One of the many rewards of being a volunteer for the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurants program (OFR) is discovering restaurants that I didn’t know existed. One such hidden gem is the Vessel Restaurant + Bar located in the Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island. The restaurant space is gorgeous with huge windows that look out over the marina, bay and the hills of Pt. Loma. The Vessel is not only a Surfrider OFR, but the entire Kona Kai Resort is certified as a Green Business by the Department of the Environment. According to the Kona Kai, “San Diego Bay is our backyard. We know eco-friendly initiatives are of the utmost importance and that is why we strongly believe in taking the necessary steps to help ensure that our resort helps preserve and protect the indoor and outdoor environment.” Surfrider hopes to have the Kona Kai Resort join the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Hotels program in the near future.
The Vessel holds ongoing training for staff in order to educate them on proper composting and recycling procedures. The Vessel even recycles their kitchen grease into biofuel.
Throughout the Kona Kai property, including the Vessel Restaurant, there are MERV 11 filters to control air quality. A Building Automated System helps control all public space heating and cooling to minimize energy consumption. The resort also uses low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) carpets and pads, sealants, paints and adhesives. The resort has also installed water refill stations throughout the property to help encourage reusable water bottles.
Dine and Charge: The Kona Kai Vessel Restaurant + Bar offers complimentary charging stations for their diners who own Teslas.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Amanda, head of Kona Kai Marketing, and Ryan, General Manager of Food and Beverage, during a routine OFR compliance check. We had an engaging conversation about “Greenwashing” and the challenges that restaurants face when it comes to deciding which environmentally friendly products to purchase. Ryan stated, “The Vessel has been using bioplastic agave straws, and we honestly thought they were the best choice for the environment.” The Vessel is one of many restaurants who purchase bioplastic/compostable straws. Bioplastic products are tricky and must be carefully vetted. According to Beyond Plastics, “Many manufacturers claim their bioplastics products break apart faster in the environment, are made from safer materials, and have smaller climate change impacts. With no federal standards defining or regulating bioplastics, companies have free rein to label whatever they want as 'biodegradable' and 'compostable'. As you can imagine, this lack of regulation has led to misleading marketing meant to falsely convince the public that certain products are environmentally friendly.”
The Surfrider’s OFR program has made it easier for restaurants to choose sustainable products with our new Ocean Friendly Foodware Guide 2.0. We showed Ryan and Amanda samples of good quality, sustainable alternatives. They were impressed with Holy City Straw Co. hay straws and Aadvark Straws heavy duty, classy, black paper straws. Both companies along with many others offer discounts to Surfrider OFRs.
Community & Environmental Philanthropy
Executive Chef Ethan Brown’s menus are driven by the seasons and because of this philosophy he was inspired to create the Vessel’s monthly pre-fixed menus referred to as the “Vessel Voyage” menu. Every month the Vessel will unveil a new menu to showcase the season’s flavors. Ingredients may even come from the Vessel’s on-site garden planted by the Chef and other employees. The Vessel is donating 10% of all proceeds from the Vessel Voyage menu to the Surfrider San Diego County Chapter. THANK YOU!
Kona Kai believes in aiding and assisting in local initiatives such as Earth Day “Keep Our Bay Clean”. They have teamed up with our local Surfrider San Diego County Chapter to protect our beaches and ocean not only through the Vessel Voyage menu (mentioned above), but are also donating the proceeds from their upcoming 4th Annual Sails and Ales Beer Fest, which will be held on November 8th. According to the Kona Kai, “Attendees can enjoy sweeping marina-front views, local brews, and live entertainment. The Kona Kai is bringing in over 30 different breweries, alternative spirits and wines for you to taste. A special menu has been prepared, and remember all proceeds from the event will benefit the Surfrider Foundation San Diego County.”
