Restaurants work to tackle sustainability issues

THE RESTAURANT industry hasn’t had much to brag about when it comes to its impact on the environment. Restaurants generate large quantities of waste in the form of garbage, plastic and paper waste, and pollution-causing cooking fumes while at the same time consuming outsized quantities of energy and water in the conduct of their everyday operations.

As a collective sense of urgency grows around the need to address climate change, a number of major restaurant companies have recently begun to tackle sustainability issues.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, for instance this month introduced a “responsible restaurant design” that attempts to address some of the industry’s chronic environmental impacts.

The new Chipotle concept relies on energy-efficient, all-electric equipment powered by sustainable wind and solar energy credits. Other planet-friendly design elements incorporated into the new restaurant layout include vehicle charging stations and LED lighting throughout.

Yum Brands, the parent company of brands like Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC, has also announced plans to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing the waste stream they generate.

Moving away from plastic packaging that cannot be recycled, encouraging more recycling, and eliminating disposable plastic utensils where possible are a few of the granular-level steps that Yum’s subsidiaries are committed to pursuing.

Of course the real challenges — cutting back on food waste, dealing with the pollution caused by cooking exhaust, and making significant reductions in energy and water usage — are sustainability challenges that few in the industry have yet to seriously address.

The reasons for those failures are, of course, obvious. Meaningful solutions to those problems will be both costly and highly disruptive to the “business as usual” of the restaurant world.

Side Dishes

• For the ninth time, Taco Bell has brought back its Nacho Fries. A workhorse of Taco Bell’s limited-time-only menu lineup, the fries this time will be available in an extra-spicy version.

Texas-based Yellowbird Hot Sauce has created a Spicy Habanero Ranch flavor that’s exclusive to Taco Bell. The sauce will only be available until April 27, although “classic”

Nacho Fries will be allowed a somewhat longer run.

Nacho Fries will be available as a side as well as being included in a Deluxe Cravings

Box meal.

• Capitalizing on the ascendency of pickleball as a sport, Subway, the sandwich shop chain, is promoting a new Pickleball Club sandwich, which will “drop” on April 27.

The Pickleball Club will feature new ingredients — honey mustard and extra-thick, crinkle-cut dill pickle slices. Other fillings in the sandwich include black forest ham, a double portion of American cheese, and a bacon garnish along with lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions. The Pickleball Club’s default assembly platform is Subway’s Artisan Italian Bread.

Subway has retained tennis great Andy Roddick as a spokesperson to promote the sandwich.

• The Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in Springfield has rolled out a new lunch menu this month.

Headlining the restaurant’s midday agenda is a threecourse, fixed-price lunch that includes soup or garden salad, an entrée, and dessert. It’s a deal that’s available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The rest of the updated menu is familiar territory, for the most part describing dishes that have long been Fort favorites.

Among the entrees lunchtime patrons will find a selection of schnitzels, sauerbraten, kassler ripchen (smoked pork chop), and Boston scrod.

On Fridays the Fort will be featuring Beer Battered Fish & Chips.

For reservations or information, call 413-734-7475.

The sandwich board selection includes options like the “Schnitzel” Sandy, the Fort’s contribution to the “chicken sandwich wars”; a Brat Dog served on a pretzel roll; and a traditional Tuna Melt.

• Like most major restaurant brands, beverage-and-snack chain Dunkin’ is aggressively promoting its loyalty program. The strategy this spring is a series of “members only” offers that are exclusively available to those enrolled in Dunkin’ Rewards. The deals include a daily cold brew as well as four “once-only” offers. The latter range from a free iced coffee, discounted beverages, and a $1 Chocolate Croissant with beverage purchase. All can only be redeemed once during the month of April.

For more details, go to dunkin.com

• On Friday, May 5, the Brass Rail Meetinghouse in Southwick will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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The evening, which is being promoted as “Tacos, Nachos, & Votes”, will feature a taco bar and flights of the Meetinghouse’s new margaritas. Live music will also be part of the fun.

A spot at the celebration is $5; reservations can be made by calling 413-569-9585.

• The Apple Place in East Longmeadow will be celebrating its opening day on Sunday, starting at 9 a.m.

