistics, time, and effort. We take great pride in our ingredients, because we know that they make great food. We are committed to ordering our ingredients from high quality vendors; whenever possible, we strive to purchase locally and sustainably. It shines through in the finished dishes.

Local is fresher. As previously noted, whenever possible, we buy locally. This means that the food or raw ingredient in question was grown or produced as close as possible to our restaurant. As for the benefits of using local food? There are many.

For one, it’s typically fresher, particularly in the case of produce and perishable items. That’s why certain ingredients will only make cameos on our menu when they’re in season; because it’s when we can get that ingredient at the peak freshness, which means it has a superior flavor. Even with non-produce items, the lesser transit time means that the ingredient can be delivered to your plate sooner after being produced. Whether it’s an egg or a slice of fresh bread, that’s a very good thing.

For another, it has a much lower carbon footprint. Less travel and transit means less fuel and packaging waste. Our restaurant may only have a small effect in the scheme of things, but over time, if restaurants around the world all subscribe to this idea, it can have a huge impact on the environment.

(Source: Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar Facebook page)

Local providers = community building. When your food providers are local, you’re not just buying the freshest produce, meat, or dairy. You’re also building a sense of community.

For locals, this is helpful in creating a sense of pride and awareness about what is going on right in their “backyard”, so to speak. Investing in local companies also improves the community they live in, which can make it an enjoyable and vibrant place to live.

Even for visitors/tourists, and there are plenty of whom we love welcoming in Las Vegas, there are benefits. The local food here is different from the local food where they are from; it gives them a chance to discover something new and really get an innate sense of the place they are in, and the ability to immerse themselves in a slice of local culture. 

(Source: Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar Facebook page)

To do our part. In addition to sourcing locally whenever possible, we also strive to purchase from vendors who use sustainable methods for their production. So why does sustainability matter? It’s because sustainable foods are, well, sustainable. By using non-sustainable growing or production methods, food providers aren’t doing you any services, nor are they doing the world any good.

Sustainable providers are committed to creating food that won’t damage the environment or waste resources. While you might not always be able to taste the difference outright, this is a vital difference in terms of investing in the future, not only for ourselves but for future generations.

Respect to tradition. Chef Brian Massie’s menu at Hearthstone reflects a simple, quality approach to refined cuisine. He honors and respects food. As such, purchasing authentic, quality food matters.

One fine example is that we offer Benton’s ham. Since 1947, this vendor has been following a tradition of slow-curing their meat using salt, brown sugar, and sodium nitrate for nine to ten month periods, or even longer. They employ a method which dates back generations, and which consistently yields delicious results. When you purchase a product like this, you’re not just buying a superior product (though if you’ve tasted the ham we use on our Croque Madame, you know that it is indeed superior); you’re buying into time honored traditions that keep our food culture vibrant and alive.

Conclusion: When you own a restaurant, the quality of your finished dishes is of the highest importance. That means that you’ve got to start with the best raw materials possible. By making a commitment to find the best food providers we can, and with a strong emphasis on sustainability, local production, and the utmost quality, we are able to create the most flavorful, vibrant, and feel good dishes possible for our customers.

Whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour, dinner, or dessert, come and taste the difference for yourself at Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar!

Have you ever thought about your food providers?