Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales of Nirvana Grille only serves sustainable seafood.
to his motto: “Globally Influenced.
Domestically Sourced.” He
frequently tries to use produce
grown within 100 miles of Laguna
Beach and says it’s important for
people to become more conscious
about eating sustainably. “The
population is increasing and
people are living longer,” he says.
“If we aren’t sustainable, we won’t
have anything.”
His effort to purchase
products domestically is evident
in menu items such as the trout
(sustainably farm-raised in Idaho)
with potatoes (from California’s
Central Valley), beans and mush
rooms (from the farmers market
at the Orange County Great Park
in Irvine) and homemade hazelnut
brown butter.
Additionally, in an effort to
build community, Three Seventy
Common hosts a family-style
Sunday Social where guests
dine together at one large table.
They may select from one of two
entrees on a set dinner menu
featuring vegetables that are
hand-picked by Ryan at local
farmers markets.
NIRVANA GRILLE
Lindsay Smith-Rosales, executive
chef and co-owner of Nirvana
Grille, describes the restaurant’s
menu as “clean” Californian
cuisine. Nirvana only serves
all-natural meats, free from
hormones and antibiotics, organic
free-range poultry and sustainable seafood. The restaurant’s
practices include buying seasonal
produce from farms within
California whenever available as
well as organic greens, herbs, rice
and GMO-free products.
“I believe that we all have a
choice to make a difference or
ignore it like it is someone else’s
issue,” Lindsay says. “We are
all responsible for the Earth and
what we consume.”
As part of the restaurant’s
effort, Lindsay also uses fresh
eggs from the five chickens she
raises at her home. She admits
that restaurants are the biggest
generators of food waste while
also overconsuming energy
and other resources—practices
that can be modified to reduce
environmental effects. “These are
simple changes that can make a
positive impact on the community
around us and the future for
our children,” Lindsay says. “If
restaurants could work as a group,
locally, instead of trying to undermine or outsell each other, we
may have a solution to resources
that support common goals of
responsible purchasing.”
MARO WOOD GRILL
At Maro Wood Grill, Executive
Chef Debra Sims attempts to
provide a menu that is sustainable
yet delicious. “I try to minimize
the carbon footprint without
sacrificing the integrity of the
food,” Debra says. The restaurant
supports local farms and bakeries,
and gets its coffee from The
Laguna Coffee Co.
One of the most popular—and
sustainable—menu items is
the Maro Burger made with 8
ounces of grass-fed ground beef,
Nueske’s bacon, aged white cheddar, locally sourced artisanal buns,
organic iceberg lettuce, Rosso
Bruno tomatoes, red onions and
house-made aioli and coleslaw.
As a consumer, Debra says
one of the most important
things to do is to find out where
your food comes from. “Pay
attention as a consumer and
ask questions,” she says. “Eat
at local restaurants, not chain
restaurants. Small restaurants can
make better choices.”
For more information on these
and other Laguna restaurants,
check out our Dine listings on
page 48.
Home Grown
INTERESTED IN SUSTAINABLE EATING? GET A
HEAD START AT ONE OF THE AREA’S WEEKEND
FARMERS MARKETS.
Laguna Beach Certified Farmers Market: Laguna’s market sets
up shop in the Lumberyard parking lot off Forest Avenue every
Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Maro Wood Grill
serves coffee
from The Laguna
Coffee Co.
Corona del Mar Certified Farmers Market: Head north up Pacific
Coast Highway to the corner of Marguerite Avenue for Corona del
Mar’s market, held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Newport Beach Certified Farmers Market: Lido Marina Village at Via
Oporto street hosts Newport’s market every Sunday from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
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