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When discussions of deconstructed food and molecular gastronomy occur, rarely do concepts like sustainability come to mind.  People (like me), who eat food from the admittedly quirky chefs that make these whacky concoctions, are almost always focused on the hedonistic experience of this type of consumption.  This is obviously not lost on Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche, who serve as the executive chef and the executive pastry chef of Moto Restaurant in Chicago respectively {Homaro is on the right}.

Moto is one of the Windy City’s most notable Modern American restaurants.  At this internationally acclaimed establishment, Cantu and his team drop some mad scientist methods to produce food that’s been torn down and built back up in ways most people could never execute (let alone imagine).  If it wasn’t previously obvious that guy’s like Roche and Cantu are concerned with the food system beyond how they can use it to blow your mind as if you’re a character in Inception, it should be obvious now.

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Back to the Start hit the internet yesterday and got passed around quickly.  It is a stop-motion film that talks about sustainability and farming.  Believe it or not, it was commissioned by Chipotle and scored by Willie Nelson (who covers Coldplay’s “The Scientist”).  Worth a watch.  More info at chipotle.com/​backtothestart

Restaurant Eugene and Linton Hopkins, as well as a slew of Atlanta area restaurants, have come under fire from activists over their use of foie gras, a highly contentious liver dish.  It’s really been a few years since the debate over the cultivation of foie gras was a focal point of the food system; however, it always seems to simmer just bellow the surface.  Now, this debate is in our city and I thought I’d offer y’all a little perspective on the history and true nature of the debate.

This topic always strikes a chord with me due to the amount of misinformation used in “proving an opinion.”   By extension, and as with many people, general issues of sustainability and “proper” behavior in the food world are important to me.  I try very hard to provide readers with access to information that will allow them to make educated and informed decisions as it pertains to their food intake.  When someone is attacked, I think it is important to give people some perspective.  I am writing this here post as a group of misinformed and/or under-educated people are trying to bully convince restaurants to stop serving FG.  The short of this admittedly opinionated post is to make sure that you watch this and read both this and this. [All are linked to with context in the text that follows]

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Earlier today (technically yesterday by the time you read this), I spent some time reading an article on sustainability and seafood, which prompted me to write this little bit on an associated topic: the Monterey Bay Aquarium and their Seafood Watch app (android market/apple store).  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the leaders in the sustainability discussion as it pertains to seafood.  They have launched a number of initiatives and have a hand in the food served at quite a number of seafood restaurants all over the country.

Project FishMap and the Seafood Watch app is an attempt to take their sustainable seafood recommendations and put them at the tip of your fingers in the most accessible way possible.  The app helps you not only see what seafood (even sushi) they consider ocean-friendly and then helps you find nearby restaurants that are sustainable conscious (or not for that matter).  Last but not least, they crowdsource information so that you can update your findings on the app and let other people know about it.  For those without an iPhone or android, you can use the mobile site.

DOWNLOAD: android market / apple store

More on Sustainable Seafood

Now, as that article by The Passionate Foodie will tell you, sustainability is a hotly debated topic.  It’s been turned into a buzz word and much of the accepted “facts” aren’t really accepted (or even facts).  So while I can’t universally back the list of seafood listed as sustainable, I believe Seafood Watch is a great tool for those looking to educate themselves a little bit more.  For those of you not as technically inclined, you can find pocket guides and online tools on MBA’s website.

While not perfect, the Aquarium’s Seafood watch app is a great start.  The Aquarium has taken great strides to update their information every six-months, so this should be relatively fresh (HA – I made a pun!) information.

For more info on seafood sustainability, take some time to read through a few of the Passionate’s posts on sustainability.  They are in depth, highly informative, and he has a huge TRUST factor in my book.  He never takes anything at face value, and does his best to present a balanced take on whatever the topic at hand is. (show him some @ love)

Moreover, get on the interwebs and start searching.  Learn what sustainability actually is and how it affects (and effects) you.    Here are some good reads:

• The WSJ on picking fish
• Bourdain & Ripert on Sustainable Fish

Just last week, Zach Kell and Seth Hendricks brought their Goin’ Coastal concept from Canton, GA all the way down I-75 and into Virginia Highlands.  As the name suggests, Goin’ Coastal is all about the seafood; what sets them apart from their competition is their overt focus on sustainable fishing.

Backed by support from the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium (in the form of product consultation), Goin’ Coastal promises a bevy of seafood options delivered from the sea to your plate inside of 36-hours.  Kell, a Georgia native, and Hendricks opened GC in Canton just about two-years ago (they also own The Downtown Kitchen up yonder).  Despite a strong following, I had never ventured into either of their flagship restaurants.  However, I have long lamented the dearth of good seafood options in this city, so when Goin’ Coastal finally came ITP, I dropped in to see what was what.

