By Jenny Hontz
For dineLA.com
It's not easy being green. Just ask Sean Krajewski, director of operations for Mendocino Farms, one of a dozen Los Angeles eateries certified by the Green Restaurant Association. When the sandwich shop switched to biodegradable soup containers, employees had to warn customers to use two or eat fast.
"We tell people, you have about 10 minutes before this self destructs," says Krajewski, who is also a partner at the green restaurant, Casa. "It degrades so fast people would call and say, 'I totally appreciate you being green, but I need this soup to not be on my lap.'"
Despite the pitfalls, Mendocino Farms is one of many local restaurants taking steps to minimize their impact on the environment while serving truly top-notch cuisine. Eco-friendly trends include using local, organic and seasonal ingredients, buying only sustainable seafood, and using reclaimed woods and energy-efficient lighting in restaurant design.
Restaurants such as STREET, Real Food Daily and Akasha are also eliminating bottled water shipped from far-flung locales, switching to their own filtration systems instead. Chef Neal Fraser of Grace is even fueling his Mercedes with grease from his restaurant.
"I have two cars that run on vegetable oil," Fraser says. "It smells like donuts. It makes people behind me hungry."
The Lobster in Santa Monica just received an award for installing 54 solar panels and making a number of other earth-friendly changes. When the restaurant bought Metro passes for its employees, "half the staff took us up on it, even those with cars," says General Manager Jack de Nicola.
Latin restaurants Border Grill serves only sustainable seafood and 100 percent organic rice and beans, even though chef owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger think Mexican parboiled rice tastes better. "I can't find an organic source for it, which is frustrating me to no end," Milliken says. "I'm pushing and pushing to find somebody. Everything you buy sends a message."
Some believe the best way to help the environment is to go vegetarian. Leaf Cuisine in Culver City, which is certified green by the GRA, serves all organic, vegan cuisine, as does Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana. M Café de Chaya in Hollywood focuses on macrobiotic food — no red meat, poultry, eggs or dairy. When its publicists send out press kits, they provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope so reporters can return them for reuse. Silver Lake offers the vegan Flore and vegetarian- and raw-inspired Cru. Remove thoughts of tasteless entrées and dry dessert; fine dining can be grand and green indeed.
Eco-friendly restaurants that serve meat are careful about the source.
Finally, someone has stepped up to the plate of fish. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s new “Seafood for the Future” program uses a simple logo to point ocean lovers to restaurants like Nook Bistro, Providence and Lucques, where diners can indulge in the fruits of the sea guilt free, knowing the establishment has committed itself to eco-friendly options.
An eco-friendly nightclub? Designed by Beau Robb, the mastermind behind renowned venues including Area nightclub and Privilege, Hollywood’s Ecco Ultra Lounge will be the nation's first eco-friendly certified nightlife venue. The ultra stylish know: green is the new black.
Going green is definitely trendy, but many chefs are long-time believers. "I don't know if anyone else cares, but I think the planet cares," says Fraser, who recently added a Close to Home tasting menu. "I have kids, and I want them to be able to breathe when they're 60 years old."
- Akasha, 9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City; 310.845.1700
- Border Grill, 1445 4th St., Santa Monica; 310.451.1655
- Blue on Blue, 9400 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.277.5221
- Blue Velvet, 750 S. Garland Ave., Los Angeles; 213.239.0061
- Cinnamon Vegetarian Restaurant, 5511 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles; 323.982.9480
- Cru, 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles; 323-6671551
- Ecco Ultra Lounge, 1640 North Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles; 323-464-2065
- Flore, 3818 W. Sunset Blvd., Silverlake; (323) 953-0611
- Grace Restaurant, 7360 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; 323.934.4400
- J Restaurant and Lounge, 1119 South Olive St., Los Angeles; 213.746.7746
- Leaf Cuisine, 11938 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City; 310.390.6005
- Lobster, 1602 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; 310.458.9294
- Lucques, 8474 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; 323.655.6277
- M Cafe de Chaya, 7119 Melrose Ave., Hollywood; 323.525.0588
- Madeleine Bistro, 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; 818.758.6971
- Mendocino Farms, 300 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles; 213.620.1114
- Nook Bistro, 11628 Santa Monica Blvd. #9, Los Angeles;310.207.5160
- Providence, 5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; 323.460.4170
- STREET, 742 North Highland Ave., Los Angeles; 323.461.7813