Doing business from April through November, the Apple Place offers fresh baked goods, including pies and cider donuts; the beverage specialties they serve includes cider, coffee, and more.

Located at 540 Somers Road, the Apple Place will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this season

It will be answering at 413348-9628.

• Today, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute in Holyoke will be holding a Culinary Arts Open House.

Students, faculty, and chefs from both the MGM-Springfield Casino and the University of Massachusetts Dining Services will be doing demonstrations. The Culinary Arts Institute’s new food truck will be on display; games and prizes will be part of the fun.

The HCC-MGM Culinary Arts Institute is located at 164 Race Street in Holyoke’s

Beer

CONTINUES FROM PAGE E5 signs and beer trays from over the years.

“I found some of them in the basement,” he said of the other memorabilia. “My landlord asked me to clean up the basement, and I found a bunch or the tap handles and trays and the rest.”

He bought some of the other decorations in Ireland, where he has visited 10 times. But a sign behind the downtown Arts and Innovation District. For more information on the open house, visit hcc.edu/culinary.

• On Wednesday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., E.B’s Restaurant in Agawam will be holding a “Give Back Wednesday” event. E.B’s will be donating 10% of all food sales that day with the “give back” benefiting the Zoo in Forest Park in Springfield.

E.B’s, which is located on 285 Walnut Street Extension in Agawam, specializes in chicken wings but offers a selection of chicken entrees as well.

The full menu can be viewed at ebsrestaurant.com; it answers at 413-789-3525.

• The Irish House Restaurant in West Springfield is putting together a Derby Day Celebration for Saturday, May 6. Plans for the event include live bluegrass music, a Derby Day hat contest, a “human” horse race, Derby Day-themed drinks, and a buffet dinner. More information, including ticket prices, will be available at 413-333-4951.

• On Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. there will be a Girl Scout Cookie and Wine Pairing event at R Dee Winery in Enfield.

Four different Girl Scout Cookies — Lemon-Ups, Do-sidos, Thin Mints, and Samoas — will each be paired with a selected wine. Tickets for the event, which are available at Eventbrite.com, are $15 plus a “convenience fee.”

Girl Scout Cookies “by the box” also will be on sale, and R Dee Winery will be hosting bar that is emblazoned with the words “McGorry’s Pub” and a shamrock was actually a gift for his cousin Janice. A hurley — the curved, flat bat used in the Irish sport of hurling — was also a gift from his cousin Matty Duggans, As a guy who has spent plenty of time in pubs in Ireland, (and I admit I might be biased), I think Ye Ol’ Watering Hole is the closest thing to a traditional Irish pub that I’ve ever seen in the United States.

And Jimmy prides himself on making sure his bartend- a Cousins Maine Lobster food truck for those interested in buying a meal. ers pour a pint of Guinness properly.

R Dee Winery, which is located in Hazardville on Hazard Avenue, answers at 860-692-2472.

• Moe’s Southwestern Grill locations have introduced new permanent menu options.

The Edgy Veggie Burrito is stuffed with cilantro lime rice, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, roasted corn salsa, shredded cheese, and guacamole, while the Moe Meat Moe Cheese Burrito features a double portion of shaved steak, seasoned rice, black beans, shredded cheese, and pico de gallo. Both burrito variations are available as bowls as well.

Three new sauces have been introduced. Moe’s Sauce has a Greek yogurt base thinned with wine vinegar and accented with mild spice. A Kickin’ Cayenne sauce features three kinds of peppers, and a Poblano Crema is made from roasted poblano peppers, avocado, sour cream, garlic, and lime juice. Each of the three sauces can be enjoyed with any entree.

There are Moe’s Southwestern Grill locations in Springfield on Boston Road, in Westfield on East Main Street, and in Enfield on Hazard Avenue.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.

But make no mistake, along with Guinness, Smithwicks and PBR, the pub also offers a full array of craft beer on tap, all of it local. The place also has a great selection of bottled beer if that’s your jam.

If you’ve never visited, stick your head into 287 Pleasant St. next time you’re in Northampton. In fact, bring your whole self in and look around. And if you see me, say hello. Sláinte.