Although flavor is undoubtedly essential when it comes to food, we are moving toward a time when making food more sustainable is taking center stage.
Sustainability is all about decreasing waste, composting, recycling, and emphasizing conservation in order to go in an environmentally sustainable direction. Since many restaurants have been attempting to increase their sustainability, they are now serving more organic cuisine than before. Here are a few national restaurant chains that practice sustainability and prepare food without adding any harmful ingredients.
Black Cat Bistro
One of the most ambitious farm-to-table chefs in the country is Chef Eric Skokan. In addition to his farm stand at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market and his Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, he farms and ranches more than 130 acres in Boulder County, Colorado, to help support his two eateries, Black Cat Bistro and Bramble & Hare. Carrots, lentils, maize for polenta, lovage, lamb, eggs, heritage pigs, beef, goose, and many other foodstuffs are among the nearly all-homegrown ingredients at his restaurants. Try the farm vegetable curry, which comes with ricotta, beets, and basmati rice cakes, off the menu.
Uncommon Ground
With four stars from the Green Restaurant Association, Uncommon Ground has two restaurants in Chicago. The original building on Clark Street is home to Greenstar Brewing, the state’s first certified organic brewery, while the Devon Street location boasts the first certified organic rooftop farm in the nation. Seasonally, the restaurant farms the rooftop farm, which includes a mobile, sub-irrigated growing system with a diverse range of plants potted in 12 inches of organic soil. Everything generated, including honey from a beehive, is used in the restaurant.
Grange Kitchen and Bar
In the heart of Ann Arbor, Michigan, you can find the upmarket farm-to-table restaurant Grange Kitchen and Bar. It focuses on products made locally and adheres to the “nose-to-tail” philosophy, which encourages the usage of an animal’s entire body, including its tail. The restaurant’s menu, designed by Chef Brandon Johns, is jam-packed with locally sourced, seasonally appropriate dishes. Beginning with the appetizers of fried green tomatoes, bacon, jam, and buttermilk dressing move on to the grilled rainbow trout, ratatouille, spicy eggplant puree, and basil from the menu. Try Bell’s Porter, a local beer from Kalamazoo, at the bar.
La Bicyclette
It serves food made with ingredients found in Monterey County. It employs traditional methods and promotes the art of good conversation. It was inspired by the typical sight of crowded intellectuals discussing espresso in little European caf?s. The restaurant offers a variety of alternatives that are as flavorful as they are fresh, serving the well-known pizza from a wood-fired Mugnaini oven and changing the menu to reflect seasonal ingredients. La Bicyclette provides something to satisfy even the most discriminating palette, from breakfast items like chocolate croissants and rich French toast to supper items like Kurobuta pork short rib with peach sauce.
The Marshal
The Marshal, a restaurant in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, showcases some of New York’s finest cuisine. The restaurant creates a comfortable, fascinating, and enjoyable farm-to-table experience by using seasonal ingredients and natural cooking. A chamber that symbolizes old-time New York and the Wild West was designed by Tony Klein and is housed in a raw brick building that dates back to the 1880s. Reclaimed wooden tables, chairs, and vintage farmers’ gazettes are used to furnish the restaurant’s dining area and six-seat bar. The design references the wood-burning brick oven in the kitchen, which is fueled with Pennsylvanian and upstate New York-sourced oak, cherry, and apple wood. Try the wood oven-roasted vegetable and Vermont creamery goat cheese frittata from the brunch menu.
Wishbone
Wishbone is a “funky little place” that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is situated outside of downtown Petaluma in Sonoma County, California. Owners Josh Norwitt and Miriam Donaldson also engage in ranching and purchase additional supplies from nearby farms when not serving customers. Try the awe-inspiring pork chop and the gratin of Brussels sprouts with toast spiced with nutmeg.
Herbsaint
As the “food capital” of the southern United States, New Orleans’ Herbsaint is a casually affluent restaurant at the top of the food hierarchy. Chef Link uses organic, fresh, regional foods that are purchased from regional, sustainable producers and applies his culinary skills to them. A full-time forager who connects and nurtures a network of farms that supply Herbsaint works for the restaurant. Herbsaint’s menu combines traditional southern fare with stylish modern cuisine. Try the roasted pork belly with red curry rice, radish, and date barbeque, as well as the Louisiana shrimp with Calasparra rice, artichoke, and maitake.
The Refinery
The Refinery serves traditional Southern cuisine with a French flair and has been named Tampa, Florida’s best restaurant by multiple media outlets, earning three James Beard nominations in the process. Michelle Baker and head chef Greg Baker, who has more than 20 years of experience in kitchens around America, are the owners of The Refinery. The philosophy behind Chef Baker’s restaurant concept is that delicious food should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. With sustainability at its core, The Refinery alternates weekly menus from local food vendors and lessens its environmental impact both inside and outside the kitchen. The clam Waldorf salad, country-fried pork steak, and manchego cauliflower mash are recommended from the menu.
Plant Miami
Actually, Plant Miami is more than just a dining establishment; it’s an adventure. Plant Miami sources all of its colorful ingredients from Paradise Farms, a self-sustaining, organic farm. Plant Miami always has your health (and the health of the earth) in mind. The restaurant also serves sustainable wines and craft drinks, and its menu is influenced by the local South Florida landscape. The fresh farm supplies the organic lunch program and garden-to-table curriculum at the Metropolitan International School of Miami, and you can even order a weekly box of their food through their Community-Supported Agriculture program. We’re big fans.
Root Down
One of the sexiest eco-friendly restaurants in the United States is definitely called Root Down. Downtown Denver’s Root Down restaurant is housed in a former gas station from the 1950s. The restaurant has buildings that are energy-efficient and runs on wind energy. In addition, Root Down grows its produce on its patios and roofs, both of which are constructed entirely of recyclable materials.
Conclusion
Every day, there is a lot of effort involved in running a restaurant. To give a more environmentally friendly workplace, it’s crucial to reevaluate your ethical standards and principles when running a restaurant. Along with several other well-known eco-conscious eateries in the United States, you may reduce your impact on global warming by providing eco-friendly food and beverages.
FAQs
Q1. Why are Eco-Friendly Restaurants important?
Ans. By serving eco-friendly food and drinks, you may lessen your impact on global warming together with a number of other well-known eco-aware restaurants in the US.
Q2. What does the Refinery Restaurant have to offer?
Ans. The Refinery serves traditional Southern cuisine with a French flair and has been named Tampa, Florida’s best restaurant by multiple media outlets, earning three James Beard nominations in the process.
Q3. Where is Grange Kitchen and Bar located?
Ans. In the heart of Ann Arbor, Michigan, you can find the upmarket farm-to-table restaurant Grange Kitchen and Bar.
Q4. What type of food does Herbsaint make?
Ans. Herbsaint’s menu combines traditional southern fare with stylish modern cuisine. Try the roasted pork belly with red curry rice, radish, and date barbeque, as well as the Louisiana shrimp with Calasparra rice, artichoke, and maitake.