Green Living

From rooftop garden to restaurant menu

You may not know it by the weather, but spring is in the air — quite literally, in fact, at some neighborhood rooftop gardens.

Around town, planting is underway to bring the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs to diners at Chicago area restaurants, including Uncommon Ground’s Edgewater location (1401 West Devon Avenue), Gene’s Sausage Shop (4750 North Lincoln Avenue) and Browntrout (4111 N. Lincoln Avenue) on the North side.

Dave Snyder, who has the unique title of Rooftop Farm Manager at Uncommon Ground, has actually been working on the rooftop garden “menu” since January.

“This year, what we’re focusing on are a few early season crops like snow peas, spinach and radishes. Moving into summer we’re going to be doing beans and tomatoes. And throughout the season we’re going to be doing a whole bunch of rotating greens — salad greens and cooking greens,” he said.

Uncommon Ground is known for its local, sustainable, organic focus, and the rooftop farm meshes perfectly with those goals. In fact, Snyder said that four years ago, when work on the garden began, the first point of order was to make sure every item that grew on the roof was organic — just like the items they purchased from area farms.

Snyder said that while some of the more obvious grow-your-own benefits, like economics and sustainability, play a role in the importance of the on-site farm, there are other compelling aspects. For one, diners can experience the freshness of beans, tomatoes and herbs that have been picked within hours.

“We have an entire food system operating here, being planted from seed, growing, harvesting, cooking and consuming all in one place,” Snyder said. “I think that’s a really exciting wonderful thing, and a way of looking at food that people have become very distanced from.”

Uncommon Ground frequently gives rooftop tours to school groups, and will also offer private tours Wednesday afternoons and the first Friday evening of the month beginning June 1.

The rooftop at Gene’s Sausage Shop (4750 North Lincoln Avenue) in Lincoln Square was inspired by European gardens that Yolanda Luszcz and her brother, Derek, whose family owns Gene’s, visited as children. Yolanda said their goal with the roof is to create a European-style open-air garden, where customers can enjoy food and drinks in a natural, outdoor setting.

“My brother and I used to spend our childhood summers in Europe, and some early memories are those of eating outdoors,” she said. “All the food was always fresh and in season. Grilling was commonplace as well.”

Once the weather warms up, Gene’s rooftop garden area will open (exact date is to be determined) and customers can enjoy a rotating menu of smoked sausages, cabbage rolls, pierogi and more, along with four beers on tap and wine by the glass.
 
Browntrout (4111 N. Lincoln Avenue) in North Center will soon have a rooftop full of rhubarb, raspberries, gooseberries, chives, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

Chef Sean Sanders, who owns the locally sourced, sustainably focused restaurant with his family, said he’s waiting for the lingering cold to exit Chicago and will then begin planting this year’s garden. He said last year’s garden was a success, and he’s looking forward to doubling its size.

“Every year we get a little better at it,” he says, “It’s always a work in progress.”

• Login
• Comment