Did you know that the San Francisco By Area leads the nation in the number of certified green restaurants (more than 100) in any metropolitan area? Some are no-brainers like Cafe Gratitude and Chez Panisse, but who would have thought a booze-soaked near dive like Blondie's Bar and a local mixologist hangout like Elixir would be on the green bandwagon too? Part of the greening effort has been lead by the non-profit Thimmakka, a group that does outreach work in the area, and currently they're leading the first ever Green Restaurant Contest. Who's the Greenest of Them All? asks people (and restaurants themselves) to nominate local eateries that are pushing the environmental envelope. Anyone can participate and the contest runs until May 31. Winners in 15 different categories will be announced June 24, after being judged by a panel of specialists. So if you think you know a place worthy of the green designation, head on over to the website and do some nominating, pronto.
-- Brian Bernbaum
