Nightflying: The Entertainment Guide

Going For The GREEN

    The Greenhouse Grille of Fayetteville is undeniably cool. The majority of the food that they serve is organic and they carry out their business practices with eco-sustainability constantly in mind. As noble and refreshing as it to see a business taking such a responsible step, it’s not the only aspect of what makes this place what it is. The atmosphere, the food, the staff… Everything blends together seamlessly well to create a dining experience, rather than merely a restaurant.
    Boasting a beautiful new location at 481 South School Street, they have moved only blocks from their original humble home. The move was a close one, but a hugely important one nonetheless. The ever-expanding number of admirers the Greenhouse Grille has made it clear that they were going to need a bigger place. The new building features a gorgeous bar area, understated dining room, and two interior stages. (Quite an upgrade from their initial location that only seated 50 guests.)
    Even though they have expanded, they’ve managed to maintain the same intimate, relaxed, familiar environment that helped to originally make them so popular. It’s not a mood that can easily be created, and definitely can’t be manufactured. This place is special… You can feel it when you walk in, but there is no trace of pretension. In fact, after sitting down with the owners I’ve come to realize that they are two really humble guys. And that’s what makes this place so extraordinary. The strong work ethic, high moral code, and meticulous attention to detail that these guys have are the key ingredients to making The Greenhouse Grille the remarkable place that it is. By pouring their hearts and souls, and literally their blood, sweat, and tears into their restaurant, they have managed to create a place that seems effortlessly comfortable and unquestionably cool.
    When you walk into the bright green building near the intersection of South School and Martin Luther King Boulevard, the first thing that you notice is the gorgeous bar. A bar, that it has to be mentioned, was handcrafted by incorporating local and personal touches like wood chips gathered from the 2009 northwest Arkansas ice storm, coffee grounds from Arsaga’s, Arkansas crystals, and sawdust from local custom guitar-maker Bayard Blaine. It was at this very bar that I sat down with the owners and learned that the story behind the Greenhouse Grille is just as eclectic and interesting as the elements that went into making this stunning piece of furniture.
    Co-owners Jerrmy Gawthrop and Clayton Suttle have quite a history together. Many adventures, a few business endeavors, and a great friendship have culminated into the Greenhouse Grille. The two music-lovers began preparing and serving food as a way to go see live music. Armed with a catering trailer, cooking talents, and a desire to feed the masses, the pair got their start serving food at concerts and music festivals. Red Rocks, Salmon Fest, Schwagstock, High Sierra – you name it, and these guys were probably there at some point.
    Traditionally the food vendors at these type musical events serve the provisions one might expect to find at the county fair. Corndogs, pizza, funnel cakes, turkey legs… As tempting as those “dishes” might be, Gawthrop and Suttle saw an opportunity to sell food that was nourishing and delicious to a crowd that wasn’t used to such accommodations. “People walked up with their jaw down, like ‘I can’t believe you guys are serving this right now.’” Gawthrop says of the organic breakfast, wraps, sandwiches, herbal teas and the like that they offered (fresh trout with rice pilaf was even on the menu once). Even then, the pair no doubt had their customer’s health in mind and hunger covered.
    Craig Gilbert, manager of Greenhouse Grille and longtime friend of both Gawthrop and Suttle, told me that even in the confines of the campground the two restaurant owners knew how to create a dining experience. First thing in the morning, just when everyone was starting to wake up, the (soon to be known as) Greenhouse Grille crew would start sautéing garlic. The smell of the butter and garlic would permeate the campgrounds, and slowly but surely the crowds would start to gather. Diners would inevitably be impressed with the menu, the care and thought that went into the ingredients and preparation, and the friendly nature of the pair of friends. Details, that are still important to Gawthrop and Suttle, and evident at the Greenhouse Grille
    It’s clear that selling food at concerts wasn’t a business endeavor taken on for financial gain. “It was an excuse to go see Phish… or go see Widespread [Panic].” Gawthrop said. They were there for the music, and by using their talents they found a way that they could usually pay for the majority of their trip and sometimes come home with a little extra. “By day it was kitchen, but by night it was a whole different thing.” Suttle says.
