1 week Ago
Title : Owner and Chef, Green is Good by Kate Location : 186 S. West St., Crown Point, IN 46307 Green is good.
So is eggplant bacon. In the kitchen at "Green is Good," Chef Kate Rather and sous chef Carrie Lamphear are laying out sheets of eggplant strips by the dozen and carefully brushing them with smoke sauce. As the bacon-loaded trays go into the oven, Rather explains that nearly everything, from the eggplant to broccoli to shredded chicken, gets prepped in small batches throughout the day.
That includes their homemade soups; chicken stock is constantly bubbling on the stove for their lemon orzo soup. Rather meticulously inspected several avocados as we photographed them in the kitchen: this one isn't green enough, that one is too hard. But she gets the slices she wants out of the batch.
"It's quick and healthy," Rather said of her cuisine. "You're not getting something that's gonna wear you down the whole day. You'll feel energized.
It's clean and good." And much tastier. The eggplant bacon, which gets baked and piled into a vegan BLTA (that's avocado on the end there), is a sneaky hit.
The strips come out dark and crispy; they are a bit thinner and more brittle than bacon, but still has a nice, smoky flavor. It also holds together well within the sandwich, for those people (like me) who often get frustrated with everyone falling out of the other end the minute you bite down. The Green is Good bacon marinade is a fun mix of 11 secret spices including maple syrup, liquid smoke, paprika and chili powder.
Photographer John Watkins and I are also treated to a wrappers' delight: several varieties of Rather's signature wraps: the buffalo and Southwest chicken, respectively. But back to the eggplant strips: they are ultimately more evocative of bacon than a perfect imitation, but Rather isn't trying for that. (she says she's going for the "vibe of bacon," which I can get behind) Overall, Rather works to prepare clean, crisp menu items that take advantage of local produce whenever possible.
(Ironically, despite promoting various vegan/vegetarian options, Green is Good now offers a high-end Italian beef sandwich with chunkier, au-jus dipped meat courtesy of Slagel Farms and The Wurst butcher shop in Griffith) The concept behind Green is Good, Rather explained, is to broadly offer a variety of healthier options for diners looking to address various aspects of their diet, whether it's something vegan, gluten-free or something that can provide a tasty energy boost. The menu is comprised of a nice variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and a "green warrior" quinoa bowl; the latter can be topped with barbecue mushrooms and coleslaw drizzle. (coleslauce?) "I wanted to have Green is Good be a place that anybody can come," Rather said.
"Trying to find something quick and healthy has always been hard (in Crown Point), and I wanted to provide that to the community. We are very aware of what you're putting in your body and how that makes you feel." The mind-body connection, Rather said, is something a lot people don't think about enough, or don't recognize the role food plays in even day-to-day moods and health.
"People don't always listen to (their bodies)," Rather said. "After they eat something, and then feel a certain way afterwards, they don't correlate that together. And honestly, some things just taste good, and you don't want to admit it made you feel crappy, so you keep eating it.
" Thus, Rather says one of her main goals with Green is Good is make sure customers can "eat cleaner without the sacrifice." The Frontera Factor Rather has been in the restaurant industry since she was 16 years old. She grew up being the only vegetarian in her family (she now eats some meat), which she said has helped inform her desire to serve a wide variety of culinary preferences.
Rather's father, she explained, was leery about her pursuing a career in the restaurant industry, and while she pushed the jump to the CIA — that's the Culinary School of America — until after college, Rather said getting a degree (she has a bachelor's in hospitality from Purdue) helped prepare her for successfully running her own business now. Rather also said her time working with Rick Bayless at the Frontera Grill in Chicago was a huge influence on her current cooking techniques and philosophy. "It was amazing," Rather said of her time at Frontera and nextdoor Topolobampo.
"He (Bayless) was there every day. Very involved. The menu was always rotating.
The other chefs working there were also really skilled and knowledgeable. It didn't seem like work." Bayless, whose menus are very seasonally-based, also influenced Rather to pursue working directly with farmers and supporting the local community in getting ingredients.
Currently Green is Good gets a lot of their produce via the Region Roots food hub, which connects NWI growers to restaurants and other wholesale buyers. Rather also has a very lucky and exclusive supplier in her (once naysaying) dad, who grows tomatillos in his home garden. "He has a huge garden that he's basically grown for me," Rather said.
"He'll grow tomatillos, or poblanos, which we will roast for enchiladas." It's Not Not Easy Being Green Fresh, organic produce is not only more nutrient dense but also more flavorful, Rather noted. And from the rich earthy chicken stock flavoring the orzo soup, to the surprisingly spicy red Thai curry, Green is Good lets diners feel like they're being spoiled with sprouts.
So why, for so many people, does eating healthier feel like a chore? Many people are still approaching healthier eating from an almost punitive standpoint, Rather notes. Almost as if we are all force feeding a child broccoli at the dinner table. Even if that child is ourselves.
"A lot of people don't season their vegetables enough," Rather said. "Because they think it's healthier. Or a lot of people are (correctly) conscious of how much salt they are eating, how much they are putting on foods.
" Many diners also either don't have the time to cook for themselves, or simply, being in a place like Crown Point dense with Chefs of Steel, love the restaurant experience. But dining out doesn't have to be a battle to avoid building out a nice gut, Rather said. "There's some very basic things (people can do)," Rather said.
"Get grilled chicken instead of fried. Having a salad or veggies instead of fries. Get dressing on the side.
" But we all have our weaknesses. You can't stop at just one slice of eggplant bacon. Or bacon bacon.
Rather's Achilles heel, she acknowledges, are Chicago-style hot dogs. "I can't say no to a Chicago dog," Rather said. Who can blame her? All that neon relish and sports peppers.
It's even on the sign out front: green is good..
