More and more, green meetings are becoming standard procedure, and that means meeting planners have to come up with menus that are green-minded, too. Here are the keywords: sustainable, organic, locally grown, fair trade. In Los Angeles, restaurants and other event venues are catering to the demand — oftentimes going out of their way to help their clients stay eco-friendly.
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 working on the new 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.'"
And then there's the issue of people throwing the wrong kind of trash in the compost bin. "We have to pick it out," he says. "We try to educate people, but it's a battle. I never imagined I'd be picking out trash from a compost pile. I could have sworn this was supposed to be a good idea."
Despite the pitfalls, Mendocino Farms is just one of many local restaurants taking steps to minimize their impact on the environment and cater to clients looking to plan green events. 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 Ciudad, Wilshire Restaurant, Luckyfish and Akasha are also eliminating bottled water shipped from far-flung locales, switching to their own filtration systems instead. Meanwhile, Latin restaurants Ciudad and Border Grill serve only sustainable seafood and 100 percent organic rice and beans. Co-Owner Mary Sue Milliken says, “Everything you buy sends a message,” a helpful message for meeting planners who want to make a green impression.
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 indeed be green and grand.
These are just some ideas that Los Angeles restaurants have implemented to help cater to green events. And others are following suit, so even if potential vendors don’t openly cater to green events, ask them if it’s possible to make some easy changes, such as serving finger foods to conserve the water and energy used to wash plates, buying organic wines, donating excess food and decorating with local flowers. It’ll make your green meeting even greener.
