The Harmony Hotel Works to Green Its Restaurant...

In an effort to push our sustainability program to the next level, we at the Harmony Hotel have decided to focus on “greening” our restaurant. According to the Green Restaurant Organization (www.dinegreen.com), which certifies restaurants for their efforts to incorporate sustainability into their operations, a sustainable restaurant should work to:

o Implement energy efficiency and conservation practices;
o Reduce water usage;
o Participate actively in recycling programs and work diligently to reduce food waste which can be composted to create rich soil;
o Eliminate all toxic and environmentally hazardous chemicals from restaurant operations;
o Purchase organic and/or sustainably produced fruits, vegetables and meats;
o Incorporate “green” materials and design into its architecture and building.

One of our first steps towards building a sustainable restaurant at Harmony was the creation of an onsite huerta (garden), which produces a number of fruits, vegetables an herbs that we have recently begun to incorporate into our menu. We are now growing: yuca (a starchy tuber grown in the tropics), cilantro de cayote (cilantro), papaya, zacate de limón (lemon grass), tilo and hierba buena (herbs used by locals to make teas). According to our executive chef Marco Leiva, “these products not only help us to lower our environmental impact by reducing the carbon emissions caused by transport, but are also of superior quality and taste”.

Our pajillas (straws) are also made from one of the “greenest” materials on earth: bamboo. These bamboo sticks are grown locally by Don Tino, the head of our gardening staff, and have been dried and cured for use in our freshly squeezed fruit juices and cocktails. In fact, two other hotels in Costa Rica have also caught on to the bamboo straw trend and have begun to buy straws from Don Tino as well.

Future plans for our sustainable restaurant include training local farmers on organic agriculture techniques in order to source more local produce and meat and to incorporate more traditional Costa Rican dishes with local ingredients on the menu. For more information on sustainable dining developments, check out our website at: http://www.harmonynosara.com/en/features.html