Whenever we dine out, we put our money where our mouths are. And with half the average American food budget spent at restaurants, that's a lot of money going into the mouth.
Patrons of Taste
Fortunately, a new breed of restaurateur, inspired by the likes of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, makes it easier than ever to eat healthier, better tasting food when we dine out. By serving local produce and organic free-range meats, these restaurateurs may be making their jobs harder and upping the price of your meal-ticket, but they're also ensuring you get a more nutritious meal and significantly reducing impacts on the earth.
How Do You Know?
Most restaurants will tell you on their menu if ingredients are local or organic. More internal facets, like energy-efficient lighting and heating, are difficult to gauge. Consult SustainLane’s directoryfor reviews on local green restaurants.
Another good tool is Oakland, California-based Thimmakka's Resources. It has 100 restaurants, like Chez Panisse and Gordon Biersch, in its Green Certified Restaurants Program, and gives its restaurants a green-certified logo to display in windows. The
Ken O. says:
Half the budget doesn't mean half the food. Part of what you pay for at restaurants is ambience (rent, utilities, decor) and service (labor). Definitely agree though that dining out means trusting other people to make what you put into your body... both the ingredients and "secret sauce."