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In a society where speed is king, slow food sticks out like an edible speed bump -- begging you to stop and take a nibble.

Slow food is a rejection of commercialized eating-on-the-go in favor of food that's fresh, seasonal and locally grown. In short, slow food is about truly connecting with what you eat.

 Restaurants like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, headed by gastronomic pioneer Alice Waters, embraced the "farm to table" concept long ago, cementing the Bay Area's reputation as an international leader in slow food dining.

But for new restaurateurs looking to embrace the idea, Sacramento has become prime real estate. The combination of a vibrant farming community, a growing interest in food and a wave of Bay Area transplants already acculturated to the sustainable palate makes Sacramento an ideal market.

Awareness of local food is coming into its own, says Christina Abeulo of Placer County Slow Food. "So many restaurants in San Francisco have to bring in produce from the greater Sacramento area … if it's all right here, why not use it?"

And a new clan of chefs aims to do just that. Bolstered by the success of Midtown pioneers like Rick Mahan of the Waterboy and Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney's B&L, slow- food restaurants are popping up in such unassuming locales as Auburn and Winters.

Setting up shop outside of Sacramento's downtown has its benefits. Competition may be lighter, and restaurants are more easily able to distinguish themselves from the plastic menus of surrounding chain restaurants. What's more, close proximity to farming serves up a supply of fresh ingredients and prompts an intimate collaboration between farmer and chef.

"We deal directly with our farmers," says Rhonda Gruska, who owns the Monticello Bistro along with her husband, Tony. "We love to go out to the farm and talk with the farmers. They're wonderful about educating us."

Many slow food chefs insist that it's foolish to set a menu; that's Mother Nature's job. But deferring to the seasons often means forgoing traditional ingredients that diners have come to expect. Want a tomato on your sandwich? Not in December; local tomatoes aren't in season then. Gutsy? Maybe, but slow food chefs maintain that by eating only what is seasonal and fresh, they're doing their part to preserve the region's agricultural heritage.

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