Massachusetts: A Farm-To-Table Restaurant Chain You Need In Your Life
This establishment has been in business since 2011, so you might be aware of Dig Inn. However, this farm-to-table restaurant chain is a New York-based restaurant that has numerous Boston-area spots, so perhaps you will be enlightened as to how good and healthy their meal options are. Their name can occasionally get them lost in the shuffle, so if you are unfamiliar, let’s dig in.
“DIG is a community of chefs, farmers, creatives, activists, and innovators devoted to rebuilding the food system through vegetables. The aim of Dig Inn is to offer customers good quality, fresh, and farm-to-table food at a great price and in a quick and efficient manner.
For the sake of familiarity, let’s call this fast food format “Chipotle-style” when it comes to how you order and their in-dining experience. This means the food is laid out in front of you behind the counter and then goes you down the assembly line, adding to your bowl.
Currently, there are 27 different Dig Inn locations. They source from over 100 different independent farms. From there, Dig Inn actually teaches their hired chefs how to cook and prepare the food on their menus.
Where You Can Find This Farm-To-Table Restaurant And What To Order
Dig Inn has locations in Boston, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Rye Brook, and Washington DC.
In the greater Boston area specifically, here are the six Dig Inn restaurant locations.
- Seaport – 25 Thomson Place
- Innovation and Design Building – 23 Drydock Ave
- Downtown Crossing – 277 Washington St.
- Back Bay – 557 Boylston St.
- Kendall Square – 1 Broadway, Cambridge
- Harvard Square – 82 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge
I recently took my family here for the first time. It was an impromptu visit as we were walking through Boston and were looking for a quick place to eat lunch. A healthy option was the preference mostly because we knew unhealthy (but very fun) ballpark food was in our future.
You start by picking a base for your bowl. I went with half lemon and herb farro, half mixed mint farm greens. Then, moving down the line, you add your two sides. The charred broccoli looked too healthy to pass up, and then that baked breadcrumb mac and cheese just jumped into my bowl. For protein, I selected the charred chicken, which was grilled. They also have crispy chicken, herb-roasted chicken, hot honey chicken, salmon, meatballs, or tofu. Finally, two sides of the pesto dressing joined the party, and I was on my way.
Immediately, you taste and feel the farm influence of each item. It’s just so fresh, hot, and right out of the oven. The chicken was perfectly flavorful. The little touches, like a lemon kick to the farro and broccoli, bring the entire bowl together. Finally, farm-to-table mac and cheese that is prepared right (meaning not too heavy on the cheese, and not formed in a block) just hits different.
We left completely satisfied and full. The thing about a great farm-to-table experience is that the meal is comfortably filling. Meaning you don’t have that sluggish feeling of eating too much because what you put in your body is a healthy fuel, yet you’re not still hungry searching for more.
Be on the lookout for more Dig Inn locations popping up over the next few years. Although no new address has been detailed just yet, the company says, “The next few years will be a period of growth as we expand our footprint and explore new ways to deliver a better food future for generations to come.”