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It’s been a while since I last mentioned Dan Barber, the über talented chef/owner of Blue Hill & Blue Hill Farms.  The first time I brought Dan up on this blog, he was chatting up ethical foie gras.  The video in that post came from Ted.com, one of the best websites out there for video content.  Now, Barber is back on Ted.  This time, he covers topics related to sustainable food, specifically in the area of aquatics.   At 20-minutes in length, it’s great watching on a tea break or in between Elite Eight games!

On an early afternoon scamper from Buckhead back to the Westside, I found myself looking for sustenance.  As I was heading right past the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, I decided to swing by Zoës Kitchen, a fast casual franchise with a focus on health conscious and sustainable grub.  I wasn’t looking for something quick, cost effective, and relatively tasty.  At the end of the day, that’s basically what I got.

The decor reads straight out of a manual.  The tables are clean, the chairs are “futuristic,” and there’s a lot of orange going around.  The menu looks like it’s a sandwichized version of Moe’s (both in form and factor).  Though I haven’t double checked this, they are supposedly gluten friendly, so that should make at least one blogger very happy.  Thankfully, nobody yelled “Welcome to Zoës when I entered!

As I wasn’t terribly hungry, and I was hopping to spend under $5, I went with a small container of chicken salad.  Alas, the bill was closer to $6 … so that was a bit frustrating.  Anywho, upon opening the container, I found a straightforward sampling of shredded/minced chicken salad.  It’s the type they use on the chicken salad sandwiches at The V.

I kinda enjoy this alternative to the chunky salads that seem to permeate our restaurants.  However, at more than $4 for a simple container of it, I wasn’t in love with the price.  Meanwhile, the spice mix was your basic mayo, salt, and pepper.  They said they use “spices” on the bottom label, but i didn’t get anything special.  I would have liked a little more salt and pepper … and something to help with the texture.  In the absence of bread, some more celery would have helped make it a bit more substantial.  Still, it was pretty fresh and not too sweet, so it would definitely work for me if push came to shove.

In the scope of fast casual, Zoës seems likely to fit right in.  Further exploration is a must before any semblance of a true commentary can come out.

FOR THE FULL ALBUM, VISIT

Atlanta Foodies On Zoës Kitchen

• The Quick and Dirty Dirty on Zoës (08.27.09)
• Georgia Green Dining Guide on Zoës (08.19.09)

Zoës Kitchen Restaurant Address & Information

2333 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 // 404.233.9637 // Zoes Kitchen website // Zoes Kitchen menu (pdf)

                                                                                                  Photo by David Naugle via MU

A recent dining excursion took me to the ever bustling Miller Union, a Westside eatery that has become one of the “it places.”  MU is a restaurant that showed up on the scene roughly two-months ago and is currently in the middle of a love fest not uncommon around these parts.  Some heavy hitters love it and judging by the packed house we witnessed, so too do the lay folk.

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Pizza is the hot-button topic of Atlanta’s food scene.  Walmart is the hot-button corporation of the American business scene.  Now, these two have come together for surprisingly pleasant results.  The mega-chain is now a ubiquitous fixture on our country’s landscape, they don’t really take care of their own, and they seem to suck up most any small business … then promptly spit them out.

So while they have a reputation for being the end-all, be-all of corporate greed (next to Enron perhaps), the company should be recognized for the things that they do right.  One of those things is in regards to the all to important issue of sustainability.  Walmart is actually making incredible strides towards being a sustainable organization.

Why the weekend notation here?  Because one of the sustainable items in their cache is their pizza box … and that’s something we should all get behind.  So here’s a little vid that chats up the box … when you’re done watching, you can actually check out all sorts of info from their yearly “Sustainability Milestone Meeting.”

[via kanarick]

Atlanta’s newest buzz restaurant said hello world early last week.  Miller Union, a freshly designed (by ai3) Westside restaurant, features ever trendy farm fresh food from Steven Satterfield, formerly of Watershed.  With the help of GM Neal McCarthy, by way of Sotto Sotto, and the assistance of mixologist Cara Laudino, the group is hoping that M+U becomes Atlanta’s next “it” restaurant.

Though their menus and vibe are extremely disparate, I could not help but draw some immediate connections between M+U and the nearby Abattoir.  First and foremost, just as Abattoir borrowed its name from the history of the building within which it resides, so too does Miller Union.  Next, the two both share an affinity for finely styled country decor.  Third, there is a particularly acute focus on freshly sourced ingredients.

While my introduction to M+U was not the runaway success that I had hoped, there are a number of reasons to smile after taking the time dine there.  A man date with Savory Exposure (website) turned anniversary trio, it seemed that all the members of “Team Buddha” walked away from our meal smiling and content.

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