Technology And Local Sourcing At New England Food Show 2011

Today, at the New England Food Show 2011, Chef José Duarte of Taranta in the North End gave an amazing talk on technology. Duarte is the leader of using QR Code technology in his restaurant and is trying some new and amazing experiments. These short videos give you just a small preview of the exciting ways QR code technology is being used. This evening, Chef Duarte accepted the award as Chef Of The Year 2011 from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Congratulations!



Scanning a QR code can even give you the source of the very food you are about to consume. In our case, we were not only able to find the source of the fish used in the ceviche that was made, where and when it was caught, but the actual fisherman, Captain Steve Arnold, was brought onstage to meet the audience. It was a very impressive mix of food, technology and local sourcing and how they can all work together. Audience members were invited to scan the codes presented with their smart phones for not only the sourcing information but also the recipe for the dish, discounts at the restaurants, special daily discounts and could even scan a code that would actually call the restaurant for a reservation. I happened to be sitting with friends from the food service field and emerging media, both of whom were quite surprised with the awesome possibilities. At tomorrow's show (last day) Chef Duarte will discuss how he achieved the status of a green certified restaurant. Taranta produces no waste products at all, everything is composted or recycled.