    In addition to vending on the road, they also did a lot of catering for musicians right here in Fayetteville. They cooked for the bands that were playing at Dave’s on Dickson and Chester’s, getting paid with free passes to the show. Without realizing it, these two undoubtedly helped shape the stellar reputation that Fayetteville has with touring musicians. The clubs here are known to treat the talent well and go above and beyond to make sure that the musicians are happy and want to return to play here again. Having Gawthrop and Suttle’s thoughtful catering somewhat of a music tradition plays a big part in the hospitality that Fayetteville is known for. Without a trace of arrogance, it’s clear that the two take a lot of pride in the fact that they’ve catered for so many talented musicians, and they should. The list of folks is a veritable who’s who of the music industry and reads more like a person’s iPod than a catering resume. The Black Crowes, Ani DiFranco, Lucinda Williams, Gov’t Mule, Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Keller Williams, Les Claypool, and on and on and on… It really is impressive.
    Gawthrop and Suttle are still asked to cater for George’s Majestic Lounge, the Arkansas Music Pavilion, Wakarusa, Mulberry Mountain Harvest Fest, and other special music events. Humbly the two admit that it’s a good feeling that they’ve made impressions on people like world-renowned mandolin player David Grisman and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, because apparently it isn’t everywhere that musicians are treated with such attention to detail. Recently they catered an event where Grammy Award winning banjoist Bela Fleck took quite an interest in the food and their restaurant, saying that the band rarely was served food that was so impressive. “BELA FLECK” Gawthrop says emphatically “you’d think people would roll out the carpet.” And maybe people do, but just maybe Gawthrop and Suttle are better at what they do than the rest…
    From their catering gigs, the two began to form friendships with many of the bands that they met. They’re close friends with the members of Umphrey’s McGee, and actually introduced them to the band’s current tour manager, Robbie Williams. Perhaps they’ve even served as inspiration for a song or two. Suttle told me about frying a turkey for Leftover Salmon and hanging out with the band when a train happened to pass by. They started talking about the Fayetteville line and before too long the lyrics “Take me back to that Fayetteville line, laughin’ and a’pickin’ and feelin’ fine” were written and “Fayetteville Line” became one of Leftover Salmon’s regular tunes.
    Motivated by what they saw and the people they got to meet, whether they were vending on the road or backstage somewhere in Fayetteville, the two got the idea to take their love of music to the next level. Remember the northwest Arkansas music festival, The Great Unknown? These guys were behind the whole thing.
    Gawthrop and Suttle say that attending the northern California music festival, High Sierra, inspired them to bring a similar festival to Arkansas. It wasn’t a time where mega-festivals like Bonnaroo were very prevalent, and the two used High Sierra as a model for the fest that they hoped this area would embrace. They wanted a well-run multi-day, multi-stage event with up and coming national and local acts, a good vibe, and a professional technical crew. The two formed Pipedream Productions and set out to throw a festival with one considerable difference from the festivals that inspired them- the budget. Gawthrop and Suttle’s pockets weren’t nearly as deep but with the help of friends and the same work ethic and creativity that has gone into the Greenhouse Grille, the Great Unknown was born. “It was truly like a mini Woodstock where you get all your friends involved,” There were no work crews. It was them out there dragging the trees and building the stages. “Thank God nobody got hurt… I look back like WHAT were we doing!?” Gawthrop says with a laugh.
    When asked about the bands that played at the festivals, they start rattling off an impressive line up like Garaj Mahal, Melvin Sparks, Stockholm Syndrome, Jeff Sipe, Bobby Vega, Mike Dillion, and Umphrey’s McGee… And before I know it the Great Unknown scrapbook is pulled out and I’m watching the two friends laugh and reminisce about the festival that brought some many people joy.
    You can tell that the Great Unknown was truly a labor of love for both Gawthrop and Suttle. They are a couple of guys who work hard, but have a lot of fun doing it. They set out to put on an event that would expose this area to world-class musicians while staying true to the Fayetteville tradition of treating those musicians exceptionally well. A letter in the scrapbook from Judie Worrell, wife of keyboardist Bernier Worrell who is best known for his work with Parliament-Funkadelic and the Talking Heads, is a testament to that they were able to achieve that goal. “Bernie and I wanted to let you now how much we appreciated the hospitality shown to us by not only you, but your entire staff” she writes “As you know, Bernie has done quite a few festivals and this ranks up there as one of his favorites.” – Pretty impressive, huh?
