The Buzz About Bread & Brew

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Tired of the same old BonBellyCosi routine? Take heart. Bread & Brew, which opened at 1247 20th Street in mid January, elevates lunchtime options to a new level by being one of only four DC-area restaurants certified by the Green Restaurant Association.

Owner Teri VanGoethem has incorporated earth friendly practices throughout her new casual dining spot including biodegradable to-go containers and catering packaging. There’s also a chandelier made from recycled beer bottles and reusable water bottles that can be purchased and refilled every time you come in.

The menu features artisan pizzas, organic espresso and coffee, sandwiches, quiche, and soups made with fresh, natural ingredients from local purveyors like Hawthorne Bakery (Severna Park) and Counter Culture.

Buzz heard on DonRockwell and other foodie blogs suggests the food is tasty, if a bit more expensive than some other nearby lunch spots that don’t source locally or emphasize green practices.

Local Fresh Food Delivered

Posted on by Maria Feit Barry

Tired of takeout? Too busy to cook? Now, there’s a local food delivery service that will help you be more sustainable and eat well, too. Your Urban Kitchen does all the prep work and cooking and delivers on an as-needed basis with a three-meal minimum.

The brainchild of Nashwa Beach, a Brightwood resident, Your Urban Kitchen just launched last week and is currently available throughout northwest DC. Beach’s inspiration? Helping others to get their busy lives in order without having to compromise on flavor and nutrition.

Sample menu items for January include Indonesian Ginger Chicken, Creamy Chicken Basil Pesto or Pan Seared Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter. The food comes prepared and vacuumed sealed so you determine if you put in the freezer or fridge. All you do is heat it up.

Each meal is enough for six servings (4-6 adults) and split portions are available to serve 2-3 adults. Meals are delivered Saturday afternoon and Monday afternoon/evening to customers throughout northwest; the company is planning to expand its delivery area later this year

Now that’s the kind of fast-food dining we can get behind!

Cathal Armstrong’s Green Cuisine

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Check out this article by Jane Black in the Washington Post’s Food section, which profiles the green efforts of Chef Cathal Armstrong, who, along with his wife Meshelle, run the acclaimed Restaurant Eve, the Majestic, Eamonn’s fish and chips shop, and PX.

Here’s are the highlights of the Armstrong’s eco-practices:

  • a wormery produces enough organic fertilizer for Restaurant Eve’s garden.
  • bottled water has been banned from the restaurants; instead, a water filtration system supplies fresh, filtered water for free to patrons.
  • tinted skylights cut the restaurant’s energy costs by 88%.
  • the seasonal menu showcases vegetables from the restaurant’s own garden.
  • a composter processes food refuse and other organic waste.
  • a company called Smarter Fuel picks up the kitchen grease and turns it into biofuel.
  • all cleansers used at the restaurant are non-toxic and biodegradable.

Looking for other dining destinations that make green a priority?  Check out this list of eco-friendly restaurants around DC.

Founding Farmers Opens Soon

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

DC’s first LEED-certified restaurant, Founding Farmers, which is slated to open in September, will arrive just in time to piggyback on America’s love affair with all things farm-related.

Touting “fresh farm to table American inspired food,” the 8,500 square foot restaurant designed by DC architecture firm CORE (Brasserie Beck, artiZEN Cafe, Greenwood) features farm silo-shaped booth seating made of recycled steel, ‘PaperStone’ countertops in the restrooms, reclaimed barn woods underfoot and for the communal farmhouse tables, green-sourced power, and low-VOC emitting paints.

But what good is a green restaurant without tasty food? No problem–Founding Farmers has that covered. Chef Graham Duncan has created a menu that feature “homemade traditional American classics inspired by the heartland” made with sustainably farmed products and in-season vegetables and fruits. Hearty fare includes fresh-baked breads, rustic farm sandwiches, pot roast, roasted chicken, and pies and desserts made in-house.

The Week in Green: August 08, 2008

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This blog was created as an online destination for DC locals or those traveling to our fabulous city to find out about local green businesses, projects, tips, services, products, and events. The cool thing is that since I started writing in January, I’ve noticed a substantial increase in items worth covering. So much so, that I’ve decided to launch “The Week in Green,” a round-up of all the juicy green tidbits that I don’t want you to miss each week.

Enjoy!

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P.S Have a green tip, local event, product, or news? Drop me an email.

The Week in Green: 8-08-08 to 8-16-08

  • Green Drinks

When: Tuesday August 12

Where: Ulah Bistro, 1214 U Street, NW, DC

When: 6:30-9/10

Featured in a recent issue of Daily Candy, this locally owned cleaning company uses natural products such as concentrated sage, lavender essential oils, and vinegar to keep the dust bunnies at bay. They even offer custom aromatherapy made from select essential oils designed to enhance your mood naturally. Green and Clean, take me away….

The team behind Mendocino and Sonoma have opened Redwood restaurant in the new Bethesda Row pedestrian mall. The 7,500-square-foot restaurant features modern American cuisine that emphasizes local and organic produce, wild and sustainable seafood, and ingredients from local artisanal cheesemakers, growers, ranchers, and fishermen. Reservations are difficult to come by; even Post food critic Tom Siestsema couldn’t score a table in the main dining room on his first visit. Check out an “early look” and a sample menu to whet your appetite until the hordes die down.