Mom Always Said to Chew Slow and Eat Your Veggies

Bucking the trend of an ever growing fast-paced busy lifestyle, the international Slow Food movement has made its way to Tampa Bay. To celebrate the formation of a local chapter, Slow Food Tampa Bay is hosting its first event, a Slow Food Sampler, today (Thursday, July 8) from 7–9pm at Studio@620, located at 620 1st Ave S.

Admission is $10 and will feature samplings of locally produced food supplied by Whole Foods. The event also will include a raffle to the Jack Johnson concert in Tampa (with proceeds supporting Slow Foods Tampa Bay) and a silent auction for a package that includes two tickets and dinner for two at Pelagia Trattoria!

What exactly is Slow Food? The national website described it as an effort "to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. It's about growing, sharing and eating good, clean, fair food– producing and eating food that tastes good and that is produced in a clean sustainable way."

Slow food is getting so much buzz that the woman considered the "mother" of the movement was recently featured on a report on 60 Minutes.