Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/532497
photography by anjali pinto Growing up on his family's organic farm in Door County, Andrew Lutsey says he always felt connected to good, fresh food. To help spread that gospel of a healthy diet, he founded Local Foods in 2013, where he and partners Dave Rand and Ryan Kimura have been supplying locally grown ingredi- ents to concepts like Trenchermen, Soho House, Lula Cafe, Nellcôte, Perennial Virant, and Found. Now, the team of 28 has debuted a 27,000-square-foot Bucktown facility (1427 W. Willow St., 312-432-6575; localfoods.com) complete with wholesale distribution, a retail store, a café, an event space, and a butcher shop helmed by new partner Rob Levitt of The Butcher & Larder. "One of the most fun parts about this expansion," says Levitt, who is moving his butcher shop into Local Foods' new facility, "is that it gives opportunities to reach out to the network of chefs that I've made friends with over the years and say, 'Let's collaborate,' or 'Look at all of this great stuff we have—you should put this on your menu.'" Over drinks and bites at Trenchermen before the opening, Lutsey, Rand, and Levitt talk sourcing, seasonality, and the simple pleasure of Trenchermen's pickle tots. You wanted to meet at Trenchermen. Why? Andrew Lutsey: [To Rand] You suggested it. Rob Levitt: I just do what I'm told. Dave Rand: [Chef ] Pat [Sheerin] is a really good friend. He is a massive supporter of Local Foods and one of our first cus- tomers, and he gets us. He uses Local Foods the way we want to be used as a service: He gets a little bit from every product category, he allows us to play with the seasons, and he doesn't get ahead of season as a lot of chefs do. He doesn't have aspar- agus on his menu yet because there is none. [Laughs] RL: Yeah, he's very genuine. Pat and I go way back—we both won the Bertolli Sous Chef Award together in '03. That was the first time I met him, and they flew us to New York. DR: Wow, that's really cool. I was personally excited about Trenchermen opening because two of my favorite guys at the time [were] Pat and his brother Mike, the food was totally different, and it's just a great vibe. I still think it's one of the most beautiful spaces in Chicago. [Mushroom trencher with soy-poached eggs, ramps, oyster mushrooms, mushroom duxelle, and house ciabatta is served] RL: Beautiful. SouRce coDe WhAT: A predinner pick-me-up between three of Local Foods' partners. When: Late afternoon on a sunny Thursday. WheRe: Trenchermen, 2039 W. North Ave., 773-661-1540; trenchermen.com Fresh Perspective As their fArm-to-tAble fAcility, locAl foods, opens in bucktown, pArtners Andrew Lutsey, dAve rAnd, And rob Levitt gAther At trenchermen to discuss their shAred pAssion for ingredients thAt sing. by meg mathis coNTiNued oN pAge 102 clockwise from top: The mushroom trencher features soy-poached eggs; Local Foods partners (from left) Andrew Lutsey, Rob Levitt, and Dave Rand; Trenchermen's cult-favorite pickle tots; the kitchen entrance. 100 michiganavemag.com taste On the town