Appetite for Good

It has been 7 years since I’ve visited Shanghai. My first impressions of the city from my previous trip were less than positive. But after two weeks in Shanghai and the surrounding cities of Hanghou and Suzhou, I left China with a mixture of inspiration, appreciation, and optimism.

Compassion. That’s not a word that comes to mind when someone mentions a Michelin star restaurant in New York City. You probably think “extravagant” or “exotic”. But compassion is exactly what Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and David Chang of Momofuku Ko are.

I found myself on Sunday evening with an intense craving for seafood. But what’s a do-gooder to do when miles away an oil slick the size of Delaware threatens to wipe out enormous populations of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks? Browntrout, a new restaurant in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago, turns out to be an excellent solution.

After a long, cold Chicago winter, a little color does a lot of good. The Garfield Park Conservatory was the perfect place to get some this weekend-and it’s free at that! Earth Day was officially two days ago, but the conservatory’s 18th Annual Green and Growing Fair kept the spirit of sustainability alive.