Chicago : The Green Scene

Finger Fishing

BuzzEditor — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:23:00 GMT

iPhone's Seafood Watch App

Finding sustainable seafood just got a little easier thanks to two tech innovations pointed out to us by Joe Isidori of NYC's Harbour. With Blue Ocean Institute’s Fishphone, diners can find out about a particular seafood choice by texting 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish (or they can just visit fishphone.org). Meanwhile, iPhone users can download the Seafood Watch app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium for advice on environmentally aware eating; non-iPhone users can get the same info by going to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

– Kathleen Squires

Eating Green

BuzzEditor — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Photo: courtesy of midorisyu

In recent months, world attention has been focused on the shaky economic situation rather than the myriad troubles facing our planet. Which is exactly why we celebrate Earth Day each year on April 22, to remind us to take care of our ultimate natural resource. But where to eat after attending one of the special events planned for the day? We've rounded up a few eco-friendly restaurants where you can enjoy locally sourced fare that won't make you feel guilty about your carbon footprint.

* All Earth Day customers at Vie will receive a complimentary pot of herbs.

Chefs Go Fishing for Sustainable Seafood

BuzzEditor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:48:00 GMT

By Deirdre Donovan, ZAGAT.com Staff Editor

With new technologies, aquarium outreach programs and a local focus, more chefs are going green.

NYC chef Anita Lo serves Australis Barramundi.

Diners are riding a wave of awareness regarding threats to oceanlife – but they don’t always know what to do about it. When a recent ZAGAT.com poll asked, “Do concerns about over-fishing and other threats to seafood populations affect your dining decisions?” 54% of respondents said they “try to order sustainable seafood but can’t always keep track of what they are supposed to order.”

While there are ways for environmentally conscious diners to stay informed (see sidebar), chefs around the country are helping take the onus off customers by putting the “right” seafood on the menu. And since more than two-thirds (by value) of seafood consumed in the U.S. is eaten in restaurants, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, chefs have the potential to make a huge impact on the ocean’s health.

Find Your Fish

Organizations including Seafood Choices Alliance and Greenpeace offer charts and cards to help consumers make informed choices about the seafood on their plates. And some information has gone mobile – the status of an item on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list can be checked via any handheld device, and the Blue Ocean Institute's FishPhone makes it easy to text for up-to-date info right from the table.

You don’t have to tell that to chef Ted Walter and wife Cindy, owners of Passionfish in Pacific Grove, CA. When they’re not preparing dishes featuring sustainable fish – for example, California sturgeon in charmoula marinade, or tilapia with garlic-balsamic-vinegar butter – they’re working to spread their mantra that "smart harvesting can strengthen global fish stocks" by offering public presentations, forums for culinary students and professionals, and through legislative advocacy. Cindy’s efforts helped lead to Pacific Grove’s adoption in 2005 of a Sustainable Seafood Resolution, making it one of only two cities to do so (San Francisco was the first). The resolution encourages restaurants and markets “to give preference to seafood harvested in a sustainable way” and to opt for local seafood.

Local is key at the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA, where chef-owner Chris Schlesinger, a fisherman himself, has long-standing relationships with providers that he trusts. “I stay informed about seafood stocks,” says Schlesinger, who features the likes of sea scallops from New Bedford, MA, harpooned swordfish and a daily fish that's "wicked fresh, wicked local" on his menu.

Seafood Choices Alliance partners with Charting Nature for illustrated posters with descriptions of sustainable fish and shellfish.

Growing your own can work too. San Francisco’s Hog Island Oyster Company raises its own Sweetwater, Atlantic and Kumomoto bivalves with sustainable methods in the Tomales Bay. Of course, not every restaurant can raise its own seafood. But there are plenty of other ways for toques to support healthy oceans.

Aquariums across the country have programs to promote sustainable seafood, including partnerships with restaurants. At Boston’s New England Aquarium, the Celebrate Seafood dinner series features sustainable seafood plus appearances by guest chefs from local restaurants like Beacon Hill Bistro, Chez Henri, Garden at the Cellar and Sel de la Terre. The evenings include cooking demos and discussions; the menus highlight wild-caught fish such as striped mullet, Alaskan salmon, mahi mahi, wahoo and bluefish along with responsibly farmed oysters, mussels, clams, bay scallops, barramundi and cobia.

In Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium’s Right Bite program not only partners with chefs for special dinners, but helps restaurants plan menus. Right Bite participants promise to have at least one sustainable seafood dish on their menus at all times and take off at least one unsustainable seafood item; their staffs receive special training twice a year. The program has attracted Carnivale, which features dishes like arctic char ceviche and Shaw’s Crab House, which serves items like sautéed Lake Erie Walleye with horseradish crust. Carrie Nahabedian has also signed up her top-rated Naha, whose sustainable dishes feature the likes of wild Great Lakes whitefish and native lobster.

Long a leader in ocean education, The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program began in 1999 as a way to raise consumer awareness. Sheila Bowman, the program’s outreach manager, explains that restaurants became involved when consumers, armed with seafood guides, went out to dinner and started asking questions. “At first chefs were like ‘What the heck is that aquarium doing?’” she says. But in the last two years a widespread shift occurred. “Chefs had started looking at where their beef, pork, produce, dairy and even wine came from before they started looking at seafood. Ultimately they looked at seafood,” says Bowman.

What is Sustainable Seafood?

SeaChoice describes it as "fish that are caught or farmed with consideration for the long-term viability of individual marine species and for the oceans’ ecological balance as a whole."

There’s now a restaurant component to Seafood Watch, with members pledging to eschew items from the organization’s “avoid” list. Participants include rm (Las Vegas), which brings the message to the table with farm-raised Ocean Rose Abalone and bigeye tuna that’s hook-and-line caught from a sustainable population in Hawaii; Ciudad (LA), where marinated white anchovy with lemon, garlic and parsley makes the menu; and Fish (Sausalito), which highlights seasonal fish, line-caught local albacore tuna and local Miyagi oysters.

Improved fish-farming techniques are another boon for sustainably minded chefs. Australis U.S.-farmed Barramundi, for example, is raised indoors with a special system that keeps the water clean. The fish meets environmental and sustainability standards and has been given a place on Seafood Watch’s “Best Choice” listing. It can be found on the menu at Napa’s famed French Laundry, where chef Thomas Keller serves it sautéed with potato confit, piquillo peppers, chorizo and arugula. At Charlie Palmer’s Las Vegas Aureole, it’s pan-seared and served with citrus-braised butter lettuce and carrot-orange reduction. In NYC, Anita Lo (Annisa) prepares it with artichokes, garlic chives and black trumpet sauce.

Kona Kampachi

Meanwhile, open-water aquaculture farms have modernized as well. Kona Kampachi, a Hawaiian yellowtail, is raised “from hatch to harvest” with improved nets and water monitoring systems, sustainable sources for feed and a harvest-to-order system that cuts waste. New York chef Dan Barber (Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns) offers it as a special in preparations such as crudo with panther soybeans and apple mustard. “Flavor is where we're leading with this stuff. I'm an environmentalist, but first and foremost, I'm a flavor guy...I decided to support this, getting behind the cause of how we want fish to be produced in the future," he says.

Veggie Power in Wicker Park

BuzzEditor — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:58:00 GMT

MANA Food Bar

photo: Steven Johnson

A pair of principals from de cero and sushi wabi are behind MANA Food Bar, a moderately priced Eclectic-vegetarian in Wicker Park, where the all-day menu eschews meat substitutes to focus on veggie-powered plates (some vegan, some raw) with far-reaching global influences; the funky sliver of a space sports whitewashed brick walls with a few booths, a long bar with swiveling wood stools and patio seating.

1742 W. Division St.; 773-342-1742

MANA Food Bar

photo: Steven Johnson

On the Grill at Green City Market BBQ

BuzzEditor — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:33:00 GMT

On Thursday, July 17th, you can sample the eats from 50 of Chicago’s top toques including Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), Paul Kahan (Avec, Blackbird), Bruce Sherman (North Pond), Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard and more at the annual Green City Market Summer BBQ. All proceeds benefit GCM, and advance tickets can be purchased at Wednesday's market or at Spice House (6–8 PM; $50 per adult in advance/$60 at the gate; childrens' tickets ages five–12 are $10 in advance/$15 at the gate; children under five are free; 1750 N. Clark St. at Stockton Dr.; for more information or to reserve a large table, call 773-435-0280).

Foodlife's New Life

BuzzEditor — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:10:00 GMT

Foodlife, the popular Water Tower food court, is getting a green renovation. Plans include sustainable/recycled building materials, energy-saving lighting, reusable cups at the drink stations, eco-friendly napkins, bags and to-go containers, and the sale of Klean Kanteens to cut down on bottled water consumption. They're also adding new businesses, including a Big Bowl outpost called Chinese by Big Bowl, Sacred Grounds Bakery and Café, and Intelligentsia Coffee. The comfort-food kiosk will also be revamped to target male shoppers with a sports bar feel, specialty beers and low-fat versions of pub grub.

