The following are best dining bets for supporting green practices: • George’s At the Cove: A three-star green certified restaurant, George’s offers diners three options for contemporary California cuisine: California Modern, Ocean Terrace and George’s Bar. The menus, by chef Trey Foshee feature seasonal, local offerings, mostly gathered daily from Chino Farms in Rancho Santa Fe. 1250 Prospect St., (858) 454-4244. • Cups La Jolla: Also a three-star green certified restaurant, there’s more to Cups than just organic cupcakes and strawberry milk on tap. The cupcakery also offers cooking classes on topics ranging from how to cook up farm-fresh, seasonal veggies to mastering Vietnamese cooking to cupcake decorating for kids. The restaurant has gone out of its way to be environmentally responsible — the tables and chairs are even made from sustainable monkey pod trees. Everything is created from local, sustainable products, and some ingredients come literally from owner Michelle Lerach’s backyard. 7857 Girard Ave., (858) 459-2877 • Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza: Sammy’s uses local and sustainable ingredients in its recipes, including organic produce that is delivered “farm to table” in 24 hours or less with no chemicals or artificial flavors, chicken that is never frozen and house-purified water. 702 Pearl St., (858) 456-5222 • Burger Lounge: Burger Lounge uses beef from a small farm where the free-range cows subsist on a diet of prairie grass, with no hormones, antibiotics, grain or corn. The charter certified green restaurant restaurant aims to reduce animal waste, point source pollution and soil erosion. In addition, the grazing techniques utilized by its beef farmers contribute to carbon sequestration. 1101 Wall St., (858) 456-0196 • Sprinkles Cupcakes: Sprinkles uses bakery boxes, plates, napkins, shopping bags and gift boxes made from recycled materials and purchases high quality dairy and produce from local farms where available. Other efforts include the use of green cleaning products and programs to maximize waste recycling and minimize water usage. To celebrate Earth Day, Sprinkles La Jolla is donating the proceeds from their vanilla cupcakes to San Diego Coastkeeper from April 18 to 22. 8855 Villa La Jolla Drive, (858) 457-3800 — Kendra Hartmann
