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Clock Tower Grill celebrates food and farming in Brewster
At Clock Tower Grill, in Brewster, NY, owners Rich and Cassie Parente serve New American cuisine and source ingredients from 35 local farmers and artisans within a 70-mile radius, including their own farm, Clock Tower Farm.
When Rich and Cassie Parente opened Clock Tower Grill in March of 2013, their idea was to create a restaurant that was community-oriented and would support the local farmers in the area.
Rich has worked in restaurants for as long as he can remember; he developed a love of cooking during his early experiences working in a local deli as a teenager and later graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Later on, Rich worked in a variety of restaurants in New York City and upstate. Cassie, on the other hand, has extensive farming knowledge from growing up working on a farm in Nova Scotia.
Combining their respective knowledge and experience, they decided to take the term “farm-to-table” to an entirely new level in 2016, when they opened Clock Tower Farm. Rich and Cassie raise pork and lamb, grow vegetables and fruits, and produce honey and maple syrup on their farm, which they also use in their restaurant.
“Cassie grew up on a farm, so she already had all of the fundamentals for working on a farm. We had also been purchasing from local small farms, so that gave us the building blocks that we needed,” Rich explained.
On the farm – which is 98% solar-powered – they raise over 50 animals, including their horses and handicapped rescue dogs. During the pandemic, they built a greenhouse and began growing their own produce. “It’s a constant evolution. We try to make ourselves better every year,” Rich said.
The menu at Clock Tower Grill is seasonal and encompasses a little bit of everything. “The menu consists of whatever Rich decides to cook that day,” Cassie said. Additionally, Rich and Cassie source from other local farms, distilleries, breweries, and wineries both in the Hudson Valley and in Connecticut.
Sustainable storytelling
Part of Rich and Cassie’s mission with Clock Tower Grill and Clock Tower Farm is to bring awareness to what they call “the broken food system.”
“A big part of what we do is storytelling. Knowing where each ingredient came from is important and allows us to serve a better product to our customers,” Rich said.
Knowing where their ingredients come from isn’t the only thing that’s important to Rich and Cassie – knowing that the animals are treated well and have a good, healthy, albeit short, life is also a cornerstone of what they do at Clock Tower.
“Sometimes people ask us why we raise animals, and we do it because we know that we’re doing the right thing for our customers,” Rich said. “You go to the grocery store and you buy chicken and other meat that are raised in feedlots with thousands of other animals. There’s a better way to do it, and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure our animals have the best life possible.”
They use approximately 50 gallons of food scraps from the restaurant a week on their farm as either pig feed or compost, which significantly cuts down on the amount of waste that is typically associated with restaurants.
They also host farm dinners at the restaurant, in which nearly every ingredient is sourced locally. “It gives me a real sense of pride. All of this wonderful food is available where you live and you don’t have to go that far to find it. Most of it is available year-round, too.”
Additionally, Clock Tower partners with Agape Project NY, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help families facing food and housing insecurity, to donate Thanksgiving meals to local families and individuals who are struggling to meet basic needs. Last year, they raised enough money to donate 800 meals across five different shelters in the area. Clock Tower also partners with Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, to donate meals to patients each week.
At the end of the day, Cassie and Rich are always striving to do the right thing when it comes to their animals and their customers.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else. The farm is something I never thought we’d do, but it was a natural progression of the restaurant. It brought it full circle and provided me with a new outlook,” Rich said. “I see life differently because of the farm. It’s given me a new appreciation for life.”
To learn more about Clock Tower Grill and Clock Tower Farm, visit their website www.clocktowergrill.com and follow them on Instagram @clocktowergrill.
Photos in the slider by MST Creative PR