"The Catch" or "How Did That Lobster Get on My Plate?"

Ever wonder, when eating at a restaurant, where the food on your plate comes from?

I don’t eat out much, but I was thinking this the other day at lunch when one of our dishes contained baby lettuces that were so bland and sterile they had to be from a plastic bag.

This infuriated me, especially because there were two farmers’ markets within easy walking distance where delicious, in-season greens were waiting to be bought.

Coincidentally, yesterday’s New York Times Magazine ran its annual food issue and contained a related article. While produce delivery is pretty straightforward, “The Catch” by Barry Estabrook profiled the intricate business one woman, Ingrid Bengis-Palei, has built supplying high-end restaurants with shellfish.

Click here to read the story and understand one of the reasons why top-flight restaurants charge the prices they do.