We enjoyed pulling open the main door and seeing the sign for 'no trans-fat'. That was great! At the table was a card stating that the restaurant was on 100% wind power. Fantastic. The Olney House, where the restaurant in located, is a stunning 200 year old toll house and were really amazed by the room that we were sat, next to a beautiful fire place. There was a massive tree on the property sized the likes of which Ive never seen on the east coast.
We ordered a half bottle of 'simple red' wine and recieved a bottle from Ablemarle in Virginia near Charlottesville, with a lovely fragrant bouquet that held it's own through and through. The waitress approached us with the news that the evenings special was Hawaiin tuna. My heart sank, as fish from Hawaii, anyway you slice it, could not survive the labeling of 'sustainable' on it's 4000 mile airplane journey to my table.
I was pleased to read on the menu that the chicken came from nearby Pennsylvania and had been raised humanely and sustainable. Next however, I asked the waitress where the beef came from and whether it was grass fed or corn fed. She left the table to inquire and came back to the table and said that she was told it was from Roseda's, a small, local cattle operation in Monkton, MD north of Baltimore that grass feeds their beeves, but then finishes them off in a feed lot with corn for the last 2 months of their lives (presumably for the 'marbling' effect that corn will give the meat, but a feed lot?? There are more sustainable, humane choices that than availabe locally, Wagon Wheel or Hedgeapple for starters) . I mentioned knowing of Roseda's and I stated, 'oh then it was grass raised and corn finished' and she corrected several times saying 'no they said that it is 100% corn fed'. Moreover, she seemed inconvenienced by my asking.
Several things on the menu were shocking in their provenance in that this could not possibly be on a menu of a place claiming to be part of the local food movement. Kudos to the both of you for even making an attempt at offering sustainable food at a restaurant but why not grass fed beef (there are several excellent local choices - i.e. Hedgeapple farms in Frederick)? Why tuna from 4000 miles away? It doesnt make sense if you are serious about taking claims to be local.