Good Organic restaurants in Bay Area
Im looking for some great restaurants which use predominantly organic ingredients. Anyone have a recommendation?
Chaobaby
Jun 19, 2003 03:40AM
20 Replies so Far
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Chez Panisse?
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The mention of Roxanne's threw me for a second until I noticed that this is a five-year-old topic. I don't think there are any certified organic restaurants. Among those that make a serious effort to find the best local organic ingredients:
A-16
Ame
Aziza
Bar Jules
Bar Tartine
Boulevard
Camino (Oakland)
Cesar (Oakland)
Chez Panisse (Berkeley)
Coi
Delfina
Dopo (Oakland)
Farmer Brown
Gialina Pizza
Globe
Greens
Hayes St. Grill
Hog Island
Incanto
Kokkari
Manresa
Maverick
Millennium
Nopa
Oliveto (Oakland)
Pizzaiolo (Oakland)
Pizzeria Delfina
SPQR
Ubuntu (Napa)
Zuni Cafe
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Great list. I'd add Venus (Berkeley).
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What are you basing your list on? (I'm not quarreling, merely interested.)
I was just filing away a bunch of menus from places we'd dined in the past few months and was reminded of how such places as Greens and Delfina did not mention organic on their menus as a promised goal, perhaps a couple of times to describe a particular item.
When one questions waiters, they often claim the food is mostly organic but, particularly with once- or twice-daily printed menus, the restaurants would be bragging, not hiding their organics behind a bushel basket of conventional. (sorry)
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Most of that list was off the top of my head. I added a few more after skimming the "where to buy" lists on the Mariquita and Marin Sun Web sites. Places that are really picky about ingredients pretty much have to change their menus daily.
The sample lunch and dinner menus on greensrestaurant.com say, "Greens Restaurant supports local organic growers and features the produce of Green Gulch, Zen Center’s farm in Marin."
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I think that for some restaurants, whether something is certified organic is less important than having direct knowledge of how the food is being produced. There is a not-insignificant number of local farmers who use sustainable, environmentally friendly methods who for one reason or another haven't gone through the process of becoming certified. The fruits and vegetables in my garden aren't (and couldn't be) certified organic, but that doesn't mean they aren't preferrable to certified organic produce from the market.
My local market carries almost all organic produce, but I was talking to the produce manager one day and we agreed that we'd rather have produce from a local farmer using responsible farming methods but without an organic certification than certified organic produce from some agribusiness in another hemisphere.
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Amen to that! Very well put. Thanks.
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I too agree. It's just that I believe restaurants should communicate what their policies/goals are. If nothing is written on the menu, one can't and shouldn't just "assume." Unfortunately the human condition is such that some restaurateurs will do their utmost to give the impression they're "with the program" while not spending the money--hitching a ride on the honor and ideals of others.
I still believe any chef or owner serious about particular principles--be they organics, sustainability, supporting local producers--should let both customers and competitors know. It certainly would influence where I chose to spend my dining-out dollars and might also encourage support for the practices.
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Sirayvah Organic Thai Cuisine
San Carlos
366 El Camino Real San Carlos CA
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Cafe Fanny, Berkeley
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Greens at the Marina - vegetarian.
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I was going to suggest Greens too, but I am not sure if they are organic.
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Much of the produce used at Greens is grown at the organic Green Gulch Farm, part of the Zen Center---I would say this is a very organic place.
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How about Roxanne in Larkspur?
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I think that the beauty of the bay area is that organic and local foods can be found in a lot of places, and that you don't necessarily have to go to a "vegetarian" or "organic" restaurant.
Examples:
Hayes Street Grill. They feature greens from Star Route Farms (an organic farm), and Unterman states on her website: "The whole menu benefits from the stunning array of seasonal produce we get directly from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. I shop there and haul it myself two times a week. " ** Here's a link to their site: http://www.hayesstreetgrill.com/hsg-ourday.html.
** Disclaimer -- I realize that all FP Farmer's Market booths are not organic, but it is promising, and HS Grill DOES use at least some specifically organic produce.
Ti Couz. Has organic greens, tomotoes on their menu. In a recent post, "Windy" stated that you can get an organic salad by paying an extra dollar. http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/51067.html
Pizzetta 211. sfstation.com states that all of their ingredients are organic and seasonal. http://www.sfstation.com/restaurants/pizzetta/. You may want to call them directly to confirm - I have heard them talk about picking groceries up at the local produce stand around the corner, which I am not sure is organic.
Desiree. Again, a place you might want to call. Not sure if they specifically seek out organic produce, but they may have different organic ingredients from week to week. http://www.sffilmcentre.com/desiree/desiree.html
Firefly. This restaurant has been mentioned favorably a few times on this board, and is on the San Francisco tip sheet. Here's a link to their site where they say that they have "always been committed to using ingredients that reflect our connection to our community: organic, locally grown produce when possible, and meats from Marin Countys Niman Ranch, 'Drug free, happy cows with an ocean view.'" Link to their site: http://www.fireflyrestaurant.com/inde...
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Minako, Mission between 17th&18th, for organic Japanese food.
Went there last night for dinner. So very, very good!The dishes were fresh tasting (some ingredients just picked from owner's garden), inspired, crafted, and the ingredients were all of high quality. It's a small mother-daughter operation, and the service can seem slow because of the limited number of staff, but everyone is genuinely nice and welcoming. Many of the diners looked like regulars, hugging the waiteress as they came in.
We had the "kaiseki" (multi-course dinner of chef's selections for the day), and we left full and happy for $35 per person. The night we went, the dinner started with a tuna poki with a delicious fried somen garnish, then progressed through a selection of sushi (including fugu, or blowfish), a broiled eel and radicchio salad w/ponzu-based dressing, prawns wrapped in shredded potato which was fried crispy and served with sea salt, miso & mirin marinated mackerel w/ miso dressing and crisp green beans, ikura, rice, soup, and a green tea gelatin (made w/ agar agar) dessert.
All the dishes that came out of the kitchen looked delicious, I can't wait to go back to try them!
We arrived a little after it opened around 5:30 and left at 8pm. Once we ordered, the dishes arrived at a good pace for us, but I wouldn't order the kaiseki if you are in a hurry to get somewhere. Most of the set dinners (entree comes w/ soup and rice) were between $11-15.
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This sounds like a great option but I have a totally unrelated question about the restaurant. Isnt fugu the famous Japanese poison fish? If so, you need a license in Japan to serve it and I think its illegal to serve it in California but I could be wrong..just wouldnt want to croak unnecessaryily when they use the blowfish knife making the salad...only joking!
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I had a look on the net and found an informative piece on fugu you may find interesting taken from the about.com guide to Japanese cuisine
"There is an old expression such that "I want to eat fugu, but I don't want to die" in Japan. Since fugu's poison can lead to instantaneous deaths of diners, only licensed cooks are allowed to prepare fugu. You must have special skills and knowledge about fugu to be licensed. Poisonous parts of fugu differ, depending on the kind of fugu. Because of the strict regulations, the number of deaths is decreasing.
Fugu dishes are usually expensive. One meal can cost $100 to $200 per person at a famous restaurant. But there are inexpensive fugu dishes (from $15 to $20) available at some restaurants. It's said that the most poisonous fugu, "Tora-fugu," is the most delicious. Tora-fugu is expensive and can cost over one hundred dollars at a fish market."
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I heard Millenium does. http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/
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Sirayvah Organic Thai in San Carlos is a unique and delicious organic restaurant. One of my favorites and worth the drive.
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