Gone Fishin’
Browntrout on North Lincoln brings together sustainability and agro-consciousness with a comfortable and casual fine dining experience and all without sacrificing quality. They use the freshest possible ingredients from local sustainable farms, organic products, seafood from natural waters, and all meats are from grass-fed free range animals. Their menu changes regularly in response to availability of ingredients, so there is always something new and exciting on the menu. Current offerings include Wild Mushroom Risotto, Slagel Farms garlic chicken with sweet potato truffled pave, and Gunthorp Pork Porterhouse with black beluga lentils. Top it all off with fine wine, cocktails and a Butterscotch Crème Brulee. Yum! Check their website for weekly specials, hours, and lunch/brunch offerings too.
Nature Delivered
Eat healthier without having to think about it! NatureBox delivers hand picked healthy snacks straight to your door. Each month, you'll receive a selection of curated healthy and delicious snacks that can help you to discover what you like. All of their products are wholesome and minimally processed if at all and include such snacks as granolas, fruits, crisps, flavored nuts and mixes. With 25% of your daily calories coming from snacking, NatureBox wants you to get the most out of each one. A monthly subscription only costs $19.95, the boxes ship for free, and you can cancel anytime. Check it out!
More Than A Sandwich
With so many sandwiches in the city it can be hard to choose. Sandwich Me In on Clark in Lakeview makes the decision simple though with their motto of “Simple. Savory. Sustainable.” and their selection of local meats, fresh produce, and focus on providing high quality food at an affordable price. They also love educating their guests on how their food travels from farm to plate and decorate the restaurant walls with information about the local farms they use, how the food is grown, and what local establishments are helping keep the restaurant sustainable. View their menu online, be sure to check out the Daily Deals section, and don’t forget to Facebook and Twitter them too!
No Crumb Left Behind
Anne Kostroski of Crumb Bread knows the ins and outs of baking the perfect loaf without the use of chemicals and dough conditioners – just good old-fashioned water, flour, yeast and salt. She even takes it up another notch to our liking by incorporating organic flour and grains into every loaf and adds only local, seasonal produce to her variety of handcrafted breads. She bakes up yummy flavors such as Spicy Cheddar Boule, Walnut Boule and Fennel Taralli and they all come out of the oven with the perfect crust.
Keep In High Spirits
Healthy living is the name of the game at Green Spirit in Rogers Park. As they say, “no matter where you are, or how far you want to go” Green Spirit has many delicious ways to spice up your life! Raw food has become the new gourmet and with tasty recipes and unique ingredients, the benefits to your body and the environment are endless. Green Spirit wants to help you on your raw journey with convenient meal plans, fun classes, recipes, and all the tools you need. Started by chef Linda Szarkowski, she brings tons of credibility and creativity to the table with certifications, stints at The Chicago Diner, Beet’s Café in Austin, and demos at the Taste of Chicago. Visit them online and in store for more details!
Bot Is Not Your Average Bakery
Bot Bakery bakes up organic, vegan and gluten-free goodies, all healthy and delicious without cutting back on taste. They put their love into everything we crave – pies, cakes, cookies, and breads. Pastry chef Betty Alper uses the freshest baking ingredients from local farmers including flours, yeasts, and fruits.
We’re Elated About Elate
Elate, located in Chicago's diverse River North neighborhood, serves up locally-sourced, sustainable rustic fare in a comfortable yet sophisticated space. The large floor-to-ceiling windows make the space bright and inviting during brunch while the unique lighting and roomy bar paired with creative cocktails, boutique wines and live music make it a hot spot at night. There are green elements incorporated into the space as well – it is located in Hotel Felix after all!
Good Coffee From Good People
Every cup of coffee has a story. You usually don't get to hear it, but Crop To Cup provides a way for coffee drinkers to connect with their coffee's origins – down to the actual farmer. Crop To Cup is a quality, fair trade coffee company that closely sources their coffee beans from family farmers around the globe. These farmers, located in Uganda and Burundi, are partners of C2C and are experts at what they do. And, you can actually see and read about them online!
Our New Main Squeeze
Finally – an organic juice bar in Chicago! Peeled Chicago in Lincoln Park offers smoothies, juices, and cleanses to help kick-start your day the healthy way. Adding fresh juice to your diet not only gives you a natural, non-toxic energy, but as you would imagine, it is a quick and delicious way to blast your body with the nutrients and detoxifiers it needs every day.
A Burger With A Brain
A “More Mindful Burger” is the motto at Epic Burger and mindful indeed! This joint takes the basic burger to a whole new level with high-quality toppings, shakes and smoothies, fresh-cut fries, and a short but sweet selection of sandwich choices. In addition to the all-natural beef burger, Epic also offers a turkey burger, chicken breast, and portabella sandwich. Where they shine is how they source their ingredients though. With cage-free organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon, all-natural Wisconsin cheese, and shakes and smoothies with your choice of organic whole, skim, or soy milk there is something for everyone. Not to mention their meat is humanely raised with no hormones or antibiotics, and all their packaging is made from plants. Yum! Check out their menu online and find a location near you!
