On Saturday, July 19 in Webster Groves, MO, dozens of green-dining cyclists braved the heat and humidity to celebrate the inauguration of Webster Groves’ new Green Dining District. The five-mile tour of six Green Dining Alliance Certified businesses began at Telva on the Ridge with iced lattes before looping around towards Lockwood Avenue and an early evening happy hour at Robust Bistro & Wine Bar.
Brief pop up showers provided a welcome drop in temperature as guides from Trailnet, supported by Young Friends of earthday365 and GDA staff, led the group of over twenty riders to the Old Orchard area for samples of Big Sky Cafe’s local blackberry sorbet and classic sugar beignets from Joe Lamprich’s Beignet All Day. Big Sky Cafe has been certified since 2018 and practicing sustainability for 20 years – nearly the entire menu is local. Big Sky’s chef and owner Dominic Weisse discussed their sustainable ethos and Joe Lamprich talked about his goals to grow as sustainably as possible. He explained how each neighbor helps the other – Big Sky and Beignet All Day share composting services and their recycled oil is turned into biofuel.
The next stop was Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates for an assortment of handmade, locally flavored bonbons, introduced by Meggie Mobley’s pastry crew. After a break for air conditioning and Bagel Union bagels at Dharma + Dwell, the group began the longest stretch of the day, westward to Olive + Oak. Chef Micah Wilson presented dishes of savory, “meaty” local oyster mushrooms and Missouri corn pakoras on the shady patio shared with Perennial at Lockwood.
Italian dining followed at Madrina, just down the street, where owner Frank Romano presented arancini with fresh local tomato sauce along with a sampling from their newly refurbished pizza oven. Frank spoke of Madrina’s commitment to “nose-to-tail” cooking and their sustainable renovation and repurposing of the old CJ Muggs space.
Finally, the tour took another short walk to Robust Bistro & Wine Bar for a well-earned happy hour of sustainable wines, a local charcuterie board and other small bites from Chef Zach Dale’s locally-sourced menu. Webster Groves’ Mayor Laura Arnold stopped by to greet our guests and explain Webster Groves’ commitment to sustainable dining – and spoke of their friendly competition with Clayton’s restaurant scene.
This Green Dining District has been years in the making. This collaborative effort with the GDA was made possible by the City of Webster Groves, Mayor Laura Arnold, the Board of Alderman and the tireless efforts of Webster Groves Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Finnegan. Webster Groves’ generous microgrant program has helped GDA add seven new certified members in the last two years, bringing the city’s total to ten businesses committed to sustainable dining.
Bikes and Bites would not have been possible without support from StraightUp Solar, Trailnet and assistance from the Young Friends of earthday365. Big thanks to the member restaurants who offered donations, discounts, and gift cards to participants along with the generous time of their chefs and staff to meet and greet our guests on a steamy Saturday afternoon.
