Chef John Vargo is turning the culinary scene of the Adirondacks on it's head. Challenging the status quo is something that he loves. He often wonders why restaurants charge so much to eat quality food (or worse, for pre-fabricated low quality food), and why so many in the industry seem to be catering to the 'haves' while the numbers of 'have not's' seem to be increasing by the day, including the very cooks and servers who work in the trenches.
He cringes when he hears new industry catchwords like 'subsidized food cost' to describe a new restaurant concept. One that caters to the wealthy, demanding clients who would rather have a piece of wild Alaskan King Salmon flown in by jet to ensure maximum freshness, than eat a nice piece of that fish's cousin that was frozen right after being caught, and will arrive next week by train (at a much more reasonable cost to the kitchen as well as the environment).
Or, when someone starts discussing how their restaurant exclusively serves food that was harvested and grown no more than 100 miles from the front door. Great for those who live in California or Florida, but not so good for the guy in Nevada or North Dakota (or the Adirondacks!).
He believes that food can be shared and traded the world over, as long as precautions have been taken to ensure that they are sustainable and travel via the most efficient means available. He believes in fresh harvested food only when it is best, in season, and supplied by caring individuals who can afford to feed it to their own families. And he does not approve of the boutique producers within 100 miles of the front door who charge high prices for their product simply because their customer 'understands and appreciates' the higher costs associated with operating in their close proximity. Or because the enlightened consumer that they prize has no qualms about paying top dollar at their local farm market. He has seen fields of tomatoes rotting in October because the producer sees no market for canned tomatoes, after all civilized people don't eat canned vegetables. They truck them in fresh from points south and west.  Well, life existed before oil ruled, and people ate what was fresh when it was in season, and they ate canned, dried or cured foods when the season ended. They did not waste food and they got creative to keep their food interesting in the winter months. That is what John's philosophy involves, actually working within a parameter of limitations regarding supplies during the off-season, and relying on a bit of creativity to keep things healthy and interesting. If it is done right, the results can be amazing, and that is what John strives for every day at Eat 'n Meet Grill and Larder. For some seasonal ideas, please visit our recipe page.