    They have no plans to revive the festival that ran from 2002 to 2005, but it they paved a way for events like Wakarusa and Mulberry Mountain Harvest Fest that are currently thriving in this area. When asked if they take credit for proving that Arkansas can support musical events of this size, they take their familiar modest stance (that is starting to become more and more endearing) and say that it was probably just an inevitable thing waiting to happen. –Maybe, but someone had to take the first step, and it just happened to be Gawthrop and Suttle.
    After the Great Unknown came to a wrap, the two started to seriously work on their idea for a restaurant that had been in the back of their minds for a while. There were several elements that they felt needed to be included to achieve their ideal place, and music was, of course, one of the things at the of that list. From the handpicked diverse mix that plays throughout the dining areas and kitchen (no Muzak here), to the live musicians they host several times a week, it’s obvious that that goal was met.
    In the old location, it was a goal that wasn’t met quite as easily because of the small size, but true-to-fashion, these two found a way to make it work. Starting a tradition that has carried over from the old location, they made it interesting for the guests and staff by featuring themed music days like “Talking Heads Tuesday” or “Bob Marley Wednesday.” The themes are always changing and can be as broad as “Funky Friday,” but no doubt have added an air of fun to the restaurant. Providing the live music that they always knew they wanted to incorporate also proved to have its own hurdles in the old location. With limited space, they had to pull out a table and cram the musicians into the corner. People often found themselves standing in front of someone playing a guitar while they waited for their table.
    They’ve remedied that problem with the addition of two interior stages in the new location. The Greenhouse Grille hosts music on Wednesday and Friday nights and on Sundays for brunch. Right now, the majority of music is being played on the smaller stage that was designed to accommodate bands with fewer members and acoustic musicians. After knowing the caliber of musicians that these two have worked with, it goes without saying that the music one will hear at the Greenhouse Grille is exceptional. They’ve got a great mix of funky jazz, straight up jazz, singer-songwriter, and folk brought by Arkansas’ premier musicians and are attracting new and regional talent regularly. Jed Clampit, Walter Savage, Sarah Hughes, 3-Penny Acre, and Shawn Eckels of Speakeasy are just a few of the acts playing during dinner that one would normally have to pay a cover to see. By bringing in stringed duets from the local symphony and classical guitarists, they’ve even got the classical music covered.
    In addition to the artists I’ve already mentioned, the Greenhouse Grille regularly pulls from their own staff of rich local talent to entertain. Candy Lee Long (of Candy Lee and the Sweets) and Tiffany Christopher (of the Tiffany Christopher Band) pull double duty acting as both servers and musicians. In the kitchen, they’ve got Ben Wardlaw (of Charliehorse) and Reed Faitak (of the Memphis Pencils), and manning the bar is Taylor Smith (of Fayetteville Funk Ensemble). Not to mention that Suttle was the drummer for the award-winning band Eckobase. A bassist himself, Gawthrop says “Almost everyone here plays something- we had a funny conversation one day about starting a Greenhouse band… It’d be like a 17-piece band.” They said that their staff of musicians wasn’t an intentional decision. However, it comes as no surprise that they would attract the musically inclined considering the great thought that goes into the music at this place.
    Another fun tradition that has carried over from the old location is the “kitchen song” that the musicians are asked to perform. Literally playing a song in the kitchen for the staff is no doubt a perk for the employees and a new experience for most of the musicians. Sometimes having to improvise by banging on pots and pans, these performances are unique and fun for all involved. “The staff loves it, and usually the musicians think it’s really cool too.” Gawthrop says. “Plus it’s usually us back there, and by-God, come show us what you got!”
