March 2, 2018

The flavors of the day are always changing at M.B. Haskett Delicatessen.

As the restaurant at 324 S. Phillips Ave. marks its sixth anniversary, owner Michael Haskett is adjusting both his menu and his operation to be more local and sustainable.

A couple of years ago, he worked with the city to do a sustainability audit of the business. He has been making changes to become more environmentally friendly ever since.

“We want to be ahead of that game and be a leader,” he said. “We care about it. It’s important to us. It’s important to buy local because it helps our local economy. And we’d rather be part of the solution than the problem, and we can certainly continue to do better.”

New ceiling fans both add to the ambience and will cut down on the need for air conditioning.

New to-go containers made from sugarcane are completely compostable.

“And the sugarcane clamshell is actually cheaper than plastic,” Haskett said. “They’re also really sturdy and hold up well.”

The approach resonates with customers, he said.

“When they are deciding where to eat, if they come here and buy our products, they know if they’re taking it to go they’re not adding to landfills and waste.”

The restaurant continues to focus on locally sourcing food as much as possible.

“We’re excited for spring and for local produce to come back in season,” he said. “We have been trying harder to get local proteins and have been buying chicken and pork (locally).”

Because there’s fresh pasture-raised pork available, “we’ve been making our own sausage in-house for breakfast and for dinners,” he added.

The beer list also has been reformulated to add European options, including Belgian beers. There’s also a new cider from France, a unique mead from Michigan and Dunkertons Organic Perry from the U.K., a cider made from pears that is making its debut in South Dakota.

The deli continues to hone its meze menu, which starts at 2 p.m. daily and consists of a selection of meats and cheeses, and its weekend prix fixe. One recent offering included octopus carpaccio – “something we have never tried before that is a great example of how experimentation is a big part of what we do,” Haskett said.