Greenhouse Grille: Press

ON THE MENU All Green, All The Time

NEW LOCATION STILL FOCUSED ON ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD

By Kevin Kinder

Friday, November 20, 2009

Local makes sense,” says Clayton Suttle, standing in a restaurant filled with local produce, local decor and local recipes.

It’s something of a calling card for Suttle and Jerrmy Gawthrop, the co-owners of Greenhouse Grille. There may not be an actual greenhouse on the site - not yet, anyway - but there are several gardens full of greens, herbs and vegetables that surround the bold green building on South School Avenue in Fayetteville.

Those ingredients, and others culled from the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market and local organic suppliers, make up the roster of tastes at the restaurant which originally opened in May 2006 on Archibald Yell Boulevard in Fayetteville.

Because Suttle and Gawthrop are both particularly keen on live music, they always had their eyes open for an opportunity to create a community-oriented, livemusic-friendly space. After Wilma’s Restaurant departed its spot at 481 S. School Ave. for a space further to the north, the duo behind Greenhouse Grille took a chance, going from a venue of about 1,300 square feet to one with about 3,000 square feet.

“This building lends itself toopportunities,” Suttle says.

But it also needed a little work to suit the owners’ vision. The duo spent more than two months working to refurbish the space to their liking. They scrubbed the floor with a eco-friendly, soybased cleaner. They installed carpet tiles made of recyclable materials. They built a bar that incorporates coffee grounds, wood chips accumulated during the January ice storm in the area and other knickknacks that give it a very local feel.

They also built two stages, a smaller one for the acoustic shows they feature during weekdays and brunch and a larger one that will accommodate the big-name acts they will be bringing to the restaurant in the future.

Although there is much in the works to create a hub ofactivity for the south side of Fayetteville at the location, the chief concern remains providing what they call conscious cuisine. Much of it is organic, and the owners proudly list the locations of their suppliers, the majority of which come from Arkansas, on the menu.

The menu has changed throughout the years, with several of the daily specials finding a permanent home on the table.

Though many of the dishes served are vegetarian, the best sellers remain the meat items, says Suttle.

Among the favorites is the Grilled Buffalo Burger, served on an organic sandwich roll with sweet potato fries ($9.50). The buffalo meat comes froma provider in Noel, Mo., and is grass fed and natural, Suttle says.

Other top sandwiches include the Organic Black Bean Burger, which is prepared with mixed peppers, onions, beans and rolled oats and is topped with pepper jack cheese and served with a side of avocado mayonnaise ($8); the Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna Melt, topped with provolone cheese, sautéed onions and roasted red pepper tartar sauce ($10.50);

and the Grilled Free Range Chicken Sandwich, paired with peppered bacon and served with a side of avocado mayo ($10), among other options.

Entrees include one of the new options on the menu: the Coffee Crusted Filet Mignon, topped with bleu cheese cream sauce and served with vegetable hash ($26). Among other popular plate-fillers are the Grilled Buffalo KC Strip, which is topped with pesto butter and served with mashed potatoes, onions, shiitake mushrooms and grilled vegetables ($18); the Free Range Chicken and Apricot Marsala, served with vegetable hash and grilled vegetables ($18); the Marinated & Grilled Portobello Pesto Pasta, which combines tomato and red onion with fettuccine in a pesto cream sauce ($13.50); or the Jerked Free Range Chicken Breast, with locally raised chicken served on basmati rice and topped with tropical fruit salsa and paired with grilled vegetables ($14).

The restaurant serves several handheld items, all of which are paired with tortilla chips and a choice of tropical fruit salsa or hummus. Choicesinclude the Grilled Free Range Chicken Gyro ($9.50); the Greek Quesadilla, with spinach, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, mozzarella, feta and topped with a goat cheese cream sauce ($10); and the Fish Tacos, served with fried tilapia topped with citrus-cumin slaw and black beans and served in corn tortillas ($9).

