Here's the SISP board chowing down at Feast in Decatur this week. If you're wondering why we look so happy, chances are you've never eaten their mixed mushroom chips, or taken advantage of their Wednesday night martini and sangria specials. Feast turns four years old this week, so if you haven't tried them yet, their anniversary party on the 20th featuring live jazz would be a perfect evening to stop by and give them a whirl.

This is not the first time the board has met at Feast. We love its friendly atmosphere, the patio dining when it's not 100 degrees outside, and the warm glow from the wood-fired pizza oven behind the bar. And we love the food. Even though Feast doesn't feature a lot of vegetarian entrées, there are enough luscious sides and salads to accommodate the three of us who don't eat meat. As I've said before, eschewing the meat on a menu is probably the most effective way to lower our carbon footprint, at least for those of us who don't drive Hummers we could have melted down and turned into tomato stakes or something.

Remember when I told you that I didn't know that many Decatur restaurants that pay to have their glass picked up and recycled? Well, add Feast to that list. The restaurant also takes used wine bottles, sterilizes them, and keeps them in service as dispensers for  water and olive oil. This is an example of sustainability at its most basic - take something you could just throw away and instead conserve resources by keeping it in use. Now you don't have to buy new oil dispensers. Now a big truck doesn't have to come take it away, now a factory doesn't have to deconstruct it and ship it somewhere else to be turned into something new, like a water bottle that a restaurant supply store can now sell you. It's the up side of conservation. 

Now here's the down side. When I talked with Feast's owner/manager Teri Rogers about her decision to use plastic to-go containers rather than compostable ones, she told me that the paper-based trays cost twice as much. Twice as much! And then she said something that was like music to my ears - "People should bring their own containers."

So true. It's too bad that restaurant owners have to pay twice as much for compostable to-go ware, but it's just as bad that they have to pay for the dang stuff at all. What diner hasn't got a piece of Tupperware in the cabinet that would be happy to go to Feast with them and carry home the leftovers, guard the food overnight in the fridge, tag along to work the next day and yield up the contents? Tupperware loves to go on adventures like that!

Rogers also told me that Feast buys a fair amount of their food locally, which saves on the transportation's carbon tire print as well as making for a fresher product and yummier food.

Finally, Feast is sponsoring a silent auction to benefit one of my favorite species, currently endangered due to the destruction of their habitat - human beings, specifically, those humans who are battling breast cancer.  The event takes place on August 4th at 7:00 PM. There will be entertainment, wine and hor d'oeuvres in addition to the auction. A $20 donation to the cause is requested.

If you're one of those people who likes to show up for good causes, show up for this one. And bring your own to-go box!