A few years ago, while researching a story on local foods, I was surprised to find that many of our best local chefs don't go to the trouble to source local produce. Chefs complained that it's time consuming, and supplies are unreliable.
Then I heard about Caesar Bastone. He's the proprietor of Caesar's of NY (2117 S. Dale Mabry, Tampa, 813-254-2141), a 32-year old pizza fixture in South Tampa. Caesar found a way around the problem of dealing with local suppliers.
"For many years, I grow my own tomatoes," he explains, referring to space he would lease at local farms for his own vegetable plots. He had so much supply, he'd sell to other local restaurants or to customers for as low as $1 a pound. "Now, I am 82-plus, and I'm too tired." These days, every Sunday, Caesar visits one of two local farmer friends and picks all the tomatoes he and the restaurant need for the week.
Why not just buy from big produce suppliers like most restaurant owners? "I eat tomatoes every day, all day," Caesar explains. "I know how a good tomato is supposed to taste." Even when he buys the best tomatoes he can find, they're not even close to the ones he hand-picks.
When I ask him why others don't go to the trouble, he doesn't blame them. "People are busy, but I have passion … or craziness. I live on tomatoes."
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.
