Dressing it Up in Westport - Paul Newman and the Greening of a Town

"Recycled barn wood walls, a fieldstone fireplace, soap and towels that are biodegradable; and, the food is eco-gastronomic: organic, healthy and — whenever possible- regionally grown.” (press for the Dressing Room)

We read with great interest a blog feature from Plenty Magazine (October 16th) about chef Michael Nischan, who recently launched with Paul Newman an organic restaurant in Westport, CT, called Dressing Room, in which all the food is sourced from local offerings. He has also led other projects aimed at the "greening" of Westport, such as a nonprofit called Wholesome Wave, through which a new farmer's market was launched in the summer of '06. "In addition to funding and managing the twice-weekly farmers’ markets, Wholesome Wave’s initiatives include developing a network of community gardens; piloting an edible mentorship program between the local schools; and brokering the Green Wave Farm-to-College program, a partnership between Vassar College, food services giant ARAMARK, and a handful of Hudson Valley farmers, to ratchet up the school’s farm-to-table offerings," the article states. Nischan, a native of Chicago, worked as a chef at many high-end restaurants before coming east, and has a philosophy of bringing people not only closer to their food, but closer to good food. His programs are ambitious, and depending on their success, may serve as a model for other programs on a national level. Let us know if you've other heard of other food initiatives similar to this and how they are being implemented --or, if you have tried the Dressing Room, what are your reviews? In the meantime, congratulations to Paul and Michael for a great green effort. Is it dinnertime yet?