VSAG sends a shout out to Yellow + Blue, the eco-friendly, very tasty, tetra-pak (AMAZING wine in a box!) purveyor and friend of Founding Farmers and Farmers & Fishers restaurants, for their feature in Fast Company this week.   Their interesting white Torrontes, Cafayate, Argentina 2008 and the 2005 Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina are two of the restaurant’s top sellers by the glass, and no surprise—they’re delicious, great pairings for many items on the menus.   From harvest to packaging to the glass, these are all certified organic wines that are stored in environmentally friendly packaging. It’s the kind of thing VSAG loves in its work on bar & lounge menus and green restaurant operations.  Here’s to drinking green!

Continuing to demonstrate her true can-do spirit and steadfast determination, VSAG Vice President Lara Hardcastle recently passed the certification process to become a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional (AP) through the US Green Building Council (USGBC).   Lara was the Project Manager on the award-winning Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington DC, the first LEED Gold upscale-casual, full-service restaurant in the United States, which opened one year ago. She’s a vital part of our LEED restaurants work and green restaurant operations consulting. Read the rest of this entry »

Another great story on VSAG’s green restaurant operations work at Founding Farmers. Lancaster Farming News, that is…which is great because much of what arrives at the restaurant daily and weekly comes from farms in Lancaster County, PA and from surrounding areas!  Thanks to reporter Tracy Sutton for spending so much time with Founding Farmers, and for sharing the important story behind the restaurant with information about the restaurant’s 42,000 American family farmer-owners (North Dakota Farmers Union) and about how food gets from farm-to-table, with a quick stop in the Founding Farmers kitchen along the way!   Read all about it – A Restaurant For the People, By the Farmers.

Huh very cool….and guess which original LEED Gold, hip and casual farm-fed restaurant was included on his very exclusive list of top places to eat in DC?  That’s right…Founding Farmers!

VSAG is so proud that Founding Farmers is in this very distinctive group of dining establishments – some tried and true, some more classically DC than others, and still others like Founding Farmers, the new kids on the block that are turning heads!   Thanks Tommy!

On July 27, VSAG’s Chief Mixologist Jon Arroyo (as well as Founding Farmers‘ and Farmers & Fishers) participated in the DC Craft Bartenders’ Guild “Rickey” contest held at Bourbon. Here’s a snapshot of Jon’s entry….and you can get the full story here.