Salads are also among the more popular picks, with the Greenhouse Salad, with organic greens, carrot ribbons, green apples, cranberries and pecans served with balsamic Dijon vinaigrette ($4.50/half portion, $8/full portion); the Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad, served with grape tomatoes, carrots, sautéed organic shiitakes, cucumbers, parmesan cheese and garlic-herb croutons over grilled romaine lettuce with a spicy Caesar dressing ($7/half portion, $10.50/full portion);

the Mixed Fruit & Berry Salad, which combines red and green apples, strawberries, melons, raw walnuts over organic greens and natural honey yogurt dressing ($5/half portion, $9/full portion);

and the Cuban Style Organic Quinoa Salad with black beans, pineapple, mango, bell peppers and red onions tossed in a cilantro citrus vinaigrette on organic greens ($10) among the choices.

Appetizers include the Crab Cakes, which are served over organic greens and with a red pepper tartar sauce ($9); the Vegetable Egg Rolls, filled with stir-fried cabbage, onions, carrots and peppers and topped with ginger-mustard sauce ($6.50) and the Mediterranean Platter, which has hummus, quinoa tabouli salad, falafel, feta cheese, kalamata olives and tzatziki sauce served with grilled pita bread ($12) included in the choices. A soup of the day is available for $5.

Suttle and Gawthrop are planning to expand into a facility that could also host outdoor concerts and wedding receptions by utilizing the space behind the restaurant.

And they plan to add a greenhouse.

Entertainment, Pages 21 on 11/20/2009

The owners, chefs and staff at Greenhouse Grille recycle, seek locally-grown foods and even go as green as possible when cleaning. Then there's the conversion of kitchen grease to fuel. We visited them recently to find out why they were named the greenest business with fewer than fifty employees. click the link to hear entire radio spot..

At the Greenhouse Grille, you can have your cake and eat it, too. Drink filtered water or natural soda, and enjoy organic food with a delicious, modern twist.

On the menu? Dishes like crispy crab cakes and portobello mushroom and scallion cheesecake appetizers; a savory fruit and berry salad with walnuts and honey-yogurt dressing; a free range buffalo burger with sweet potato fries; and spinach and black bean blue corn enchiladas with tropical fruit salsa and apple-pear slaw. Located just south of the Fayetteville Square at the bottom of the "S" curve, the Greenhouse Grille has a jazzy, comfortable atmosphere suitable for families, a mid-week lunch with co-workers, or a weekend night out.

Planning a romantic dinner? Choose from a selection of wines and share a piece of bourbon chocolate chunk pecan pie with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Treating your family to dinner? Kids dine on grilled cheese with foccacia bread, penne pasta with red sauce, or blackbean burgers.

The Greenhouse Grille, which opened this summer, attracts health-conscious patrons and, evidenced by its typically full parking lot, anyone hungry for a delicious meal.

Friendly staff members greet patrons promptly and seat them at any one of the tables lining the restaurant's floor to ceiling windows, or at the bar to order drinks and appetizers until a table becomes available.

Experienced chefs prepare food quickly and give each dish a special touch, sending out colorful culinary creations almost too pretty to eat.

I first visited the Greenhouse Grille this summer and left, admittedly surprised, that healthy food could look and taste so good. Now I visit regularly and have introduced it to my family and friends. I met three friends there for lunch yesterday. I ordered the grilled romaine Caesar salad with chicken and a sautéed mushroom medley, my favorite. They ordered crispy crab cakes, a Cuban black beanand rice salad, and a free range buffalo burger with sweet potato fries. When I asked how the food was, each raised her eyebrows, nodded her head, and, while eating, mumbled an unintelligible, "It is delicious." One of them finished chewing and said, "I love these sweet potato fries, and I don't even like sweet potatoes!"

A first-time visitor at the next table apologized for staring at our food. "It looks so good," he said, "Everything here looks so good." That says it all. We laughed, and admitted to eyeing at his guacamole before our lunch had arrived a few minutes earlier.

For all you salsa-lovers out there, participants in Fayetteville's 2006 Salsa Festival gave the Greenhouse Grille the blue ribbon for its locally grown organic peach-nectarine-blueberry salsa. So, jump on the bandwagon and eat at the Greenhouse Grille if you want to enjoy delicious and healthy food. Separate checks take a little bit longer to process, but that should not be a problem if you have good company and time to wait.

The Greenhouse Grille is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11a.m.-9 p.m. It also provides full-service catering to Northwest Arkansas.