Category Archives: Restaurant

Friday Buffet

In addition to being my brother’s birthday, Saturday is (the) International Climate Day of Action. 350.org, has issued this call to action to get our atmospheric CO2 below 350 parts per million. It’s imperative stuff. You can find local events on the site, and don’t forget that reducing food waste helps the environment, too. — […]

October 23, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, History and Culture, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

With a zero waste policy on the way in Britain, the discussion continues to focus on the number of bins per home. It will probably come down to value paid for source-separated recyclables vs. nuisance. Also, and here’s the waste industry’s reaction. — — I don’t think you’re a terrible person, Rachel, but I do hope […]

October 16, 2009 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, Household, International | Comments closed

Your Opinion, Please

I have a very serious question to ask, people. It’s about spelling. The spelling of doggy bags. Or is it doggie bags? Here’s a link to the poll (I had problems embedding it…). The reason I’m asking is because I need to decide how to spell this term in my book. Since the dictionary lists both […]

October 12, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Now Serving: More Donations

The other NRA, the National Restaurant Association, is getting more serious about food donation. The restaurant group announced a new partnership with the Food Donation Connection, a kind of food recovery matchmaker. This is great news, as many restaurants are hesitant to donate their excess food. Unfounded fears of liability and inertia/laziness are two major […]

September 15, 2009 | Also posted in Food Recovery | Comments closed

Doggy Days of Summer

Happy Zero Waste Week! Well, at least that is being celebrated in the UK. Here in the States, it’s the post-holiday ‘Wait, What Day is Today?’ Week. Back to the UK, though, I came across this piece on the recent surge in doggy bag use there. I hadn’t realized the practice of taking home restaurant leftovers […]

September 9, 2009 | Also posted in International | Comments closed

S.Y.S. (Save Yer Scraps)

Today, I spoke with chef Liza Shaw of San Francisco’s A16. The Italian restaurant has a bit of a reputation for its Meatball Mondays, where they serve the uber-popular dish made from scraps and trimmings. A16 mostly uses prosciutto scraps saved throughout the week. No wonder they’re so good!  I realized meatloaf, sausages and soups were good uses for […]

August 26, 2009 | Also posted in Repurposing | Comments closed

That Last Plate

OK, let’s talk about the Never Ending Pasta Bowl at Olive Garden. First of all, shouldn’t it be the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl? Second, is it possible to stop thinking about The NeverEnding Story while you’re eating? Because I’m having a hard time doing so now (Atreyuuuu!). Sorry. Anyway, I just saw a Tweet from a frustrated Pasta […]

August 24, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Forget Tomorrow, what about Today?

I’m not a huge fan of Maggiano’s.* I don’t see eye-to-eye with restaurants that serve gigantic portions that leave diners with an awkward choice: overeat, waste food or take it home (especially since some folks don’t like leftovers or aren’t going straight home, etc.). Now comes news of a new Maggiano’s promotion: Today and Tomorrow. […]

August 3, 2009 | Posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

I’ve written about vacation rental food waste recovery (mouthful!) before, but here’s a recent news report on it (with video). This is one of my favorite ideas, as it allows families who’ve rented homes for a beach getaway to donate their vacation groceries before they leave town. — — Atta boy, Texas! — — From a review of […]

July 24, 2009 | Also posted in Food Recovery, Friday Buffet, Hunger, Tree Gleaning | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Here’s the Complete Guide to Freezing Just About Everything, courtesy of Coupon Kim. Thanks, Kim. — — The owners of the Green Cafe in suburban Philadelphia will be feeding the restaurant’s food scraps to their rescued animals. Check this out: Leftover food scraps regularly become meals for the mustangs, zony (a zebra-pony hybrid), goats and other creatures that reside across the […]

May 29, 2009 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, Household | Comments closed