By Allison Macon, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Programs Committee
We’ve all been there. It’s that moment – perhaps it’s after work, during work, could be any time really- when you need to EAT. It can sneak up on you. You’re being a perfectly nice and happy person and then you’re “Hangry.” That’s “Angry” plus “hungry,” folks, a bad combo in my opinion. Particularly nasty when it’s early on in the summer and your home grown tomatoes have yet to flourish and you ate all of those beautiful radishes you planted in early spring. And the morels you hunted and gathered? All eaten. “Why did I bother sharing those?” you’re thinking.
You’re basically dying and you need a SNACK.
Added to the stress of your situation, you ask your friend or significant other, “Where should we eat?” And they respond, “I don’t know.” Or maybe even, “I don’t care.” YOU DON’T CARE?! A fit of rage is upon you and it’s beginning to look like someone’s sleeping on the couch…
BUT WAIT! You’ve got options. The Green Dining Alliance has been certifying restaurants in St. Louis to ensure you can dine out without compromising the environment or your stomach.
The Green Dining Alliance (GDA), an initiative of St. Louis Earth Day, is a restaurant sustainability certification program that works with restaurants to reduce their environmental impact by completing an on-site audit that evaluates all areas of operations. St. Louis has a lot of these restaurants! In fact, Maplewood’s Special Business District has been named the nation’s 1st Green Dining District.
On Tuesday, June 9th from 5-7:30pm, the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter, the Green Dining Alliance and Maplewood Special Business District are partnering to offer a Green Dining District Crawl. Check out Maplewood’s green dining district while having a drink and samples provided by participating GDA restaurants.
The evening will begin at with a brief presentation about GDA certification at Schlafly Bottleworks. Attendees will enjoy a free drink from Schlafly and then crawl to restaurants within the district. The event is open to the public and $20, $10 for USGBC-MO Gateway members.
Learn more and register for the Crawl at www.usgbc-mogateway.org/calendar.