Event: Green Festival Chicago

BuzzEditor — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:46:00 GMT

Chicago's second annual Green Festival will be held at Navy Pier on Saturday and Sunday, May 17th–18th. The event, which promotes sustainable living, features 350 green businesses and 150 speakers, including the Green Restaurant Association's president Michael Oshman, who will speak on "How to Green Your Restaurant Experience" (Sunday, 4 PM). Festival eats include vegetarian cuisine from Athena, The Chicago Diner, Cousin’s Incredible Vitality and more; organic libations will be served in a beer and wine pavilion, as well as in a tea garden (Saturday, 10 AM–8 PM; Sunday, 11 AM–6 PM; $15 for one or both days; $10 if you are 62 or over, ride your bike there or present student ID; free for kids 11 and under; 600 E. Grand Ave.; 1-800-58-GREEN; greenfestivals.org).

Green City Market News

BuzzEditor — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:31:00 GMT

Now in its 10th year, Green City Market reopens on Wednesday, May 14th, with a lineup of ways to explore spring's fresh produce. At 9:30 AM, two "Savor the Seasons" events – one with chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris (Prairie Grass Cafe), the other with North Pond's Bruce Sherman – showcase salad-tastings. And at 10:30 AM, Carrie Nahabedian (Naha) gives a cooking demo. Also opening for the season is Edible Gardens, the market's farm-at-the-zoo educational project for kids (10 AM–1 PM). Green City Market runs Wednesdays and Saturdays (7 AM–1:30 PM; Lincoln Park between 1750 N. Clark St. and Stockton Dr.).

On Saturday, May 17th, the market will hold a rally for local sustainable farming featuring GCM board members Bill Kurtis and Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), along with live entertainment, a kids' parade and the ceremonial cutting of the world's largest organic carrot cake (9 AM–noon; www.chicagogreencitymarket.org).

Ask Zagat: LEED Certified?

BuzzEditor — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:42:00 GMT

Got a dining question you're too embarrassed to ask your server about? Ask Zagat.

Green dining is all the rage these days, from Colorado (which is trying to "green" its restaurants before the Democratic Convention) to Chicago (where newcomer The Balanced Kitchen boasts eco-friendly details like sustainable bamboo, recycled glass and resin panels). The Buzz took a look at the greening of restaurants earlier this year, exploring five ways in which the industry is making like Kermit. One reader, however, recently noticed a spate of new eateries calling themselves "LEED" certified and wondered what it meant. So we turned to Ashley Katz of the USGBC (the U.S. Green Building Council) for more info:

Zagat Buzz: What exactly is LEED certification?

Ashley Katz: Basically the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary building certification program, like the nutrition label on your food but for buildings. It shows how much energy is being used, how much water is being used, what the building is made of, where the materials came from, what the indoor environment is like and so on. We look at all those features and assign points in those areas. How many points a building accrues determines the building's level of certification, of which there are four (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum). For restaurants, LEED certification offers diners a chance to be as picky about where they eat as they are about what they eat.

You can learn more about LEED certification here.

Do you have a dining question you'd like answered? Drop us a line at buzz@zagat.com!

Uncommon Ground: The Sequel

BuzzEditor — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:27:00 GMT

Catch a show at Uncommon Ground's new Edgewater location.

photo: Troy Burt Photography

Mike and Helen Cameron, owners of the popular Wrigleyville hangout Uncommon Ground, have expanded their horizons with a new Edgewater location in the former Speakeasy space. A commitment to green practices informs every aspect of the earthy, cozy setting, from the solar thermal panels and reclaimed timbers from Jackson Park to the 2,500 sq. ft. educational rooftop garden. The vast Eclectic menu focuses on local and sustainable ingredients, with organic/biodynamic beers, wines and infused vodkas, and a dozen or so craft beers on tap at the original ‘20s deco bar. Local artists’ handiwork is evident throughout, with tile mosaics, painted doors and revolving art exhibits. A fireplace warms both lounge and dining, and elaborate acoustics have allowed them to beef up their music lineup from acoustic-only to electric and full bands, from jazz to world music (1401 W. Devon Ave.; 773-465-9801).

