It's not often I learn something about sustainability from a restaurant. Far more often I am met with platitudes and BS, so when I asked which of two grass fed steaks (that differed in price significantly) I might pick from a sustainability perspective, I was both surprised and informed by the response I got. I was advised that one of them came from Nebraska rather than Oregon and therefore had to travel further (this aspect I understood already), but also, that the meat from Nebraska was from a particular variety of cattle that is extremely finicky, and the farming practices required to raise them is more intensive, and that this would impact the carbon footprint of raising the animal. Wow ... I was impressed. So they know their stuff with respect to sustainability! And they recommended the cheaper one to boot.\r
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Despite this, there were some odd contradictions, like cloth-like disposable paper towels in the bathroom (you know those really fancy ones), and portions sizes that, from a sutainability perspective, are simply way too large. No human being needs to be eating an 18 oz steak for supper, let alone a 24 oz steak, so this kinda rubs with the whole sustainability sensibility. If you're eating a 24 oz steak for dinner, it doesn't make a hill of beans difference whether it's pasture raised or feed lot, corn fed, you're going to be doing a good job of destroying the planet, one big fat American dinner at a time. So on the one hand, I really appreciate that they are putting these options out there and supporting good local farms and farming practices ... but clearly they either don't fully understand, or are not fully committed to the big picture. To be fair though, I'm projecting that sustainability agenda on them probably more than they are marketing it.\r
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All in all the meal was very good and the service was exceptional, and I'd return again if I ever feel like eating a fine cut of beef, that has been handled and served impeccably.\r
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The great: 1. A selection of meats labeled by the farms they come from and the feeding practiced used. 2. A dramatic atmosphere, if not a bit ultra modern and stark. 3. They really understand how to cook meat, no doubt about it.\r
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The not so great: 1. The 'big-picture' level of committment to sustainability. 2. The 'roasted foraged mushrooms' appeared to be only oysters that might have been foraged, but when I think foraged, I'm expecting more of a local variety, i.e. morels, chantrelles, candy caps, lion's mane, lobster etc. There are a lot of them currently available on the shelves of Whole Foods at the time of this writing. For 11 bucks, they could do better. \r
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