On a chilly February morning nearly a dozen years ago, Louisville restaurateur Kathy Cary gathered with others in her empty restaurant for a discussion about locally grown food. Chefs, farmers, and agriculture officials came for coffee and the cold, hard facts about bringing Kentucky and Indiana farm products to the tables of fancy restaurants. They knew it wouldn't be easy.
Many local chefs are enthusiastic about the high quality of local agriculture.
But distribution, quality control and consistent pricing are just a few of the hurdles that remain high for the average chef. Cary, owner of Lilly's restaurant and La Peche carryouts, has stayed in the culinary track meet from the beginning and has become known as Louisville's strongest fine-dining supporter of local farm products. She took them to showcase at the James Beard House in New York. Randy Graf's broccoli from Indiana, I've heard about and I wanted to check it out. Ky. Cary has earned her considerable reputation by putting her signature on regional products.