Ferndale Restaurants Buy Local: 'The Food Is Just Better That Way'

owner Dean Bach went up north for the last week of September. It is not uncommon, he said, to just take off and head toward the top of the Mitten or over to the Leelanau Peninsula or somewhere else across the state.

“I just drive,” he said.

Along the way, he'll pick up a variety of farm-grown goodies from the vendors who line the roads in less-populated areas. This time of year, he said, he sees a lot of tomatoes, corn, apples and cherries.

“I like to go shopping for ingredients,” he said.

To Bach and other restaurant owners in Ferndale, it's as simple as knowing that they are getting the best ingredients at the best time from the best region. Buying local just make economic sense — and the food tastes better, he said.

Bach said that what he doesn't find at local farms, he gets from distributors that buy local produce and eggs. A good way to do that, he said, is to buy organic, since produce that travels a long way can't hold up without preservatives.

“And it's popular,” Bach said. “We don't have to convince anyone or go outside of Michigan.”

Bach said he sometimes likes to top each bloody mary cocktail with a slice of homegrown tomato. Bloody marys are a favorite item on Dino's brunch lineup, he said.

Tomatoes, he said, are a money-saver. They cost about $1.50 a pound from a local farm — half the price he said he would pay a distributor. "There's lots of good stuff here," he said.

Chef Gavin McMillian of agrees that for the best ingredients, he doesn't have to look very far.  

McMillian said The Fly Trap buys local ingredients when possible, such locally cured beef briskets, tofu from Michigan Soy Products in Royal Oak and coffee from Great Lakes Coffee.

The eggs used in the restaurant's legendary "blunch" menu come from Hamilton Eggs in Hamilton, and breakfast links are made by the Detroit Sausage Co., McMillian said.

"We use a lot of local produce when it is available," he said, "not just 
because we want to support the local growers; it is also cheaper and usually of higher quality. Not having to travel so great a distance is generally a good thing."

Changing with the seasons

Bach said specials at Dino's change with the season. And he is not alone.

chef James Henry said he is planning a menu change to coincide with Michigan's autumn growing season.

Torino prides itself on using fresh, quality ingredients on its menu, taking inspiration from European dining, Henry said.

“,” said Noah Dorfman, who was among the group that opened the establishment July 11 below the Lofts on 9. Torino offers a unique dining experience with quality ingredients, which often means local ingredients, he said.

Henry, a Berkley native who describes himself as a self-taught chef, has worked for many Metro Detroit restaurants, including Cafe Muse in Royal Oak. He said he often visits the Royal Oak Farmers Market, where he talks with the farmers, as well as the Royal Oak Community Garden.

“We're not tied to any specific farm, but (we) look for what's best in the area,” he said.

Poultry and meats used in menu items are raised at local farms, such as Peacock's Poultry Farm in Troy, and from other Michigan sources, including Werp Farms near Traverse City.

“We get a lot of specialty items from Traverse City,” Henry said.

He said there are a lot of products from throughout Michigan that are considered “local,” even though they may come from hundreds of miles away.

“Obviously, we can't get all of our products locally, such as lemons and limes, but we try to get sources as local as possible,” he said.

Henry said he is in the process of changing the menu for the fall season, and it should be ready around mid-October.

“Pretty soon, tomatoes will get mealy, and we'll find another product to use that is local and in season," he said. "We will bring in more seasonal items as we get into fall. Michigan is a beautiful state for food in the fall growing season.”

According to PickYourOwn.org, Michigan crops that are in season until the end of October include apples, Asian pears, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupes, greens, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes and watermelon.

“We do everything we can to purchase anything living as less-traveled as possible,” Henry said. “The food is just better that way.”

Eating slow, watching things grow

Some restaurants use an even better method of getting their food local: They grown their own.

Bach grows pots of herbs, incuding basil and chives, along the lower patio of Dino's. has a lush garden of its own that patrons can see from the restaurant's patio.

Bach said his mother starts the herbs from seeds at home, and they plant them to line the outside dining area. He said he likes to grow things that can be eaten and even tries a little gardening at home, although he said those efforts are minimal due to time demands at Dino's.

Slow Food Detroit said this lifestyle is good for communities, the economy and healthful living.

As a chapter of Slow Food USA, Slow Food Detroit aims to fulfill the Slow Food mission — to provide alternatives to the fast-food lifestyle “that robs us of our agricultural, family and culinary heritages” — at a local level.

Eating "slow food" in season can have a huge impact, the website states. Members are invited to take part in local and regional food-related events, such as rural and urban farm tours, farmers markets, wine tastings, brewery and wine tours, film screenings and farm-to-school programs.

Local products

Emily Husband, general manager at and , said the establishments have had several collaborations with local businesses and seek out local products for each menu.

“We try to be as local as possible,” she said, getting Angus beef from Stairway Packing at Eastern Market and buns from Herman's Bakery in Royal Oak. Cherries for the Michigan salad come from Traverse City, she said, and the establishments make their dressings in house using fresh ingredients.

At Dino's, some of the menu mainstays include Michigan's Better Made chips, Faygo, Ferndale's Valentine Vodka, Ghetto Blaster beer from Detroit's Motor City Brewing Works and beer from Kalamazoo's Bell's Brewery. Bach said Dino's is scouting the Leelanau region in search of a Michigan-made wine to feature.

Scott Moloney knows how to promote these resources, and he draws in Ferndale businesses and Michigan food makers to create unique flavors at his own sweet spot, .

His flavors often include ingredients from Ferndale eateries as well as items from throughout the Metro Detroit area, such as blueberry and raspberry paczki from New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck.

“I try to partner with as many local businesses as possible,” Moloney said.