HAUPPAUGE, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 24, 2013) - New York City restaurant owners were questioning where all the top chefs are "disappearing" to in a recent report on NY public radio. One reason for the "exodus" from the competitive NYC restaurant scene, according to the report: "Chefs' obsession with local ingredients is making smaller communities a lot more appealing."
And here's the real inside scoop: Many of them didn't travel far. They're on Long Island, just outside NYC, in what's known as "Disneyland for chefs," according to one of the most respected chefs in New York, who described Long Island using these exact words.
She, along with other top New York chefs, is migrating to Long Island where the seafood is fresh from the ocean, grapes for wine are grown on the vine and local farmers work with local chefs to grow some of the most unique produce and herbs. That means lots of amazing opportunities for foodies and epicureans visiting the region.
Long Island is the most agriculturally rich region in all of New York State; where better for a top chef interested in the trendy "farm (and sea) to table" movement to be?
Long Island has a vibrant fishing community, featuring local delicacies like Blue Point Oyster and Peconic Bay Scallops. Its wine country region (named one of the Top Ten Wine Regions in the World by Wine Enthusiast magazine) has over 50 producers of wine and tasting rooms open to the public.
And if you haven't visited our farms lately, you're missing out on local mushrooms; French Charolais beef; Long Island duck; fresh herbs and organic produce; potatoes for vodka and potato chips; even hops for local beer, all grown right here.
And again, some of the best restaurants in New York focused on farm-to-table dishes.
The Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the launch of its new Epicurean Adventures website, featuring Long Island organic farms, farmer's markets, pick-your-own produce, wine and spirits and more, including videos of local specialties being created by the area's top chefs.
So if you're wondering where the top chefs have gone... take a look at: http://www.discoverlongisland.com/epicurean/