13 exciting U.S. restaurants championing sustainability
By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner | Published on January 6, 2023
Across the nation, restaurants are raising the sustainability bar, embracing hyper-local sourcing, minimizing food waste, and including more plant-based meals than ever before. While sustainable practices were relegated to internal staff discussions in the past, chefs and restaurateurs now proudly display their eco-conscious efforts.
The vibe shift is evident. In New York City, a sushi and sashimi spot dedicated to transparent sourcing gets bluefin tuna from its own fish farm in western Japan. A family-owned New American hotspot in Washington, D.C. leads the charge on zero-waste dining, using upcycled produce in dishes such as strawberry-hull pesto and carrot peel soup. Frying oil gets a second life as fuel at a Venetian wine bar in Atlanta.
Storico Vino – Atlanta, GA
Pressure from his daughter led Storico Vino’s co-owner, Pietro Gianni, to reduce waste in 2020. Since then, the restaurant quickly climbed the sustainability ladder in Atlanta. When servers at this Venetian-style wine bar ask whether you’d like still or sparkling water, they’re subtly hinting at one of Storico Vino’s many carbon footprint-minimizing efforts. For starters, the restaurant’s own purified water, plus beer and prosecco on tap, replaces the need for shipped bottles. Produce for dishes is sourced from a dedicated greenhouse on a local family farm and frying oil is sold to Southern Green Industries, a local company specializing in oil recycling services for a second life as fuel.
Check out the other 12 restaurants on Open Table.
