Haven at 2502 Algerian Way in Houston (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Haven is a certified green restaurant in Houston, a city that is not well known for energy conservation. Executive Chef Randy Evans and I recently talked about what it means to be green at Haven.

The restaurant was built from the ground-up to store, prepare, serve, and consume food. The angle of the roof was designed to accommodate solar panels. The dining room color palette includes warm tones of eggplant and artichoke. The vegetables, meats, and fish are all fresh. Chef Evans works with local farmers to not only source fresh food but to recycle waste from the restaurant for compost or other uses. With  10 containers for recycling, the restaurant only needs a 4-foot dumpster.

The dining room at Haven offers warm hues such as eggplant and artichoke (photo by Kenn Stearns)

A new vegetable and herb garden includes the expected basil and cucumbers but also offers surprises such as bronze fennel and edible flowers. Large cedar logs – each one required six men to move and place – line the garden that’s just getting started.

Executive Chef Randy Evans and the new vegetable and herb garden at Haven (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Restaurant grounds are planted with citrus trees, grape vines that thrive in Texas, and berries. Rain chains are selectively used in place of down spouts. A 500-gallon cistern filled with rain water is used to irrigate the vegetable and herb gardens. Chef Evans said two more cisterns will be used to irrigate additional landscaping.

Haven harvests rainwater stored in a 500-gallon cistern for irrigating vegetables and herbs (photo by Kenn Stearns)

As many of us become more aware of how our daily choices affect the environment, Haven demonstrates how a scalable project with a mission can yield real-world results that make a difference. Fresh food from local providers served up in a responsible environment by professionals who are connected to their customers and the community make for a winning combination. (And the food/wine is great too.)