Fine vs Local

[Solitude_Peace]

Tough call here...

Hypothetically, if you were forced to decide between working in a restaurant where preparation and service were outstanding and working in a restaurant where the emphasis is on local sourcing... what's your choice?

I've seen places that fit one or the other, and very few that fit both. Truffles from that little town in France? Hen of the Woods from Warwick? Finest ingredients that money can buy, from all over the world? The lamb that's raised and slaughtered right here in Rhode Island?

From the point of view of:
Chef: working with ingredients to make something special?
Owner: Running a business and trying to carve out a niche while making a living?
Diner: Looking for the good stuff?
Server: Which food would you rather serve (for money or your soul)?

These are the decisions we make every day.

[Rich Lang]

Wow... That is a tough one because there are so many potential variables in the working environment beyond that narrowly defined ideal (what are the people like who you are working with, what is the owners motivation/vision, etc.).

Also, I think simply saying "local sourcing" is not a broad enough definition of something positive (i.e. sustainability, community, quality, etc.) I think at the end of the day, I would prefer the place that is associated with "outstanding" and then work on getting the local sourcing piece in place. I am a believer that anyone who is willing to invest the effort required to make anything "outstanding" can be led to expand their vision to remain consistent with that definition (which would include local sourcing).

RL