ORGANIC RESTAURANTS IN MINNEAPOLIS
Thursday, April 17
Finding restaurants that cook with organic and locally grown products used to be a problem. But that's hardly the case anymore. Many restaurants use milk, cheese, poultry, meat and produce that's grown and produced nearby.

Hope Creamery butter, Wild Acres Farm duck, Fischer Farms natural pork and St. Pete's blue cheese have become menu staples. So have such buzzwords as 'artisanal,' 'farm fresh' and 'pasture fed.'

But some restaurants are more eco friendly than others. Here are 10 spots where you can get great food and walk away with a clear conscience.

Red Stag Supperclub: This supper club for hipsters is, oh, so green. In an old warehouse, Red Stag is the first Minnesota dining establishment to be LEED certified (a highly rated green building). The tables are made from recycled doors, the bar from reclaimed Italian marble and the energy efficient, superpowerful hand dryers in the restrooms not only would please a tree hugger but also actually dry your hands. And the food here, from fried smelt to flatiron steak, is all about provenance. (509 First Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612 767 7766; www.redstag supperclub.com.

Common Roots Cafe: Practically everything in the restaurant is compostable or recyclable, the tip jar money goes to nonprofits and the majority of the ingredients are local. To top it off, the hand formed bagels are the best around, made from organic Minnesota flour, of course. (2558 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612 871 2360; commonrootscafe.com.)

Izzy's Ice Cream Café: With 200 solar panels on the roof producing electricity, Izzy's might be the only ice cream shop in America powered by the sun's rays. As for the ice cream, it's the best money can buy. Try the Norwegian chai, it's made with tea from Tea Source and cardamom toast from Woulett's Bakery, both in St. Paul. (2034 Marshall Ave., St. Paul; 651 603 1458; izzysicecream.com.)

Lucia's: A seasonal cooking pioneer, chef & owner Lucia Watson has been providing diners with amazing food for more than 20 years, continually proving to customers she's as good at cooking as she is at sourcing. Don't skip dessert. (1432 W. 31st St., Minneapolis; 612 825 1572; lucias.com.)

Spoonriver: Chef & owner Brenda Langton is another longtime green ambassador, known for her vegetable centric style of cooking at her flagship restaurant Cafe Brenda in Minneapolis. When she opened Spoonriver two years ago near the Guthrie Theater, she founded Mill City Farmers' Market at the same time. Driven by that market, her menu continues to stay true to its roots with intense flavors and uncompromising quality. (750 S. Second St., Minneapolis; 612 436 2236; spoonriverrestaurant.com.)

Firelake Grill House & Cocktail Bar: Chef Paul Lynch's straightforward cooking at this Radisson Hotel restaurant blends Midwestern and Mediterranean. The salads are lively and well sourced, the balsamic glazed chicken is crisp skinned from turning on a hickory rotisserie, the walleye is dusted with toasted heirloom corn flour. Lynch is also one of the founders of Heartland Food Network, Minnesota restaurants, farmers and food purveyors that encourage eating and buying locally. (31 S. Seventh St., Minneapolis; 612 216 3473; firelakerestaurant.com.)

Craftsman: Recently, I called chef Mike Phillips at the restaurant, but he said he'd have to get back to me because he was busy butchering a lamb. Using local fresh and organic ingredients is what Phillips' cooking has been about, first at Chet's Taverna, the restaurant he ran in St. Paul, and now at Craftsman, where he heads the kitchen. The menu changes according to season, but there's always some great pizza, roast meat or fish and pungent cheese. (4300 E. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612 722 0175; craftsman restaurant.com.)

20.21: Last year, Wolfgang Puck banned foie gras from the menus at all his restaurants, including 20.21. That was just the beginning. He stopped buying eggs from caged chickens and meat from animals that weren't free to roam. Seafood now comes from certified sustainable fisheries, and he buys more organic and local produce. The thing is, people would come to this restaurant just for the Puck name alone. But the superstar chef believes the best tasting food comes from animals that have been treated humanely, and he's putting his money where his mouth is. (Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612 253 3410; wolfgangpuck.com.)

Cafe Julihana: Looking for a quiet place to read the morning paper? Look no farther than this neighborhood cafeteria style cafe, where the shade-grown coffee comes with organic cream. A tasty, all organic menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and buttery desserts (be sure to try a peanut butter cookie) is served here as well. The water is purified by a reverse osmosis system, help yourself. And just so you know, it's all happening under a solar paneled rooftop. (879 S. Smith Ave., West St. Paul; 651 450 7070)

Birchwood Cafe: Call it the Berkeleywood Cafe. The bright, cafeteria style restaurant in the Seward neighborhood endures, filling up with families and friends hungry for an upscale, down-home menu, heavy on vegetarian and vegan. Nothing, however, moves as fast as the fruit cobblers and crisps. (3311 E. 25th St., Minneapolis; 612 722 4474; birchwoodcafe.com.)

The Blue Sky Guide ($20) lists 300 earth friendly businesses, including local farmers' markets, co-ops and restaurants offering deals and coupons. For more information, go to findbluesky.com or call 651 291 1989.

By Kathie Jenkins

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