Ariccia, an Italian trattoria and bar located inside the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center, is hosting its last Farm-to-Table dinner for this year tonight at 7 p.m.
"Veni, Vidi, Vino" night, a wine-pairing event, however, will continue Thursday nights after this week.
The Farm-to-Table special features a fresh-produce menu, which consists of three courses and a selection of half-priced wines for $29 per person.
Cooked with fresh, local ingredients picked earlier in the day, these delectable dishes provide a fresh experience to a fast-paced society all too familiar with poor-quality, mass-produced foods.
"There is a marketing group that helps out with the marketing process, and we throw ideas out in the middle of the table," said Chef de Cuisine Miguel Figueroa. "The fresh market was about to start. We wondered, 'How can we help the community? How can we have the freshest ingredients for the hotel?'"
Every Thursday at 3 p.m., Figueroa and Executive Chef Andrew Litherland personally pick out all the ingredients needed for the dishes that night from various local farms: Burnadette, Randle, Moore's Mill, Pick and Point and Bulger Creek Farms.
"Miguel brings back the products," said Marc Osier, chef de partie. "He carries it out for the culinary team. He communicates the vision, and we execute it."
On account of the weekly specials and Tiger Talks, the restaurant teems with well-dressed men and women, the clinking of utensils and wine glasses and delicious scents wafting through the air.
The kitchen usually receives 15 to 20 orders a night, and the special lasts until closing time.
Because most of the guests are Auburn students, professors and local residents, the Farm-to-Table menu gives these recurring customers an extra option.
"There is a lot of feedback from it," said Michael Smith, operations manager. "People come and see the chefs at the farmers' markets or just hear about it word of mouth. It's such an exciting idea."
Last week, Ariccia served eggplant rolatini, roasted chicken with fried okra and sweet potatoes, french toast with goat's milk ice cream and caramelized peaches and a selection of red or white wine.
The appetizer, entree and dessert were all made with local produce.
The herb garden, created by the College of Agriculture, completes not just the Farm-to-Table items, but just about all selections available at Ariccia.
"I think it's incredibly important on a local and national scale to use organic and locally grown foods," Osier said. "I have a lot of history using seasonally and locally grown foods. It's good for carbon foot printing. You're supporting the people who eat here. For instance, the people of Randle Farms eat here. We buy from them, and they eat from us."
Organic foods are used in many of Ariccia's other dishes and events, Smith said.
For reservations, call 334-844-5140.
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