business

When the City that Never Sleeps Takes a Rest: What Does That Mean for Local Farmers?

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As empty restaurant tables continue to collect dust in New York City, 60 miles east in Brookhaven, Long Island, Early Girl Farm is bursting with life. Tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings are beginning to extend their leafy limbs out into the world as employees carefully prepare the soil, adjusting its mineral levels and incorporating nutrient-rich compost to create optimal growing conditions for this summer’s crops. Patty Gentry, a former restaurant owner and chef turned professional farmer, owns and operates the small but mighty farm, which provides seasonal, organic produce to restaurants in the New York City Metro Area. 2020 marks Patty’s tenth year as a professional farmer. She is an expert in her field, who understands the science of organic farming down to the microscopic levels of soil composition.

City

Food Trucks and Restaurants Battle Over Hours, Terrain

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The debate between food trucks and local restaurants has been heating up recently, as food truck owners urge the City of Ithaca to relax restrictions on their trucks and restaurant owners accuse food trucks of policy violations. Under the current policy, food trucks may not operate closer than 200 linear feet from the nearest brick and mortar restaurant. At or around Cornell, students have access to a number of food trucks that include Louie’s Lunch Truck, Dos Amigos, That’s How I Roll, the Hot Truck, Franny’s and Collegetown Crepes. However, many of these food trucks only begin operation late at night to avoid violating policies. In an effort to address issues facing restaurants and food trucks, a Board of Public Works subcommittee on street vending convened a meeting on Jan.

minimum wage

Hotel Professors Find Restaurants Not Harmed by Minimum Wage Increases

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A study recently released in December by the School of Hotel Administration combats the commonly held view that increasing minimum wage would lower a restaurant’s profitability. The controversial new study — conducted by Prof. Michael Lynn, hotel administration, and Prof. Christopher Boone, hotel administration — shows that modest increases in the minimum wage over the last 20 years have not affected the number of restaurants or employment levels. Boone said the study — titled “Have Minimum Wage Increases Hurt the Restaurant Industry? The Evidence Says No!” — was prompted by the United States’ new focus on wages that resulted from the recent recession. “There have been a large number of proposals to raise the minimum wage at the national, state, and local levels,” Boone said.

Uncategorized

Authentic Artisanal

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 Last year I wrote a rave review for Terrance Brennan’s Picholine. This year, I herald my return by visiting another of his Manhattan restaurants, Artisanal. It is designed to look like an authentic French bistro, complete with weaved chairs, cushioned booths, black and white tile floors, and high ceilings. In appearance it reminded me of Café Luxembourg (a bistro near where I live) and L’Express (a favorite of mine in Montreal). However, Artisanal differs in a way as would be suggested by its name. Artisanal generally means traditional and small scale and the restaurant holds an astonishing array of artisanal meats and cheeses, many of which are aged next to the diners.