| I'm on the plane home from New York. In a strange twist of fate, the airport had no wireless but the plane itself does. Next to me on the seat is a little bag of guilty pleasures - black and white cookies, a potato knish, and some noodle kugel from Artie's Deli on 83rd & Broadway. This is MY version of Mama's home cookin'. What can I say, Jews were never known for their health food. Sustainable it ain't, but at least thanks to New York City policy it is free of trans-fat.
During my time in New York, I met up with several superstars in the national and even international sustainable food and food justice movements. I also dined on some fabulous local, sustainable food. And, I came face to face with the very definition of a food desert. More below... |
Food Deserts in New York City
The friend who put me up may not refer to his home neighborhood as Harlem. His roommate calls it "Hamilton Heights." The map, on the other hand, makes it clear that Hamilton Heights is several blocks to the north, and my friend lives smack dab in the middle of west Harlem. But the name doesn't matter so much as the attributes of the neighborhood itself. I'm told that years ago, the area was characterized by heroin and crime. Today, that's not the case. Many of the residents are black and Latino, and everyone I encountered was friendly and considerate. The neighborhood never felt dangerous at all. My only complaint was the food.
My first afternoon, I walked out of the apartment with my friend and his roommate. As they dropped off their dry cleaning and made their way to the subway, they joked about the tragic make-up of nearby storefronts: a fried chicken place, a 24-hour McDonalds, and a diabetes clinic. The area might no longer have a crime or heroin problem, but it's not a healthy place to live. During my trip, I saw a veggie cart selling vegetables on the street between my friend's apartment and the subway once. Thank goodness there's at least some access to fresh food within walking distance.
Sustainable Food in New York
Most of the sustainable food I ate came directly from the city's greenmarkets. I didn't visit any of them on this trip, but my friends regularly buy their produce there, and they generously cooked for me on several occasions. I certainly lack the budget to dine at well-known sustainable hotspots like Blue Hill, but Paula Crossfield, editor of the blog Civil Eats, introduced me to Angelica Kitchen, which serves delicious, healthy, and AFFORDABLE sustainable food.
Another find on this trip was Grom, an Italian gelato place that is part of the Slow Food movement. They've got one location at 76th and Broadway and another one in the Village, and I've now tried them both. The gelato is pricy - $5.25 for a small - but that's a much more affordable luxury than an entire meal at a fancy restaurant.
Last on my list is 'Snice, and I ate there twice. It's in the West Village on 8th between Jane and Horatio, and it's all vegetarian. I don't know if any of the foods served are either local or organic, but serving vegetables instead of meat and keeping dairy to a minimum makes it far more sustainable than your average New York deli or pizza place. The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious. Plus, I'm always relieved when I can find whole grains and vegetables to eat when I'm out and about. My stomach feels much better when I eat them compared to when I eat refined grains and sugary foods (the normal vegetarian options that appeal to me).
New York Foods
Much like London's fish & chips, Chicago's deep dish pizza, or Philly's cheesesteaks, the food we think of as "New York" is neither sustainable nor healthy. And yet, it's hard to make a trip to New York and turn down authentic New York pizza. So I didn't. In addition to the guilty stash of deli food I brought on the plane with me, I also couldn't pass up a cheese blintz (with blueberry sauce!) and a potato latke from the Stage Deli. And a few slices of garlic and mushroom pizza at John's. And a few H&H bagels. (One classic New York food I won't be having again is a Dr. Brown's soda... it's now owned by PepsiCo and it's full of high fructose corn syrup. Talk about a disappointment!)
Sustainable Food & Food Justice Activism in New York
I'd also like to call out some New York based sustainable food & food justice groups:
- Why Hunger - A fabulous organization that works to end hunger and poverty worldwide.
- Slow Food USA - You're no doubt familiar with them, but did you know they are headquartered in New York?
- Eat Well Guide, Sustainable Table, The Meatrix, and Meatless Mondays - Several great groups, all together in one office, and I had the pleasure of meeting up with them for lunch.
- Brooklyn Food Coalition - This group put on a spectacular Brooklyn Food Conference last year and then decided to keep going as the Brooklyn Food Coalition. I met up with them last time I was in New York, and they are fantastic!
- Just Food works to bring fresh, healthy food to NYC.
- New York Food & Climate Summit 2009 - This is an event, not an organization, but it's worth a mention. It's free and it will be held on December 12, co-sponsored by Just Food, New York University, and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. If I lived anywhere near New York, I wouldn't miss it.
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