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Sustainability Beyond the Kitchen
Once a chef makes the decision to serve foods produced sustainably and sourced locally, everything else in his or her restaurants starts to look different. Did the wood for the tables come from overharvested rainforests? Are bottles and packages being recycled? Are take-out cartons recyclable? Is washing the tablecloths harming the environment. Here are snapshots of three restaurants in our area where the restaurateurs took their commitment to sustainability beyond their kitchens and into every aspect of their restaurants operations. They are representative of a new wave in restaurants, of chefs for whom the right food must also be presented in the right environment and in the right spirit, and that wave is growing. This is not “greenwashing.” These folks are green from the ground up. ---------
The blue-green waters of the Atlantic draw millions of tourists to Virginia Beach every year, but one beach restaurant is hoping to draw the “greenies.” Croc’s 19th Street Bistro is a hub for eco-conscious folks in the Hampton Roads area, partly because owners Laura Wood Habr and Cal Habr see the value of their actions beyond the dining room. The first restaurant in the state to earn the Virginia Green certification from the Department of Environmental Quality, the example Croc’s has set has helped inspire other restaurants, hotels and businesses throughout the city, resulting in accolades from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine for spreading the “green gospel” and the designation of Virginia Beach as a Green Destination this summer. When the Habrs renovated the 15-year-old restaurant in 2007, they took the opportunity to put a green vision in place. “We wanted to save money by investing in eco-friendly products that cost a little more at the beginning, knowing they would last longer,” says Laura Habr. “We knew it was the right thing to do for the environment.” The bathrooms feature low-flow toilets and sinks, and the dark, patterned carpeting is made from 45 percent recycled fibers. A small dance floor made of engineered farm-raised lumber veneers and man-made substrates gleams, while local art blooms along the cinderblock walls painted bright orange using low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint. Croc’s commitment to sustainability encompasses the food as well. “The restaurant industry has a huge responsibility to the farmers and the fishing industry, to care about where we are getting our food, and to offer that to customers and the general public,” Habr says. Every Saturday morning in the summer, Croc’s parking lot welcomes walk-up neighbors to the “Old Virginia Beach Farmer’s Market,” where local farmers and gardeners sell fresh produce. Meanwhile, members of the community supported agriculture (CSA) program run by Mattawoman Creek Farms on the Eastern Shore pick up their weekly shares of the farm’s produce. Mattawoman Creek’s CSA now serves over 170 members, and with most of them in the Tidewater area, Croc’s is just one of the CSA’s drop-off locations. The farm’s produce shows up on Croc’s menu as well, as changing weekly specials, complementing regular courses. At four in the afternoon, the smoke-free restaurant opens for appetizers, beverages and dinner. Croc’s menu is globally inspired, with a Middle Eastern edge including Lebanese favorites like tablouleh, baba ghanoush and hummus. Dave & Dee Scherr deliver their fresh locally cultivated mushrooms regularly, along with other treats from local farmers, such as organic delicata squash, which made its way into a late summer soup of the day. Sustainable, fresh caught seafood is marked with a tiny fish symbol. It’s not unusual to find a sprig of fresh rosemary in your drink—there’s a giant hedge of the herb spilling out of a raised bed in front of the restaurant. In fact, the eco-mixologists at Croc’s offer many versions of “Green-tinis” made with organic juices and Square One Organic Vodka. One of the signature events at Croc’s is “Green Drinks,” the local iteration of an eco-happy hour that takes place in cities around the world. On the third Thursday of each month, from 6-8 pm, the bar hums with conversation on issues like gardening, recycling and decorating. August’s “Green Goddess” event explored organic clothing and fashion with the editor of Hampton Roads’ skirt! magazine. “We’ve had people on business trips who have attended Green Drinks networks throughout the world and have found us!” Habr says. “And it’s interesting to hear ‘Well, what are you doing in Oregon with Green Drinks?’” she says with a smile. Kathleen Fogarty is a freelance writer and early childhood educator in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She lives on a five-acre organic farm with her husband, John Wilson. She produces the farm's CSA newsletter, "The Real Dirt,” and has been writing feature stories for Tidewater Women magazine for five years. She is the co-president of the board for Old Dominion University's Friends of Women's Studies.
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