1. Steve doesn’t own a car and commutes to work all year ’round on bicycle.

2. 85% of our employees commute to work either by using public transportation, bicycles or walking.

3. We occupy a relatively green building: built of concrete block on concrete slab foundation, it stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer.† As a result our energy use for heating and cooling is remarkably low.

4. We changed all of our light fixtures to low energy use bulbs, in the dining room as well as in the kitchen, and we use rheostats wherever applicable.

5. We separate our trash, use recycling programs for glass, plastic and cardboard, and compost the rest! We use the minimum number possible of truck pick-ups per week.

6. We’ve de-emphasized the use of bottled water, and our guests agree!

7. We purchase as much of our food as possible from local farmers and fishermen, which results in short distances traveled for many of our deliveries.

8. We grow many of the herbs we use in our kitchen in our own rooftop garden. This container garden is watered by the condensation from our air-conditioning units throughout the summer and therefore requires virtually no use whatsoever of extra watering by garden hose! Rainwater is also gathered to supplement this convenient system during the spring and fall seasons. The containers are made of bean crates from vegetable deliveries, lined with cardboard from delivery boxes, filled with dirt provided by our organic farmer friends, and this dirt is nourished by our own kitchen compost pile.

9.† Many wines on our list come from organic or bio-dynamic producers.

10. We buy bread from our friends at Iggy’s Bakery, organic bakers.

11. Most of our paper supplies are made from recycled paper.

12. Our table tops are made of bamboo.