Tried and Tasted: Slow Food NYC's Snail of Approval
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
The New York City arm of the Slow Food movement has unleashed its own seal of approval, or rather, snail of approval, as those gastronomic gastropods would have it. Awarded to restaurants, bars, food and beverage artisans, and retailers—who have rated exceptionally in three categories (Quality, Authenticity, and Sustainability)—the emblem is the non-profit's way of recognizing an eatery's contribution to the city's food supply.
A restaurant that bears the mark of the snail may serve organic meals, or it may not, Slow Food NYC notes. "Organic agriculture certainly tends to be more sustainable than agriculture dependent on the overuse of chemicals," it states on its Web site. "On the other hand, organic vegetables from China burn a lot of fuel getting all the way to New York, which might be much worse for the planet than using a little fertilizer on a Jersey tomato." (We've yapped about this quandary before.)
Visit the organization's Web site to locate a snail-approved eatery near you. You can also nominate your favorite outlet if you're a Slow Food member. ::Slow Food NYC Snail of Approval
Thanks for the post -- I wasn't familiar with the program in NYC but have often thought about what a similar program would look like here in Memphis. When I visit other cities I use local Slow Food sites to help me identify restaurants, often to wonderful results.