The Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op I wrote about two-and-a-half years ago soldiers on. Yesterday the group announced 20 restaurants that have successfully achieved certification through its Guaranteed Green initiative.
That means each spot had to meet standards set by Green Seal or the Green Restaurant Association.
To wit, says the GCRC, “In order to earn certification in either program, a restaurant must achieve standards in the areas of sustainable purchasing for food, cleaning products, food serviceware and furnishings, as well as management of energy, water, waste and air quality.”
That ain’t necessarily so easy. Not all the restaurants that committed to the program last August have made it yet—including Ina’s, owned by GCRC cofounder Ina Pinkney, though she and and ten others are still plugging away.
For now, look for the green sticker at Avec, Big Jones, Blackbird, Blind Faith Cafe, The Dining Room at Kendall College, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Keefer’s, Poag Mahone’s, Simone’s Bar, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Trattoria No. 10, both locations of Uncommon Ground, and all Sopraffina Marketcaffes (owned by GCRC cofounder Dan Rosenthal).