With explanations like shiitake mushrooms “organically grown on Bald Eagle Farm at the confluence of two of Missouri’s most pristine streams, the Jacks Fork and Current rivers in Shannon County,” and “salad greens from Bob Lober’s St. Isadore Farm in Moscow Mills,” on the menu, it’s no surprise that Riddle’s Penultimate Café and Wine Bar won the 2004 Sauce Readers’ Choice Award for best use of local ingredients. However, Andy Ayers, owner of Riddle’s, wishes there were more restaurants using local ingredients, even though it would mean more competition for him. “If more restaurants demanded more local ingredients, those farmers would produce more of them,” he said.
There are two basic reasons Ayers uses local ingredients. “First is that I try to find the best ingredients,” he said. “And in the summer, the best ingredients, especially in terms of produce, are from right around here. The second reason is political. I find farmers are great people who I truly enjoy, and they’re being squeezed by big agriculture just like small businessmen are being squeezed everywhere.” Ayers’ daughter K.T., who is now in charge of the kitchen, added that by using local ingredients “You can represent your area more closely, your microclimate, your ‘terroir.'” She elaborated by saying, “The combination of specific crops that will grow well around here is not identical with the crops that will grow well 100 miles away. And I don’t think anyone has fully investigated how those crops go together in terms of food. If this is done there really could be a local St. Louis cuisine.” Plus, she added refreshingly, “Why sell out to ‘the man’?”
First and foremost, the produce that Andy Ayers buys must be of the highest quality. This is why all of the restaurant’s ingredients aren’t locally grown. But, as K.T. Ayers said, “The idea is that if an ingredient doesn’t have to be shipped, it’ll be fresher.”
Andy Ayers elaborated, “Things are always better if they’re allowed to completely ripen on the vine. But at that point you can’t ship them. They’re too soft. The black raspberries on the menu couldn’t be shipped to California. They just wouldn’t make it.” When an ingredient has a lot of water in it, there’s a correlation between how fragile it is and how good will be.
“Modern agriculture has evolved hybrid varieties and what agriculture demands are varieties that can be harvested mechanically,” said Andy Ayers. “Those varieties are not the tastiest but just the hardiest. The crops grown in those conditions are often made to look ripe instead of being actually physiologically ripe.” Luckily, Andy Ayers noted that currently, “There’s a niche market for local produce around cities.” This trend is coupled with the current interest in organic foods and could mean that more restaurants will feature local organic produce on their menus.
Riddles’ menu lists the names of the farmers who provided the ingredients. As Andy Ayers said, “If we’re going to pay more for all these local ingredients, and we do pay more for them, people should know we’re doing it so we get something out of it.” In addition, “The farmers get tickled to see their names on the menu,” he said, and lots of times customers want to know where they can buy their own local shiitake mushrooms and salad greens. Andy Ayers said that the way to encourage small farmers is mind-numbingly simple: Buy their stuff.
This article appears in March 2024.