As part of the 25th anniversary of Delaware North’s proprietary environmental sustainability program, GreenPath®, 360 is highlighting team members throughout our global operations who are sustainability champions for the program.
Since 2019, Jarrett has been at the helm of STATE Grill and Bar, operated by Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group at the Empire State Building in New York City. Jarrett previously served as the opening chef for Patina-operated Yellow Magnolia Café at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where she worked with horticulturists on the design of special menus and events, including its annual gala and Cherry Blossom Festival.
Jarrett, who grew up in rural Texas, gained an appreciation at a young age for the work that goes into raising and growing food. Those lessons guided Jarrett through her work at the French Culinary Institute of America in Manhattan to her first restaurant job in Brooklyn, where she developed her culinary style of blending farm-to-table dishes with genuine hospitality.
Why is it important to use sustainable ingredients in your cooking?
I have been fortunate to work with a lot of talented and passionate producers throughout my career. Knowing where our food comes from helps us tell great stories through our dishes and creates a deeper appreciation for our ingredients. New York City is considered a global food capital, and we work with many innovative suppliers in the city and beyond.
For example, we source products from Afterlife Mushrooms, an urban circular farm that uses compost to grow fresh and sustainable mushrooms such as the Lion’s Mane and Black King Trumpet mushrooms we feature as sides and main dishes. We also use some of the honey that’s harvested right here at the Empire State Building by Alvéole urban beekeepers, which has been featured in our fig and burrata crostini, artisanal cheese board and honey syrup.
STATE Grill and Bar is known for its seasonal dishes. What’s one of your favorite dishes that the restaurant has recently served?
Our ramp bucatini made with fava bean and pistachio pesto we featured this spring was delicious. We repurposed the tops of the ramps (wild leeks) by juicing them and adding to the pasta dough. The dish highlights something that I feel strongly about – buying locally and stretching our ingredients to reduce our carbon footprint by ensuring our food is transported through only a few hands before reaching our restaurant.
Are there any new companies and suppliers you’re excited about working with?
There are two companies whose products I enjoy that are taking cues from millennials and Gen Z and focusing on regenerative agriculture, upcycling and preventing food waste to reduce our carbon footprint. They are pioneers in food waste reduction, offering innovative products that go beyond the saturated market and are available for national distribution.
Renewal Mill uses a base product called okara, the pulp leftover from soy milk processing. They offer gluten-free and vegan cookie and brownie mixes among other products. However, I think their flour that is a 1:1 substitute for regular flour is the most useful for restaurant chefs as the demand for vegan and gluten-free desserts and baked goods increases.
Matriark Foods uses vegetables that do not make it to grocery store shelves and repurposes them for various products, such as recycled packaging, broths and liquid mirepoix (a popular soup base).
Why is it important for chefs to think and act sustainably?
We all have a responsibility to do as little harm to the environment as possible, both professionally and personally. As an executive chef, I try to engage and educate my team members on our shared goals – to have integrity in the culinary craft and feel positive about making a difference at work.
This is especially important when you are teaching the next generation of cooks and chefs how to operate in the kitchen – they are going to carry those practices with them no matter where they go. If I can teach someone how to do something more sustainably – that’s where I feel like the true impact is.
There are thousands of restaurants within walking distance in New York City. Being intentional and meticulous with our sourcing helps to show our guests the extensive care we put into the food we serve. Visiting the Empire State Building and New York City can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so we try to balance the dining experience at STATE with an approachable atmosphere and farm-to-table fare.