Digging for Dinner

The latest concept restaurant is unlike anything else in the market, and not just because all food is free. The concept: dumpster dining. The restaurant: The Gleaners' Kitchen, which is set to open in late May.

Tufts University senior Maximus Thaler is behind the operation. He and other "gleaners" (or gatherers) have been finding salvageable food in the dumpsters of grocery stores and bakeries since his freshman year. Thaler currently gives away these products and meals made with them for free, but recently raised enough money to open a true location (in Somerville, MA) upon his college graduation.

Thaler and The Gleaners' Kitchen have managed to turn one store's trash into a wealth of healthy, delicious entrees, enjoyed by many. The group's website explains, "at our last big meal we served: pesto spaghetti, curried cauliflower and peppers, roasted potatoes, quiche, roasted chicken, fruit salad, green salad, warm bread, and fresh squeezed apple cider." The menu constantly changes based on what items they find on any given night. The site explains, "the menu is always in flux, but the food is always healthy, flavorful, and filling."

Thaler may really be onto something with his unique culinary concept. If the well-thought out, extensive meals at The Gleaners' Kitchen are any indication, food waste is a huge problem in this country. According to PBS, 40 percent of all food produced goes to waste. Thaler told the Herald Courant that grocery stores will throw out entire cartons of eggs if one is cracked and bags of fruit if one piece has gone bad.

Not only does The Gleaners' Kitchen prepare meals that look pretty delicious (check out the gallery above!) but the organization, believe it or not, caters as well.

Check out the slideshow above for some of our favorite dishes from The Gleaners' Kitchen.