Locally Grown Gardens: Chef Owned and Operated

Chef and entrepreneur Ron Harris began his love of local food nearly 20 years ago as an intern in the famed New York City restaurant An American Place. Under the supervision of Chef Larry Forgione, who many call the godfather of American cooking, Ron was introduced to the bold and beautiful flavors of American products at a time when European cuisine was all the rage across restaurants in the United States. Ron recalls with great fondness breathing in the earthy scent of chanterelles from Oregon as Chef Forgione extolled the then unexplored virtues of eating foods "close to home". As the internship progressed, Ron's passion for local food began to take hold in his heart.

After his graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, Ron held a succession of chef assignments and in 1994, came to Indiana where he was hired as the Corporate Chef for MCL Restaurant and Bakery where he championed the use of local food in MCL's menu items at 27 restaurants in three states.

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug in 2007, Ron began to explore ways that he could facilitate the relationship between the local food producer and the consumer. In April of this year, he opened Locally Grown Gardens in Indianapolis where he offers a selection of locally grown, in-season produce and other food items to the general public and commercial accounts. His operation is housed in a re-purposed gas station with the store area on one side and a comfortable library of cookbooks on the other where he encourages customers to relax and visit with him.

When I stopped by last week, Ron was in the middle of helping one of his already steady customers with a recipe for a dinner party. Now, how great is that? Not only can you get beautiful, fresh, local food items here, but you can get the expert advice of a chef who was trained at the world's premier culinary college to answer your cooking questions!

Right off the Monon Trail and in the heart of an established neighborhood, Ron's shop is easily accessible and has convenient hours. He's open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Stop by now for some early Indiana produce including green and purple asparagus.
Photos: Locally Grown Gardens logo courtesy of Ron Harris
            Chef Harris chats with a customer about a recipe in the store's library
            Indiana asparagus now on sale

Locally Grown Gardens
1050 E 54th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220
Phone: 317-255-8555
Website in progress