15 East

188 Bakery Cuchifrito’s

88 Orchard

Al Di La Trattoria

Ali’s Roti

Amanda’s

An Choi

Aurora

Automatic Slim’s

Benny Tudino’s

Big Nick’s

Bistro Les Minots

Bogota Bistro

Bouchon

Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee

Burger Joint

Café Habana

Café Ollin

Calexico

Caracas

Corner Bistro

The Crooked Tree

Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Dive Bar

Djerdan 3

Dumont

Ess-A-Bagels

Fiore Deli

Fornino

Greenwich Grill

H&H Bagels

Iris Café

Jane

Leo’s Latticini

Little Owl

Luke’s Lobster

Markt

Mad For Chicken

Norma’s

Peter Luger’s Steakhouse

Petey’s Burger

Roebling Pizza

Sal, Kris, and Charlie’s Deli

Sanford’s

Schnitzel & Things

Sushi Azabu

Taste Good Malaysian

The Grey Dog’s Coffee

Tom’s

Tocqueville

The Treats Truck

Tuck Shop

Wafels & Dinges

Xian Famous Foods

Xochimilco

Zoma

Practically the entire independent food writing community in New York is on board with this project. A few of the notable participants are Zach of Midtown Lunch, Marc of No Recipes, Jessica of Food Mayhem, Lindsay of Happy Herbivore, Lauren of East Village Kitchen, and Dave of Eating In Translation (you can see the most updated list of confirmed writers here). Some mainstream outlets that have already picked up the project and the interviews will run as the project approaches.

All donations from the restaurants involved in this project will be noted on this site. The restaurant visits will each be documented in a write up on WanderingFoodie.com (click here for a sample write-up) and likely posted on the blogs of the writers in attendance.

* Hagan Blount would like to thank Jean Georges for hosting the initial meal between himself and Steve Dublanica of Waiter Rant.

One reason we choose not to vote with our dollars is convenience, this is true. The other, and we believe the more important reason, is that we don’t know how to get regionally sourced food. What to look for, where to go, how not to spend an arm and a leg living our values.

Coming in Spring 2010, IRL Arts Foundation will roll out a program that will help you make simple decisions at your local supermarket on how to eat more healthy, more local, and in many cases, more inexpensively that you do today. This handbook will be tailored to the New York City Metro area and will be expanding to other large metropolitan areas as demand and reach broadens. The program will touch upon:

* Grocery stores that source local food
* Regional Brands to look for
* Farm Co-ops and Farm Shares in the NY-NJ-CT area
* Restaurants that primarily use local ingredients
* Growing your own herbs and vegetables
* Food related educational programs and volunteer organizations in your area
* Chart of the fruits and vegetables available season by season with recipes to go along with them

In part with our growing website and handbook, a few thought leaders in the slow food movement have agreed to speak and share their mission and ideas on behalf of the IRL Arts Foundation. Their bios will be up soon and the Q&A sessions will cover the gamut of topics in regionally sourced food and can be tailored to meet the needs of your school, university, or organization.

Please send an email to Info (at) IRLAF (dot) org for more information on bringing an IRL Arts Foundation speaker to your school, campus, or event. If you would like a copy of the IRL Arts Foundation 2010 NYC Metro Area Handbook, please send an e-mail to list (at) IRLAF (dot) org and you will be notified when it is available.

This scholarship process is a bit different than others in the culinary world and requires all applicants to submit a video instead of a writing sample. Videos will be graded on a curve and account for 50% of the decision, the other 50% will depend on such factors as grade point average, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, financial need, and work experience (if applicable).

2010’s video will be about your most precious food moment. What was the taste, the smell, the feel, the sound of your most vivid and defining memory of food that made you appreciate eating for more than just sustenance? Why will that help you bring your message to the people when you get out of school? How will the memory of that moment shine through in what you do daily and what about it motivates you to achievement? The video should be from three to five minutes long and you should not be afraid to show your personality! While you should not include music or text overlays in any part of the video, voiceovers and pictures of people, places, or things are acceptable.

The scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors accepted into a two year (minimum 15-month) curriculum in the culinary arts. The school need not be located within the United States to be eligible for the scholarship. Students accepted into the French Culinary Institute in New York City or Le Cordon Bleu North America may also qualify for a tuition waiver.

All 2010 scholarship applications must be received by June 1, 2010. You may submit your application to Info (@) irlaf (dot) org. Please right click to download the application here.