Metro PHX: Organic/Locally-produced

[starlightjulian]

Hello all!!

Are there ethnic restaurants in the valley that use organic or locally-produced produce and food products? I know Persian Garden Cafe and The Mandala Tearoom (vegan!) serve organic foods, and Udupi strictly caters to vegetarian and even vegan clientele. Can anyone name some restaurants (ethnic or not) that feature organic foods and wild-caught seafood (low- to mid-prices)? Along a similar note, has anyone tried Fishhugger products? I've read that Fishhugger supplies Cyprus Pita Grill wild salmon... are the dishes any good? I've only tried the kataifi at the CPG Tempe location (next to the Improv), and was I sorry I did! (Their kataifi cannot compare to the ones I had bought at the Greek festival at the Tempe Beach Park two years ago... but I digress.) Anyhoo, just want to know if I should give CPG another chance, and what to avoid if I do...

[kmarg]

Tarbells on Camelback uses all local organic produce. Hasn't gotten alot of play lately on this board, but still pretty good food and one of the better wine lists in town.

FYI - his Iron Chef episode airs on Sept 16 for the first time

[silverbear]

Essence Bakery Cafe in Tempe tries to combine a mid-priced fast-casual approach with local and organic ingredients. I don't think there's seafood on the menu. The local approach is mainly focused on produce, and there are even copies of the locavore magazine Edible Phoenix on display. It's reasonably good food, but I find the prices high in light of the small portion sizes.

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Essence Bakery Cafe
825 W University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281