Bon appétit — from Rikers Island.
Lefty Upper West Side Councilwoman Gale Brewer is pushing the city to feed jailbirds “farm-to-table” meals, like ones served up at some of the Big Apple’s top Michelin-starred restaurants.
Brewer told city Department of Correction honchos during a budget hearing Friday the food menu offered on Rikers is so bad it makes her sick to her stomach.
“I’ve been to Rikers many times,” the Manhattan Democrat said.
“I do find the food — even though I know you’re making some improvements – to be very challenging.”
And she was practically dyspeptic when officials tried to explain that detainees and staff are already offered “plant-based meals.”
“I don’t want plant-based! I want fresh fruits and vegetables!” she roared.
“I want local produce and local meat for people in custody.”
The DOC’s annual food budget is $18.8 million, and about 27,000 meals are prepared daily at two different kitchens on Rikers, according to officials.
A typical dinner currently served in the jail include pepper steak, yellow rice, green beans; while lunch could include a roasted chicken leg with gravy, yellow rice, and steamed greens; and a breakfast could include Multigrain Cheerios, according to the DOC.
Seasonal fruit, bread and a beverage are also offered with each meal, and menus change daily.
The city spends $1,525 daily to house detainees, according a 2021 report by then-NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer.
DOC officials could not immediately provide Brewer an estimate of how much on average it spends per meal.
However, it’s likely a far cry from the $145 plus tax and tip foodies shell out per dinner at the farm-to-table, Michelin-starred Blue Hill restaurant in Greenwich Village.
A recent dinner menu there included pheasant stew served with a murasaki sweet potato and a parsnip raviolo, topped off for dessert with pickled blueberry, hazelnut, white chocolate and beer ice cream.
DOC officials said they support the concept of providing healthier “farm-to-table” meals to detainees – something Brewer said the state recently began providing at its upstate jails – but it’s simply too pricey.
“It is my intent for our menu to be revisited, … and like you I do believe in the farm-to-table concept,” said James Saunders, DOC’s deputy commissioner of health affairs.
“You and I also know how expensive it is and how as a city government we need to stay within budget.”
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Brooklyn) nearly barfed when she heard Brewer’s suggestion.
“I wish our veterans were fed farm-to-table food,” she said.
“I think the guy who set the woman on fire on the subway is at Rikers right now,” added Paladino, referring to Guatemalan national Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, the illegal migrant who allegedly carried out the fatal arson attack in December on an F train in Coney Island.
“We are going to worry about farm-to-table food and making sure they get fed? This is ridiculous.”
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