Bon Appetit to Hold Eat Local Fish Challenge

On September 25, Bon Appetit Management Co. will hold its first Eat Local (Fish) Challenge simultaneously in all 32 states in which it operates. The event is an offshoot of the company’s Eat Local Challenge, which began in 2005 as a way to highlight locally harvested, seasonal flavors.

On the date of the Challenge, Bon Appetit chefs cook a regionally authentic meal made entirely of ingredients harvested from within 150 miles, with salt the one exception permitted. This year, local seafood—caught or farmed within 500 miles—must be one of the ingredients used.

At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, walleye will star on Executive Chef Dave Apthorpe’s menu at Case’s BRB Café. Crucially, the fish is local and rated a “Good Alternative” for its sustainability by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

Apthorpe plans to serve the walleye Cajun seared with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes from Veggie Valley Farm and other seasonal vegetables from nearby Rainbow Farms. Meanwhile, an information table will tell guests about the Eat Local (Fish) Challenge, explain why supporting both local farmed and wild seafood is important, and offer a recipe they can try at home.