2 Town Restaurants Feature Fresh Local Produce

There’s a new wave on the culinary scene and two Westborough restaurants are riding the crest. Both 1790 House, under new management, and Not Your Average Joe’s now offer innovative new menu selections based on locally sourced foods. They are two very different restaurants with a similar philosophy: offering guests the freshest produce, meats and cheeses available while supporting local farms and the community.

If you haven’t been to 1790 House recently, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Manager Marcos Saldana is intent on offering inspired foods that reflect current tastes and trends, and he has given his chefs free reign to shape the menu accordingly. As a result, this award-winning historical tavern, located at 208 Turnpike Rd., now offers a vibrant new approach to traditional foods, fresh and infused with seasonal flavors. 

Eric Kinniburgh is the restaurant's new executive chef. His passion for local foods requires frequent farm trips to find the freshest produce available. “For a chef,” said Kinniburgh, “this is like a trip to the candy store.” 

Berberian, Harvey’s and Nourse Farm are all regular stops. In addition, Kinniburgh now manages an onsite garden that supplies him with the restaurant’s own fresh herbs and vegetables, inspiring new menu items daily.

“We believe that in providing food, we have a social responsibility to connect to the community and to give back,” said Kinniburgh. He added that working the seasonal harvest into their menu allows them to create new dishes with recipes inspired “from the ground up.” No chemicals, no processing, no microwaves.

The restaurant’s commitment to fresh and local foods now includes smoking their own meat, curing bacon, making sausage and handmade ricotta cheese. A recent menu included mouthwatering Maine Crab Spring Rolls and a flavorful Orange Cranberry Roasted Chicken.

, at 291 Turnpike Rd., offers contemporary casual food with a local twist. In the summer months, their menu highlights alternative dishes tailored to the local harvest. This commitment to locally sourced foods is unusual and admirable in a business with 14 stores in Massachusetts alone. Westborough Manager Aaron Lyon said the emphasis on buying local reflects a corporate decision to give back to the local community.

“Buying locally is good, people like the freshness, and it’s good economics," said Lyon. “We find that we get great quality products buying locally versus what’s imported or shipped.”

In June through August, Joe’s features a menu called Summer’s Best Fest, featuring local ingredients such as Cape Cod clams, bratwurst from Karl’s in Saugus, cheese from Westfield Farm and Great Hill in Marion.

Aside from the seasonally harvested specials on the menu, Joe’s goes into the communities for Farmer’s Market events, offering tastings of chef’s creations incorporating local cheeses, produce and pasta. They also host monthly events listed on their website, sometimes featuring sneak previews of future menu items or highlighting bottlings from local breweries.

When asked which menu items had been most requested, Lyon didn’t hesitate: the Chatham quahogs, stuffed with a delicious mixture of chorizo sausage, herbs and seasoned bread crumbs. Another current favorite is Pistachio Pasta Primavera, featuring farm produce, fresh pasta from Maria’s of Malden, and sprinkled with candied pistachios.

These two restaurants are keeping it fresh, but we suspect there are others. Do you recommend a local restaurant that supports local farms and offers fresh produce? Share your favorites in the "comments" below.