Ciao Maddio!

Last Thursday night I went to the opening party for Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint in East Cobb. The pizzas and salads at Maddio's are amazing! My favorite pizza is the Portobello Pesto, which I had at the opening. A few of the great things about Maddio's is that they use hormone-free chicken; fresh local veggies; organic spinach and field greens; and all their doughs and sauces are made from scratch. I love that they make this effort to use fresh, local ingredients. However, there is always room for improvement. One of my favorite pizzas of theirs is the Steak & Blue (minus the steak). I would love to be able to eat this pizza without taking off the meat, but the only description of the meat is that it is "All Natural Angus Steak." This is an example of how using words like "natural" make people feel that they're making a good choice, but in reality that could mean anything. I've heard restaurants like McDonald's boast about their "natural angus burgers." However, Uncle Maddio's is lightyears better than McDonald's when it comes to quality food. In fact, while at the restaurant, I met the man who started the very first Uncle Maddio's and came up with the concept. I told him that I loved his pizza, but they should really look into using grass-fed steak and pasture-raised chickens. He was actually really receptible and began to ask me what made grass-fed meat better. Besides the many benefits for the environment, I explained to him the many health benefits of eating grass-fed meat as well.

Though some people say that the government will never get on board of the local food movement as they keep subsidizing GMO corn and promoting monoculture, we shouldn't have to wait for the government to make a stand for the food we want. In a market driven culture, we as consumers need to vote with our dollars and speak up for what we want. By asking restaurant owners about where they source their meat and vegetables and requesting changes, we can be the change that leads to more and better options. So next time you're at a restaurant and you want the fish tacos, don't be afraid to ask if the fish is wild caught or if the meat from your burger comes from a local farm. Asking these questions raises awareness and informs people that there are alternatives to GMO produce and meat from a factory farm...and that we as consumers want more alternatives.

Portobello Pesto pizza from Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint in East Cobb.