Stir-fry bar redefines fresh and local

Big Bowl is redefining fresh and local with its stir-fry bar, a 3.0 version featuring seasonal produce that chefs scout out weekly at area farmer’s markets.

Nearly two decades ago, the first Big Bowl broke new ground with a create-your-own stir-fry, giving guests the option of choosing their own vegetables, protein and sauce. A few years ago, a handful of seasonal vegetables began making an appearance.

Today, locally grown produce is an integral part of the mix, coming and going according to the growing season. Purple asparagus debuted in May, followed by garlic scapes.  With their season over, both are now gone, replaced by snow peas, summer squash and other vegetables.

“You may wonder why don’t all stir-fry bars – or restaurants for that matter – use locally grown produce and the answer is simple. It takes more work and effort,” says Executive Chef Marc Bernard. “Big Bowl is committed to sustainability and working with farmers who are as excited as we are about giving our customers truly fresh, responsibly grown food.”

“When you buy locally like we do, you’re eating food that was harvested the same day – not product that’s shipped across the country and then held in cold storage for days before it ever lands on your plate,” he says. “Locally grown produce just tastes better.”

To ensure the highest quality and freshest products, chefs at all Big Bowl restaurants visit their local farmer’s markets weekly to see what vegetables are at their peak. In Reston, VA., where the growing season starts earlier, green beans, corn and tomatoes will show up first followed by the Chicago locations and then the Minneapolis area.

In the past, Asian vegetables such as gailan (Chinese broccoli) and choy sum (Chinese cabbage) were shipped from California but now Big Bowl locations in Minneapolis are buying the vegetables at the local farmer’s markets and featuring them on the stir fry bar. They’re accompanied by locally grown kohlrabi, Swiss chard (red and green), pea pod greens, amaranth leaves, water spinach, sweet golden squash and zucchini.

In Chicago, you’ll find spinach, corn, green beans, beets (golden, red, chiogga) and summer squash on the stir fry bar while Reston is featuring locally grown Korean hot peppers, golden bar zucchini, sweet corn, green beans, sunburst tomatoes and black krim tomatoes.

“What’s exciting is that the chefs choose whatever they want for the stir fry bar and also decide what produce they want to feature on the Farmer’s Market Chicken special,” says Bernard. “It gives each location some creativity and a chance for guests to let us know what they want.”

If there’s a seasonal vegetable you’d like to see on the stir-fry bar, please let us know by leaving a comment below.