We had a parent’s date night and bought the kids a treat to stay home and eat without us – organic TV dinners. There’s a lot of very superficial organic food out there, so except for the rare occasion, I’d stay away from organic TV dinners and other processed foods labeled organic. These superficial organic foods are mass produced, packaged, shipped, and made for profitability like other processed foods, not for the sustainability of the land and better health. It’s an effort to take the organic movement and industrialize it to make money.
Certified organic products have a round, green and white USDA seal. According to the USDA, foods can be labeled “organic” and contain 5% inorganic ingredients. Products can be labeled “Made with organic” without the USDA organic seal if 70 percent of the product is certified organic ingredients. So the system isn’t perfect, but if you buy local, you can ask the farmer.
We tried a new restaurant in Sykesville, MD, called Baldwin’s Station because I had a discount from somewhere and they have a local and organic menu. There are also gluten-free and vegetarian selections. The best part about it is that the building was originally a train station from 1883 on the Patapsco River. They have outdoor seating along the railroad tracks, although there weren’t any trains while we were there. Once a month they have a 1950s Mystery Dinner Party (bummer it’s not the 20s – I would totally be into that!).
We sat at the bar while we were waiting for a table. I usually don’t sit at bars anymore, and I was surprised to see all of the empty glass bottles were going right into the trash with the garbage. I figured a restaurant focused on seasonal ingredients would care to recycle.
It’s worth a visit for the atmosphere but a bit pricey otherwise (~$35-$40) because the food isn’t particularly memorable. They do have “smaller plates” that are less expensive, for example, a $15 hamburger. For this area, it’s a bit pretentious in my opinion. If you’d like to experience the atmosphere on a smaller scale, though, they have a Sunday brunch.
