Cafe Chew Update

Bob & Tobin, the "forces mejors" behind such Sandwich (MA) spots as Sandwich Sandwiches, The Marshland, The Bee-Hive Tavern and The Bee-Hive General Store have turned their talents to a new place called Cafe Chew. In a story about "ethical eating" in today's Cape Cod Times we get this little taste of what's to come at Cafe Chew:

For Bob King, a restaurateur for 25 years, and his spouse, Tobin Wirt, chairman of the church's social action committee, ethical eating decisions are being made daily: The two are opening Cafe Chew in Merchants Square in Sandwich, with the intention of serving organic foods that are produced locally in a way that does not damage the land.

"If we change nothing about the way we produce and deliver food, how long is it going to last? I think it's our time in America to do something. It's all about being a locavore," says King, former owner of Marshland Restaurant and the Beehive Tavern.

King says Massachusetts is on the cusp of many changes to help the environment, such as the availability of corn-based paper cups that are biodegradable in 45 days — if, Wirt interjects, they are exposed to the air and allowed to decompose rather than being sealed in plastic trash bags. King points out that items such as hormone-free chicken are now more price-competitive so restaurateurs can make the better environmental choice. In planning Cafe Chew, he and Wirt visited a food distributor's kitchen in Norton where they were shown products that were locally produced and, primarily, chemical-free.

Last evening at a Sandwich Chamber of Commerce open house I was able to chat with Tobin about Chew and what's going on there. The cafe is still undergoing renovation but the boys made it available for the Chamber to have a little nosh and a "bevvy" or two.

We are all looking forward to Chew's opening scheduled to open in late July.

Bon chance mes amis!