Utica — In its decade-long history, Utica’s esteemed farm-to-table restaurant, The Tailor and the Cook, has traveled from local recognition to national fame.
In 2014, just two years after opening at 94 Genesee Street, OpenTable included the restaurant in its acclaimed Top 100 Restaurants list. “That recognition is very humbling, but it probably has ensured our success. Tim Hardiman added with gratitude.
For the fourth year in a row, the restaurant has been named one of DiRoNA’s Best Restaurants in North America. This year, Wine Spectator Magazine has been named for its Excellence Award.
As the 43-year-old Clinton resident explains, “Farm-to-table is not a lofty concept. That’s how our grandparents ate.”
They built relationships with the people who produced the food…they asked the farmers questions. “Unfortunately, in the space of two generations, we have moved away from that practice.”
But he’s encouraged by the growing popularity of farmers markets and food cooperatives over the past decade, and estimates that 50% of his customers patronize the restaurant. This is because he buys ingredients locally from growers who are committed to providing healthy and sustainable produce. .
More than 50 vendors supply restaurants with vegetables, honey, meats, cheeses and other staples on most days.
“Maybe our restaurants have played a role in that revival as well. increase. He also feels lucky to have his chain of reliable supplies. Other businesses that rely on large suppliers often have problems with deliveries, and owners struggle to find replacements.
“Our menu navigates the seasons and what Mother Nature has to offer,” says Hardiman. For example, in autumn, figs, apples and pears are prepared. Scallops are paired with spaghetti squash. As temperatures cool, New His England His style of clam chowder, made with a dozen pieces of steamed clams, white wine, cream and big chunks of vegetables, becomes popular, and entrees are chili, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. . In late spring, peas, fiddlehead greens, rump (wild leeks), and asparagus dominate the menu.
There are exceptions to the “fresh only” rule. Out-of-season vegetables are available frozen, pickled, canned or dehydrated on site. Hardiman estimates his staff saves thousands of pounds of tomatoes and hundreds of ears of corn each summer.
The new Hartford resident Dr. Atul and Amita Butala are repeat visitors to the facility. “As strict vegetarians, we always had a variety of dishes to choose from on the menu and the staff prepared the dishes to our liking,” says Amita happily. . “Highly recommend the restaurant for its delicious food and excellent service.”
As Amita’s observations show, tailors and cooks make dietary restrictions a priority. “We consider ourselves a vegetarian restaurant with a focus on meat, as half of our menu is vegetarian. , it may be omitted depending on the customer’s preference.We are 110% considerate.”Thank you very much.
The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Melissa, have experienced firsthand the truth of the saying, “You are what you eat.” When their eldest son, Fionn, was an infant, he suffered from severe food allergies, which prompted the couple to closely monitor their diet. “Fionn is now a healthy 13-year-old with no food allergies, just like his brother Asa,” Hardiman reports.
Hardiman makes sure that his suppliers are as dedicated to providing healthy food as he is to his customers. Barnefeld’s Slate, for example, buys “Heritage Pork” from Creek Farm. There, animals are fed nutritious soybeans, wheat and corn. As he points out, “that’s how it was done over 100 years ago.”
He attributes a “big part” of the restaurant’s success to his calculated decision to pair fresh, local ingredients with very high quality local wines, and the restaurant’s wine list He points out that it is based almost entirely on New York State’s selection, which includes more than 60 wineries. “Some consider it a rash decision, but Finger Lakes and Long Island produce world-class wines. It makes sense,” he declares.
Future plans include moving the restaurant to the ground floor of the former Children’s Museum at 311 Main Street in Utica this spring. Hardiman highlights the many advantages of the move, including the building’s proximity to the train station and ease of access. Tall windows that provide plenty of natural light. The floor space is about five times the current location. In addition, the newly designed seating arrangement features ‘he is two concepts under one roof’. Seating on a first-come, first-served basis, his section of the bar that accommodates 100 patrons serves burgers, sandwiches, cheese boards, and more. Other casual fares. The 50-seat formal dining area will continue to serve upscale, locally sourced cuisine from the current menu. Reservations are recommended.
And just like now, The Tailor and the Cook will continue to follow Hardiman’s award-winning secrets of success. We want our neighbors and communities to taste the farm-to-table food we make with love. “
