Edible Queens Makes its Delicious Debut
Because we share a common vision, and because Eat Well is based in New York City, we are particularly excited to highlight and congratulate Edible Queens, the latest addition to Edible Communities, a network of local food publications. Now 53 strong throughout the US and Canada, Edible publications “
connect consumers with family farmers, growers, chefs, and food artisans of all kinds. We believe that every person has the right to affordable, fresh, healthful food on a daily basis and that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing.”This common vision was the inspiration behind a partnership Eat Well has been building with Edible Communities in order to provide conscientious eaters with the richest, most up-to-date information on their local food scenes. Restaurants, farms and stores serving up local, sustainable, organic food highlighted in the publications are
featured in the Eat Well Guide crediting the corresponding Edible chapter. Eat Well has formed similar partnerships with other local and regional food organizations. If you would like to recommend a potential partner, email us at
info@eatwellguide.org.
With the area’s variety of culinary destinations and its rich farming history,
Edible Queens, the “little engine that could” promises to live up to its well-respected predecessors, Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan. We recently spoke with Leah McLaughlin, editor and publisher of Edible Queens about the Fall 2009 inaugural issue, the diverse food culture in Queens and what lies ahead…
1. What role does Queens play in the good food movement?Queens was once the breadbasket of the New York City area, but overdevelopment has caused many of the farms to go out of business. But we’re beginning to climb out of the ashes. We’ve always been the borough that was most respected for the diversity of its food, but now we’ve started to pay more attention to where that food comes from. Queens County Farm, the oldest continuously working farm in all of New York State, is based here, and thriving. New local food restaurants like
Vesta in Astoria and
Manducatis Rustica in Long Island City and bars like
Sweet Afton in Astoria, are turning our palettes more toward locally-sourced foods. Our farmers’ markets get bigger every year. We are a borough with a long history of local food, rediscovering our roots. Edible Queens is here to help facilitate that.
2. How do you go about getting the stories for each issue?A lot of good old fashioned research. Also when the news broke that I was publishing Edible Queens, Queens fans came out of the woodwork and pitched me stories. The issue could not have [come] together without the interest from the readers, who were literally desperate to see their favorite borough get its due. We’ve long been in the shadows of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and there was a sentiment that “Finally! Queens gets props!” So I had lots of input from the residents.
3. What is the most exciting new local food development you have found?So far, I’m just over the moon about
Queens County Farm Museum; they’re doing really amazing things, and I try to hook up restaurants to them all the time. Also, the fact that a lot of restaurants are making direct farmer connections is a great thing. The farmers were hard hit this year, and many restaurants reached out to help them.
Sage General Store in Long Island City had special menus for almost the entire month of September and October that were entirely devoted to local farm products. So that was wonderful.
4. What can readers look forward to in the next issue?A lot more great stuff. Too soon to share! But check the website (ediblequeensmagazine.com) around Thanksgiving for a preview.
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