With over 200 certified organic farms in Vernon County alone, The Driftless Cafe utilizes the vast bounty and passion of the local farming community.
Our dinner menu changes nightly and often isn’t finalized until early in the afternoon, allowing our chefs to fully utilize our seasonal focus and freshness in the menu concepts.
We believe that the growth of our farming community directly translates to the growth of our general economy, making a locally focused restaurant a vehicle for our community development.
Luke Zahm
CO-OWNER | Luke Zahm grew up in La Farge, Wisconsin- a rural community in the heart of Vernon County with a population of 775 residents. As a kid in a small town looking for an identity, he found it in a newly formed cooperative of family farmers that became Organic Valley. Food became the vehicle for his aspirations to build strong community between farmers and diners in the Driftless Region. Currently, Vernon County has the second highest concentration of organic farmers in the United States.
Luke started cooking in small kitchens in Wisconsin and fed his passion for food with work ethic, drive and a love of the Wisconsin identity. He returned to Viroqua in 2011 to pursue a restaurant that could showcase the bounty of the Driftless region. The restaurant, aptly titled “The Driftless Cafe” became the stage for an ever- changing menu of local foods, highlighted by the farmers from the region who produce the menu. More than just a farm-to-table restaurant, the operation spans into the community and spends 85% of its food budget on ingredients that are sourced within a 100 mile radius of the Cafe.
Luke has been named a two-time Edible Madison “Local Hero Award” Winner, a 2017 James Beard Semi-finalist for Best Chef Midwest, and has spent time in Washington D.C. lobbying as a part of Tom Colicchio’s “Plate of the Union” campaigns.
Additionally, Luke is the host of “Wisconsin Foodie”. Wisconsin Foodie is an Emmy® Award-winning television series dedicated to discovering the stories behind the food we eat. Wisconsin Foodie artfully blends food, cooking and travel while showcasing local businesses, restaurants, purveyors and farmers – telling their story and helping to promote a local, sustainable economy.
Luke and his wife Ruthie, daughter Ava and sons Benjamin and Silas all live in Viroqua, Wisconsin.
Mary Kastman
EXECUTIVE CHEF | A native of Evanston, Illinois Mary Kastman is a graduate of UW Madison and the Madison College Culinary program. During her time in Madison, Mary worked at Restaurant Muramoto and 43 North. In 2011, Mary relocated to Boston and worked under the guidance of Ana Sortun (Oleana, Cambridge), Cassie Piuma (Sarma, Somerville), Cara Chigazola Tobin (Honey Road, Burlington) and brings a love of eastern Mediterranean flavors and a passion for localism. Her travels have included Northern Spain, Turkey and Western Europe. Mary is currently the Executive Chef at The Driftless Cafe, and has been showcasing her cooking style with all the local ingredients this area has to offer.