There’s the joke slash dig towards millennials, or the mistakenly blamed for all those living in the 21st-century lacking a social life, that they would much rather “Netflix and Chill” than venture out into the real world. You ain’t lying! But, will any of these people pointing the finger also stop to realize that maybe, just maybe, what they’re offering isn’t worthy enough of for people to leave their couch?
Sometimes it’s a matter of publicity as in getting the right information in front of the crowds looking for it. This we can blame on the media’s lack of interest on sustainability, for the purpose of this article, because Harvest by Roy Ellamar inside Bellagio is anything but short of a reason to skip Narcos for an hour and a half. Harvest by Roy Ellamar is a conscious restaurant with an aesthetically pleasing (and savory) menu, venue, and having a unique feature worthy of your boomerang– cue in the “snack wagon”.
When I sat down with Chef Roy at his restaurant inside Bellagio, we spoke about his wanting to attract more locals to dine at his restaurant, which was humbling to hear because Harvest by Roy Ellamar has an already international and affluent customer base.
While it can get tricky for businesses to find a balance between doing what’s right and generating income to support the livelihoods of the depend on them, the new wave conscious diners makes it easier to lead from the heart. For every business who dares to do the right thing, somewhere on social media a troll gets a change of heart and is quick to support with their hard earned money.
One thing you probably have gathered, if you’ve been following my work, is that I take people’s narratives seriously. So, after my interview with Chef Roy I thought for a veeeeeeery long time how I could do his story, and that of Harvest by Roy Ellamar, justice.
And then I thought about all the food shows that we obsess about.
Random turn; I know.
Why do we spend all this time watching cooking shows on the Food Network or shows like Chef’s Table on Netflix?
I’ve gathered that it’s because we get to hear the stories of these chefs first-hand and it humanizes the entire experience from our day-to-day desensitized world. They teach us to appreciate food for more than what it does to cure our hangry. But, we don’t have to look far to feel grateful or inspired.
Take Harvest’s chef for example. Amidst his success, Chef Roy is still the boy who was hunting, gathering, and fishing in his hometown of Hilo, Hawaii with the insatiable need to support people and the earth from which his food grows. The root of it all is one man’s craving for community and that is where Harvest by Roy Ellamar comes in.
His farm-to-table approach in a desert city was not only an ambitious goal, but he’s proven to be successful. Through his restaurant, Chef Roy pays homage to his upbringing in supporting regional farms, sustainable living, and highlighting some of the best local ingredients. Everyday he and his the team are giving the conscious diner the dining experience they’ve longed for.
And while it was humbling to hear, it also concerned me when Chef Roy shared that he wanted more locals to come out to Harvest by Roy Ellamar because I’m now wondering: are you not supporting the sustainable demands you’ve created in your city?
It’s important that you, reading this article, who on the regular advocates for things like inclusivity and clean living, seize the moment to support those who’ve happily answered your call. Whether it’s local or when traveling, opt for restaurants like Harvest by Roy Ellamar.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the cooking shows we can’t seem to un-glue from on Netflix is that through one single plate that you order, many have been impacted. It’s not just a tasty dish you’re about to devour. It’s a timeline of stories about the lives who made the creation of said dish possible and the grueling hard work from local and regional farmers, the chefs and cooks, bartender even, and about reducing the negative human impact that your plate contributed to the survival of humans and other living organism.
