Bon Appétit Management Company

Planted in the middle of San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza (right in front of the City Hall building), Slow Food Nation’s Victory Garden is quite an impressive site. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect to be underwhelmed. I had been following the progress of this project on Slow Food Nation’s blog and Bon Appetit has been a great supporter of the organization. In fact, the team at University of San Francisco prepared a local, delicious (memorable) lunch for the volunteers and attendees at the Victory Garden "launch" day on July 14th. What do you serve a group of Bay Area foodies, you may ask? Well, the USF team’s delectable menu items not only satiated the guests but also impressed them: California Cubano Sandwich, Grilled Fitz Fresh Portobello Mushroom Sandwich, Three Bean Salad, Three Green Salad, Fresh Mini Blueberry and […]

The USDA is studying the impact of climate change on the US food system. How about looking at how the US food system is impacting climate change? We’ve gathered a fair amount of science on the connection between food and climate change but much of the research is based in Europe. It’s time for the USDA to start exploring the changes all Americans can make to reduce global warming. – Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President

I’m not sure I remember what my office looks like, but I’ve had excellent reasons to stay away this week. I visited a tomato farm 35 miles north of LA that shook my definition of “local tomato.” (Yes, I felt the earthquake, but that’s not the shaking I mean.) In addition to organic heirlooms densely grown with the aid of sophisticated monitoring equipment to measure water absorption (I’ve become a tomato geek), I saw a temperature-controlled greenhouse dependent on seed beds from the Netherlands. Setting aside the energy-intensity of this production system (which is enormous), do these tomatoes still qualify as ‘local’ to LA? Later that evening, I gave a talk on the food system’s contribution to climate change before a very enthusiastic audience in Santa Monica. They asked me questions for an hour after a 60-minute presentation. One audience […]

Check out this Peak Season Map put out by Epicurious, the website for Bon Appetit (no relation to us) and Gourmet magazines. It’s a fun little tool that allows you to see what’s in season around the country at different times of year. – Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President

The Princeton Review ranked Wheaton College #1 for "Best Campus Food" in the country! Published every year, these rankings are based on information from students at various colleges in the U.S. This great story was featured in the Chicago Tribune today–definitely icing on the cake! I imagine the community is proud to have a local school shine at the top. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two other Bon Appétit colleges that made the Top 10 list for "Best Campus Food": St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN was #4 and Washington University in St.Louis, MO #8. Congrats to the Wheaton, St. Olaf, and Wash U teams! -Katherine Kwon, Communications Project Manager

Okay, I’ve got a favorite new blog – Organic on the Green. I discovered it while reading an early copy of the Organic Trade Association’s guide for helping students get more organic offerings in food service (which is going to be a fabulous resource when they publish it). I was contacted by an intern named Nina who is compiling the guide and also came up with the idea for this blog. I’ve never met her but I’m very impressed by her writing style, thoughtfulness, and interest in making change. The mission of the blog is to "feed the organic revolution in campus dining." In its inaugural month, students at several colleges have posted extensive explanations of their efforts, challenges and triumphs trying to green their campuses. For someone in the business of campus dining, the posts are inspiring and informative […]

While the big news around here this morning is the front page Chicago Tribune story that features Bon Appetit, my personal favorite BAMCO story of the morning was on the gossip pages of the Minneapolis StarTribune. Sure the Chicago piece pointed out our leadership in fighting global warming and included some great quotes but the Minneapolis story included Nellie from Little House on the Prairie. No contest 🙂 – Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President and former Little House fan

The tide is changing. Fresh fish is no longer the "must have" item for top chefs. In the same way exotic fruit is falling off menus and being replaced by once-considered-boring local apples, frozen at sea fish is "in" for chefs in the know. Our chefs at Bon Appetit Management Company are leading that charge. When we announced the Low Carbon Diet internally in 2007, one of the purchasing initiatives we thought might give the chefs pause was the move towards fish frozen at sea. Our first choice remains regionally procured fresh seafood but if that’s not possible, we argued, well-handled frozen fish is preferable. Not only does freezing fish at sea eliminate the need to air-freight the product, it can actually better preserve the flavor. Director of the Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation Helene York made this proclamation at […]

The Organic Trade Association and the International Dairy Foods Association filed law suits last month trying to block an Ohio ruling making it illegal for producers to label their products with statements such as "no artificial hormones." This follows similar battles in Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri and New Jersey. As a large purchaser, we need as much labeling as possible to ensure we’re getting the product we deem best for our customers. Whether it’s the use of rBGH, cloned animals, or the country of origin, we should have all the information possible to make our purchasing decisions. When a company fights so hard to discourage labeling, it’s cause for concern. At Bon Appetit, we created the Circle of Responsibility program to give our guests information so they can make food choices that meet their goals and values. Shouldn’t our suppliers allow […]

It’s finally tomato season where I live so I’m dreaming in big red circles. (Green and yellow ones, too.) This past weekend I bought a 40 lb flat and made enough peak season, homemade sauces and condiments to remind me this winter of summer treats. I had a long conversation with a tomato supplier in San Antonio, TX last week about his farming practices, and this week I’m meeting with a tomato farmer in Ventura, CA. I’m also looking at what’s being sold in markets and I’m truly amazed. One upscale market I visited recently had four general varieties on hand, all within a similar price range: heirloom (grown within 50 miles), local organic (less than 10), roma (50), and hydroponic cluster tomatoes. I pulled the sticker off one cluster tomato and under a microscope I could see the phrases […]