Harvested Here Restaurant Week offers a chance to dine out, eat local - July 12-19

photo Local food is better for your health, better for the local economy and it simply tastes, well, better. When you see the Harvested Here certification, it means the food on your plate was grown or raised within 100 miles of Chattanooga.

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS212 Market -- 212 Market St.Alleia -- 25 E. Main St.Back Inn Cafe -- 412 E. Second St.Blacksmith's Bistro & Bar -- 809 Market St.The Blue Plate -- 191 Chestnut St.Broad Street Grille -- 1201 Broad St.Cafe on the Corner -- 826 Scenic Highway, Lookout MountainCommunity Pie -- 850 Market St.Easy Bistro & Bar -- 203 Broad St.Elemental -- 313 Manufacturers RoadEnzo's Market -- 1501 Long St.Famous Nater's World Famous -- food truck, various locationsFlying Squirrel -- 55 Johnson St.Fork & Pie Bar -- 811 Market St.Good Dog -- 34 Frazier Ave.Lupi's -- 406 Broad St., 5504 Hixson Pike, 1414 Jenkins Road, 9453 Bradmore Lane in Ooltewah and 2382 N. Ocoee St. in ClevelandMilk & Honey -- 135 N. Market St.Public House -- 1110 Market St.St. John's -- 1278 Market St.St. John's Meeting Place -- 1274 Market St.Sushi Nabe -- 110 River St.Taco Mamacita -- 109 N. Market St.TerraMae Appalachian Bistro -- 120 E. 10th St.Terra Nostra Tapas & Wine -- 105 Frazier Ave.Tony's Pasta Shop & Trattoria -- 212 High St.Urban Stack -- 12 W. 13th St.Whole Foods -- 301 Manufacturers Road

More than 25 Chattanooga restaurants, most of them downtown, will offer delicious lessons in where the food you're eating comes from over the next eight days, July 12-19.

Harvested Here Restaurant Week began in 2011 as an awareness event to highlight local restaurants and farms and to encourage patrons to learn more about the source of the food they're eating when dining out.

During the week, each participating restaurant will offer a unique menu of the summer's best picks from fresh, local foods that are grown within 100 miles of Chattanooga.

Taylor Monen, owner of four local restaurants, says the event, part of an ongoing local-food movement, has made a difference in how customers react to menus.

"All of a sudden, our guests have a desire to know not only where their food is coming from but how it was made," Monen says in a news release. "They are challenging us, which is exactly what we want."

Mike and Taylor Monen own Taco Mamacita, Urban Stack, Community Pie and the newly opened Milk & Honey. All of their restaurants will be participating in Harvested Here Restaurant Week.

Farms and food artisans play a major role in the event as well. Many will increase their growing capacity of certain foods that restaurants will be buying for the event. Tomatoes, herbs, greens and berries are in season for July and will be peaking on menus during the event week.

"It's truly a coordinated effort between restaurants and growers, further enhancing those relationships to promote the use and consumption of locally grown foods," says Jeff Pfitzer of Gaining Ground, which promotes consumption of local foods.

More information about the participating restaurants and special menus for the week can be found online at GrowChattanooga.org or on FaceBook.com/GrowChattanooga.

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