With Earth Day just around the corner, how are you helping to make Chicago a greener environment? Check out some of Chi-town's greenest and most environmentally-friendly restaurants, from fine-dining to on-the-go.
Browntrout: This casual fine dining restaurant grows all its herbs in a rooftop garden and uses sustainably farmed and/or organic products whenever possible. All seafood comes from natural waters or sustainable farms, and meat comes from grass-fed, free-range animals. Enjoy dishes like the local roasted squash soup or the wood grilled Dietzler Farm burger.
4111 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-472-4111
Hannah's Bretzel: There isn't anything about Hannah's not to like. From its healthy sandwiches and whole grain organic pretzels to its dedication as an environmentally conscious business, Hannah's rightfully deserved Chicago magazine's Green Award. The meats are certified organic, free of antibiotics, growth hormones, sulfites and nitrites. On the business side, Hannah's is the first USGBC-LEED certified fast casual restaurant in Chicago. Hannah's uses 100 percent biodegradable containers, lids, utensils and plates and even transports catering orders via low emission vehicles.
233 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-621-1111; check site for additional locations
Argo Tea Café: Committed to being a sustainable business by working with the best local and global tea, Argo Tea Café only uses coffee beans that are 100% organic and fair trade. Plus, all Argo Tea Café's are powered by wind and their café equipment is ENERGY STAR® rated.
819 N. Rush St., 312-546-4718; check site for additional locations
Shaw's Crab House: Shaw's Crab House takes the green movement a step further by offering an entirely separate sustainable seafood menu. Separated by categories such as Best Choices (abundant, well managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways) and Good Alternatives (options when the 'best choices' aren't available), Shaw's has teamed up with The Right Bite program to assist consumers in understanding the environmental costs associated with some fishing and farming methods. Shaw's menu has also been reviewed by The Shedd Aquarium, and is the first Chicago restaurant to gain MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody Certification -- a process to ensure that products using the MSC eco-label have come from an MSC-certified fishery.
21 E. Hubbard St.; 312-527-2722