November 15, 2012. Houston. Siblings Katie Barnhart and Nick Adair, owners of Adair Kitchen, 5161 San Felipe at Sage, has enticed Houstonian Jimmy Mitchell out of his garden and into their kitchen. “He is the perfect fit for our concept,” stated Barnhart. “He understands what we are trying to do. After all, he was green before it was cool.” Mitchell has created a fresh, seasonal dinner menu that compliments the breakfast and lunch menus created by Barnhart and Adair. “The menu was fun to create,” stated Mitchell, “and it’s a little different too.” For more information, please visit www.adairkitchen.com, or call 713-623-6100. Photos of the dinner menu items are posted at www.Flickr.com/photos/
During his entire career as a chef, at most of the restaurants where he worked, Mitchell built gardens where he composted all of his food waste, and grew heirloom varieties of herbs and vegetables for the restaurant. “I love fresh herbs and vegetables. When I could step outside my kitchen and pick the most perfectly ripe tomato, or fennel, it was the most amazing thing,” stated Mitchell. “My customers were always so appreciative of the extra efforts I went through in order to serve them the very best. I want to help all my chef colleagues do the same thing.”
Mitchell is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and holds a certification in Master Gardening from Texas A&M University through the Harris County Agriculture Extension Agency.
Chef Mitchell fulfilled his culinary externship at The Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center at Fetzer Winery under the direction of John Ash in Hopland, California. The hands-on training included a 5-acre organic garden with more than 1,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers. His time there inspired his focus on sustainability.
Throughout his culinary career Mitchell has received several awards for his culinary creations, and was named one of “The Great Chefs in Houston” by Media Inc. Mitchell has been the Executive Chef at such prestigious restaurants as The Rainbow Lodge, Vallone’s Steak House in Houston, Gaido’s in Galveston and Riversong Lodge in Alaska.
In 1997, while executive chef at The Rainbow Lodge in Houston, Mitchell was presented an Award from the Houston Corporate Recycling Council for Environmental Excellence to recognize his “Efforts to protect and enhance the Texas Environment by promoting the Development of Recycling Industries in the State.”
In 1999, the State of Texas and its Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission saluted Mitchell for “Taking care of Texas through outstanding efforts in Environmental Protection and Pollution Prevention.”
Mitchell has served as a member of the Urban Harvest Board of Directors in Houston, Texas from 1998 to 2000. As a member of the Chef’s Collaborative 2000, Mitchell served on the national committee to address the recycling and waste issues for its members and along with Tim Keating and Monica Pope, they helped found farmer’s markets in the city.
In 2009, Mitchell started Restaurant Recyclers to help restaurants in Austin, Houston and San Antonio go Green. Mitchell’s dream to start Restaurant Recyclers came many years ago when he noticed just how much waste one restaurant generated, and realized that it all ended up in landfills. Not only was his goal to help restaurants recycle their cardboard, tin, glass and food waste, he helped turn that food waste into compost from which he grew heirloom varieties of herbs and vegetables on his five-acre farm to sell back to the restaurant. “From the Earth to the Table and back to the Earth,” stated Mitchell. “It’s just the cycle of life.”
Mitchell received the “Green Business” award from the Austin Business Journal in recognition for his pioneering efforts.
The Adair Kitchen is owned by The Adair Family, which also owns Los Tios Mexican Restaurants and Skeeter’s Mesquite Grill.
Adair Kitchen is located at 5161 San Felipe, Suite 390, (at Sage) Houston, Texas 77056. Hours: Monday through Friday: 7 am – 10 pm; Saturday: 8 am – 10 pm; Sunday: 8 am – 9 pm. For more information, please visit our website at www.adairkitchen.com, or call 713-623-6100.
