The Red, White, and Green

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Las Vegas is the antithesis of a sustainable city. Air conditioning, lights on 24/7, tourists flying in from all over the world, fountains that spray like fireworks — all in the middle of a vast desert that was meant to be home to jack rabbits and lizards (well, and the indigenous people who lived there, but that’s another post).

I’m not writing today to bag on Vegas — I certainly have paid a visit or two to Sin City, and even though it’s pretty much against everything I stand for, I managed to enjoy myself. I am human, after all.

Most of us aren’t gobbling up five-course dinners at four-star restaurants these days, but I found it entertaining nonetheless to see an adorably illustrated chart in this month’s Wired magazine (see below) about how Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare in the Wynn manages to serve fresh Mediterranean fish in the middle of the Mojave Desert. With so many chefs now embracing local — even restaurant-grown — ingredients, and the world facing the end of seafood by 2048, it’s an even more striking paradox to see chef Paul Bartolotta essentially giving the planet the bird.

Of course, Bartolotta isn’t the only offender. Creating a menu from truly local food in Las Vegas would be close to impossible (tumbleweeds and rattlesnake, anyone?). But it is some interesting food for thought. Check it out:

Wired: Seafood Express: Getting Mediterranean Fish to Las Vegas — Fast

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: There’s not much you can do in the way of sustainable eating once you’re already in Sin City, but the rest of the time, you can ensure that your sushi dinner isn’t destroying our oceans. Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guide — there’s even a free iPhone app available.

Related posts:
Go see: The End of the Line
Sustainable seafood on the go

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