Drink Responsibly

BuzzEditor — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:15:00 GMT

Big Bowl recently stopped serving bottled water.

From offering free, filtered water to spotlighting organic wine, beer and spirits, Chicago restaurateurs are serving more and more green-friendly drinking options to eco-conscious diners.

Some restaurants are forgoing the easy money of bottled water because of its environmental impact: plastic water bottles are rarely recycled and are often trucked vast distances to boot. Big Bowl recently made a splash by taking bottled water off its menu; Keefer's has been offering free, filtered Chicago water in handblown turquoise glass bottles since it opened in 2001, and continues the policy at its new Millennium Park spot, Tavern at the Park. Reports on the national trend have appeared recently in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

Have you noticed this trend?

Do you make beverage choices based on what's more eco-friendly? Tell us what you think on the Zagat Discussion boards!

Meanwhile, organic wine, beer and spirits are finally seeping into public awareness. It's not surprising to see organic pizzeria Crust leading the pack with its beer and wine selection (including Samuel Smith Organic Lager, Lakefront Organic ESB and Aspall Organic Cider), juicy Rain organic vodka martinis infused with seasonal flavors (e.g. Meyer lemon–lemongrass, cucumber-mint, honey-bergamot) and cocktails made with organic juices from watermelon to orange.

At NoMI, sommelier Fernando Beteta recently added a page to his wine list highlighting biodynamic (Old and New World) and organic (California) wineries, and on October 2nd, he will host a Biodynamic Wine Tasting. More than 50% of the wines poured at Osteria Via Stato are made by winemakers utilizing organic and/or biodynamic practices. Eno's extensive list offers myriad sustainable and biodynamic selections; its flight menu even features the organically focused "Treehugger." And places as diverse as Cafe Matou, Uncommon Ground, Funky Buddha Lounge and Butterfly Social Club are pouring a growing number of organic libations.

– Alice Van Housen

Five Paths to a Greener Restaurant

BuzzEditor — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:09:00 GMT

By Deirdre Donovan, ZAGAT.com staff editor

The restaurant industry reinvents itself with an eco-conscious eye

London's Acorn House

Photo: Cindy Chen

The greening of the restaurant industry, an idealistic movement that took root decades ago, is now a global phenomenon encompassing both community-based eateries and splashy hot spots. And diners seem primed to appreciate environmentally sensitive cuisine – according to our 2007 America's Top Restaurants guide, 65% of surveyors said they would pay more for food that has been sustainably raised or procured.

But exactly what makes a restaurant green is open to interpretation. For some, it means menus emphasizing concepts like "local," "sustainable" and "organic." For others, it means harnessing alternative energy sources (bicycle-powered blender, anyone?) or banning bottled water.

Below are some ways in which restaurants are going green, followed by a list of resources for the conscientious epicure.

Know Your Sources

One of the most common ways restaurants embrace the green movement is by cultivating relationships with area farmers, a simple idea with far-reaching impact pioneered by Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, which opened in 1971. Today the restaurant works with 60-plus farms, and Waters continues to lead from the front with the Chez Panisse Foundation, which promotes food awareness in public schools.

No longer limited to bohemian Berkeley, responsible food sourcing is now practiced at big-ticket eateries coast-to-coast. In LA, Grace’s Neal Fraser sources 90% of his ingredients from local ranchers who provide their animals with healthy diets and local farmers who reject pesticides. In the Chicago area, Vie's Paul Virant exclusively uses meat and dairy products raised humanely with 100% vegetarian feed and no hormones or chemicals. Celebrity chef Laurent Tourondel’s new BLT Market in NYC’s Ritz-Carlton Central Park features a monthly changing menu focused on first-of-the-season produce and wild and unusual items grown locally.

Some toques are following Waters' lead by promoting social change outside of the kitchen: Ted Walter (Passionfish in Pacific Grove, CA) advocates for sustainable seafood awareness, while Peter Hoffman (NYC's Savoy) works closely with both Chefs Collaborative, a national network of sustainably minded food professionals, and NYC’s Greenmarket.

Become a Farmer

Some restaurants take the farm-to-table movement a step further and grow their own food. When Dan Barber opened NYC’s Blue Hill in 2000, he supplied part of the restaurant’s produce from his Berkshires family farm. Four years later he expanded that vision by opening Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant and educational center on a diversified organic farm 30 miles up the Hudson River where the entire menu comes from ingredients grown or raised on-site. Similarly, Farm 255 in Athens, GA, uses produce from its own seven-acre biodynamic farm as a way to “reconnect food to its roots and people to their food.”

