Think Local!

by Christopher D. LaTorraca ◊ Sep 03, 2010

Eli’s Restaurant Group will be hosting its first Annual Farm Dinner on Saturday, September 11, from 6-10pm at Hindinger Farm, Dunbar Hill Road, Hamden.  Everything served at the dinner will be from Connecticut vendors – #1 Fish, Hamden; Liuzzi Cheese, North Haven; Nodine’s Smokehouse, Torrington; Hindinger Farm, Hamden; Thomas Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield; Jonathan Edwards Vineyards, North Stonington; and Buck’s Ice Cream to name a few.  According to Kevin Fitzsimmons, General Manager of Eli’s, “The purpose is to promote local vendors and local produce.  We are now buying produce from Hindinger Farm.”

The menu for the night is anything but ordinary.  To start, there will be a wide variety of 13 passed appetizers, including bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed figs, strawberry prosciutto sandwiches, duck sweet potato gaufrettes, mini brick oven pizzas, Kobe sliders, brochette station, and veggie crudités.  Then, a choice of caprese or the famous Eli’s signature salad.  Followed by a variety of entrees and sides, including beef tenderloin, airline chicken and swordfish, grilled vegetables, corn and sweet potatoes.  To finish off the night, some mouth-watering desserts including pies, tiramisu, and tarts – no one is going to leave hungry.

And, what would a Farm Dinner be without hayrides, tours of the farm, and live musical entertainment from Mean Carlene to dance the night away under the stars?  Kevin stated, “I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner.  Farm dinners are a trend around the country.  I believe this is the first one for this area.”

Kevin is pleased to announce, “A portion of the nights proceeds will be donated to ‘Let’s Move,’ a nationwide initiative promoting making healthy choices, improving food quality in schools, increasing access to healthy, affordable food, and increasing physical activity in children, and ‘City Seed,’ a New Haven based organization that, according to their website, is working to ‘create a sustainable model of local economy, urban community, regional agriculture, environmental stewardship, and well-being through food.’”

To purchase tickets for the Eli’s First Annual Farm Dinner, call Eli’s On Whitney, 2392 Whitney Avenue in Hamden at 203.287.1101.  Tickets are $90, inclusive of tax & gratuity. 

Photo:  Hindinger Farm