Earth Day is here! What are you doing to celebrate and signify it? There are a whole host of events going on around Columbus over the weekend, one of the biggest of which is Lighten Up at Franklin Park Conservatory.
Of course, me being me, I have to drag breakfast into all of this. To me, Earth Day means highlighting some of those Columbus eateries who make sustainability and local sourcing a priority. There are many more than I can list, but here are a few places you can dine this weekend, to support restaurants with an eye toward keeping it local and environmentally friendly.
1. Northstar Cafe has long been known for food-forward menu and business practices, and they put their mission out there: while you’re waiting for your food, for instance, you can read quotes from Michael Pollan on the cards at your table. They build their menu of popular veggie burgers and ricotta pancakes with organic and local ingredients whenever possible, and customers have flocked frequently enough that there are now three locations: Short North, Beechwold, and Easton. Owners Kevin, Katy, and Darren Malhame speak widely about their restaurant and their overall mission. If you’re interested in learning more about what they do and why they do it, you can read an interview with Kevin through the Nature Conservancy here.
2. Skillet‘s subtitle of “Rustic. Urban. Food.” points to a menu of simple construction using local ingredients: duck eggs, fresh salad greens, apples, and the like all come from Central Ohio farms. Skillet’s practices have earned them lots of local and national attention, such as (ahem) an appearance on PBS that included yours truly. If you want one of the more creative brunches in town, pay attention to what Chefs Kevin and Patrick Caskey are cooking up for the weekend.
3. Betty’s, Surly Girl, Tip Top, Dirty Frank’s, and/or Jury Room. All of Liz Lessner’s restaurants practice sustainable habits, and Liz helped co-found Eartha Limited, a company focused on teaching the food industry to reduce waste. These five restaurants offer the funkiest brunches in town, from breakfast nachos and pot roast skillets to flatbreads and Bloody Marys. Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace most recently (as in, last weekend) joined the Betty’s Family of Restaurants in offering a Saturday and Sunday brunch.
Whatever you choose, make sure you support those restaurants who are doing their part to improve the restaurant industry, our health, and the way we treat our food overall.
Happy Earth Day, everyone!
P.S. It’s not breakfast, but don’t forget you can get your free Northstar Burger today (starting at 11)!