Real estate at a premium? No problem. Growing your own doesn’t require acres of land. Rick Bayless of Chicago’s Frontera Grill and Topolobampo grows chiles and tomatoes, mainstays of his menu, up on the restaurants' roof.

Reduce Waste

Restaurants are finding creative ways to make better use of their limited resources. Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk, owners of The Kitchen in Boulder, CO, are particularly innovative when it comes to reducing waste. For example, sacks from their coffee roaster are passed to a local farm where they’re used for vegetable storage over winter. Vegetables from the farm then go to the restaurant. The Kitchen claims to eliminate close to 100% of its refuse thanks to such methods, along with mindful food preparation and vigorous composting and recycling.

Another fan of using more and disposing less is Chris Cosentino of San Francisco’s Incanto; he promotes nose-to-tail eating with an adventurous menu prepared in a kitchen that throws away no animal parts. Also in San Francisco, Jardinière recycles or composts almost 85% of its waste and plans to list composting locations on its Web site to help its neighbors do the same.

Increase Energy Efficiency

According to the Green Restaurant Association, restaurants use 33% of the electricity gobbled up by U.S. businesses each year. Alternative power can help offset this. Colorado wind farms provide electricity to the lean and clean Kitchen – the restaurant even donates all leftover cooking oils to a biodiesel-fuel-using neighbor.

In New Brunswick, NJ, The Frog and the Peach recently mounted 58 solar panels on its roof that it hopes will generate 20–25% of its electricity and eliminate 24,000 pounds in carbon dioxide emissions yearly.

Other energy innovators include Chicago’s Hannah's Bretzel, which makes its deliveries with a fuel-efficient, low-emission MINI Cooper; NYC's Del Posto, which recently announced it will join Chez Panisse and others in eliminating bottled water; and the Brooklyn outpost of Café Habana, which uses kinetic energy from a bicycle to power its blender.

Use Eco-minded Products

Restaurants can reduce their impact on the environment by avoiding the use of harmful chemicals and finding alternative sources for common materials. LA's Abode was built using wood planks reclaimed from a 200-year-old Temecula farm. London's Acorn House keeps spruce with eco-friendly cleaning products. And the tables at Chicago’s organic pizza lounge Crust are constructed from recycled tires.

Additional Resources:
Chefs Collaborative
Chez Panisse Foundation
Eat Wild
Green Restaurant Association
Michael Pollan
Seafood Watch
SeaWeb
Slow Food USA
Sustainable Table
Watch the creation of London's Acorn House
What to Eat

Big Bowl Drops Bottled Water

BuzzEditor — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:43:00 GMT

Big Bowl is giving up $25K in profits by dropping bottled water.

Tell us what you think of the decision on the Zagat Discussion boards!

The green war on bottled water has come to Chicago.

Popular Asian stir-fry chain Big Bowl recently announced that it will join the growing ranks of restaurants, like Berkeley's Chez Panisse and New York's Del Posto, forgoing the easy money of bottled water because of its environmental impact: Plastic water bottles are rarely recycled and are often trucked vast distances to boot.

According to restaurant trade magazine Nation's Restaurant News, Big Bowl is set to lose $25,000 a year in profits from the decision, which goes into effect this fall.

This is the second restaurant from Big Bowl's parent company, Lettuce Entertain You, to drop bottled water. Osteria Via Stato sells its own filtered water rather than the brand-name stuff. And of course, free tap water is always available.

Uncommon Ground's Sustainable Growth

BuzzEditor — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:17:00 GMT

With its recently expanded space and a new Edgewater location on the way, Uncommon Ground, Wrigleyville’s beloved, eco-conscious coffee shop/Eclectic eatery, is thriving.

The new spot, due in September at 1401 West Devon Avenue, will include a rooftop deck and garden and solar-thermal panels; reclaimed building materials will be used for construction. Expect a menu similar to the current restaurant's, bar/lounge with fireplace and live acoustic music nightly. The owners are striving to achieve green certification from the Green Restaurant Association, a nonprofit organization that has guided restaurant sustainability since 1990.

The original Uncommon Ground hosts the Green Room Sessions, a soiree on the second Thursday of each month (next up July 12) promoting environmental awareness and showcasing live music and cocktails like the Treetini – for each one ordered, Live it Green will plant a tree (7–10 PM; 3800 N. Clark St.; 773-929-3680).