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SJIRA – SJ Hot Chefs
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www.sjhotchefs.com

South Jersey Hot Chef’s Present:
“Farm to Fork Week”

A Week-Long Celebration of Local Farming
with Special $30 Dinners in Many Local Restaurants

July 22nd thru July 27th

South Jersey (June 26, 2007) -- The South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association (commonly known as SJ Hot Chefs) presents “Farm to Fork Week”, a week long tribute to local farming, Sunday, July 22 through Friday, July 27.  Each restaurant will present a four course dinner at $30 per person featuring products from local New Jersey farmers.  Participating restaurants will present a unique four course menu, with each individual dish highlighting a specific local product.

Farmers will be present at various restaurants throughout the week to educate diners on the benefits of using locally grown products and provide explanation on how these items are grown and harvested.  Both farmers and chefs are looking forward to a week that promises to be both delicious and educational.  “It’s a great way for our diners to get a feeling for what’s out there in Jersey,” explained Chef Michael O’Mara, executive chef and owner of MO Café in Voorhees.  “By buying local, we are able to use produce that was picked that day, which allows the restaurant to put out a superior final product.  One of the dishes we will be featuring is a Crispy Black New Jersey Sea Bass.  Almost everything on the plate comes from New Jersey.  It’s served with an heirloom tomato and avocado gazpacho, micro greens and sweet corn salad, topped with a blueberry foam.”  The “Farm to Fork Week” menu at MO Café will include locally harvested produce, fish, meat and dairy products. 

Chef Louis Imbesi, executive chef at Catelli Restaurant in Voorhees, NJ, has been combing the state to find the finest products New Jersey has to offer.  “Most of these chefs have grown up enjoying the seasonal products we have here in New Jersey and, in some cases, take it for granted,” Chef Catelli explained.  “I’m very excited to give these farmers and growers the attention they deserve.”  Catelli will be using local products such as clams, oysters, tilapia, black bass and even quail.  Fresh quail from Griggstown Quail Farm in Griggstown, NJ will be used in Catelli’s Boneless Fried Quail and Fried Green Tomato Duo which is served with a gorgonzola sauce, micro greens and a hot sauce vinaigrette.  In addition to the four course menu, Catelli’s will be offering a selection of wine parings featuring wines from New Jersey’s finest wineries such as, Amalthea Cellars in Atco, NJ, Tomasello Winery in Hammonton, NJ and Renault Winery in Galloway Township, NJ.  The paring is priced at $20 per person.

Over 30 of South Jersey’s finest restaurants will be participating in this year’s “Farm to Fork Week”.  They include:

Alisa Café, Cherry Hill; Anthony’s, Haddon Heights; Andreotti's Viennese Café, Cherry Hill; Bàcio Italian Cuisine, Cinnaminson; Beau Rivage, Medford; Bistro Di Marino, Collingswood; Blackbird Dining Establishment, Collingswood; Blue Eyes, Sewell; Blueplate, Mullica Hill; Braddock's Tavern, Medford; Caffé Aldo Lamberti, Cherry Hill; Catelli Restaurant, Voorhees; Coriander: an Indian Bistro, Voorhees; Cork, Westmont; Elements Café, Haddon Heights; Emerald Fish, Cherry Hill; Fuji Japanese Restaurant, Haddonfield; GG's Restaurant, Mount Laurel; Grotticella, Williamstown; High Street Grill, Mount Holly; Joe Palombo’s Mirabella Café, Cherry Hill; Kunkel's Seafood & Steakhouse, Haddon Heights; La Campagne, Cherry Hill; La Campagnola, Shamong; La Esperanza, Lindenwold; The Gourmet Room
at Venice Plaza, Berlin; The Little Tuna, Haddonfield; Los Amigos, West Berlin; Luna Rossa Biagio Lamberti, Turnersville; Megu Sushi, Cherry Hill; Melange Café, Cherry Hill; MO Café, Voorhees; The Robin’s Nest, Mount Holly; San Miguel Mexican Cuisine, Washington Township; Scaturro's, Marlton; Thommy G's, Audubon; The Tortilla Press, Collingswood and Villari's Milmarian, Palmayra. 

About The SJ Hot Chefs

The South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association, commonly known as the “SJ Hot Chefs”, over the past year, has launched an expansive campaign to raise public awareness of the excellent dining opportunities available in South Jersey. They achieve this through a collective effort by the area’s top independent restaurants.  Some of their more recent SJ events include: A Guest Chef Dinner Series, SJ’s only “Restaurant Week” where diners enjoy 4 course dinners for $30.00 at many of SJ’s top independent restaurants and a local farmer partnership program. Info on all this and more is available at www.sjhotchefs.com .

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