    In addition to the recurring weekly music performed on the smaller stage during dinner and brunch, the restaurant is equipped to host much larger bands on their second stage. So far they’ve only had one opportunity to really test out the big stage with the Garaj Mahal show that they hosted in December. Selling out the standing room only event in advance, the show was an obvious success, and one that they hope to duplicate in the future. Only having been in their new location since October, they are still trying to find the balance between transitioning from a restaurant to a music venue and back to a restaurant to host these type events. Utilizing the big stage on a more regular basis is a definitely in the works for the future, along with the goal of building an outdoor patio that can also accommodate larger bands and crowds.
    Clearly, in addition to the music, the food was a significant component in ensuring that their dream restaurant would be a success. Drawing from their experience vending and catering, Gawthrop and Suttle set out to create a menu that was both delicious and healthy. Their menu isn’t entirely organic as some may think, but it’s as close as they can get it with the resources available in this area. It’s a dream to have a 100 percent organic eatery and it’s getting easier with more products coming onto the market and becoming more affordable.
    Not even taking into consideration the quality of ingredients that go into each dish, this menu is unreal. Appetizers, salads, entrees, handheld wraps, gyros, sandwiches, and deserts… Each item has a detailed description of the dish that makes your mouth water. They also feature daily specials, with more comprehensive special menus available on the weekends. Custom menus have been designed for in-house special events like Valentines Days, Mother’s Day, New Years Eve and even a holiday that they call “Thanksgiving Eve.” The specials and custom holiday menus have been a big hit, and one aspect of the menu that Gawthrop and Suttle say will remain an important part of the Greenhouse Grille. The specials change and the menu sometimes varies depending upon the season and the available produce and traditional seasonal fare.
    Gawthrop and Suttle list the Grilled Buffalo Burger (locally raised and grain fed, with topping choices of: pepper jack cheese and sautéed onions, all natural goat cheese and roaster garlic aioli, or all natural bleu cheese and sautéed organic shiitake mushrooms) and the Fish Tacos (served with flash-fried tilapia, topped with a fresh citrus cumin slaw, and black beans, served in all natural corn tortillas) as two of their biggest sellers, along with all of their vegetarian dishes like the Grilled Vegetable Kabobs (with mixed peppers, shiitake mushrooms, onions, zucchini, and squash served over lemon speckled basmati rice with a ginger plum sauce). They routinely win awards for their vegetarian dishes, which is both accurate and deceiving. They say that they have seen and heard some hesitation from diners who assume that the Greenhouse Grille is an all-vegetarian restaurant, or that all the dishes are made from tofu. But believe me, meat is a big part of this restaurant and they are organic, free-range, clean meats of the highest quality.
    The menu is bursting with things that I am dying to try, but so far my personal favorite are the Crab Cakes (served over mixed organic greens with a roasted red pepper tartar sauce), the Mixed Fruit and Berry Salad (with red and green apples, grapes, strawberries, melon and raw walnuts, over organic greens with natural honey yogurt dressing), Shrimp Fettuccine (with grilled vegetables, tomato, red onion, and Garlic in a white wine sauce with parmesan cheese) and the Grilled Petite Filet Sandwich (topped with all natural bleu cheese crumbles, sautéed onions, and peppered bacon) They’ve also got diverse kids’ menu and a to-die-for dessert menu. When I asked them what their favorite items are, they both shrug their shoulders saying that they designed the menu the way that they eat, and they really like everything. When pressed Gawthrop admits that the specials are probably his favorite.
    The drinks that the Greenhouse Grille serves have the same quality and consciousness in mind as the food does. All wines are biodynamic; sustainable-y farmed and/or organic is some shape or form. They have 4 organic beers (and are picking up more as quality products become available) along with beers from New Belgium Brewery (which is widely known as a green company). They have organic gin, scotch, vodka, and rum available too. All of the water used for drinking, ice, cooking and cleaning is filtered, and they carry All Natural Blue Sky Soda, Natural Numi Teas, and locally roasted organic coffee.
    Unprocessed foods come to the restaurant where the staff then cleans, cooks, and prepares everything rather than ordering it pre-made. You won’t find any microwaves in the kitchen because all foods are made to order and cooked from scratch on the stove or grill. Anytime they are able to do something themselves, they do. It ultimately makes their jobs harder and can take more time, but it’s an important sacrifice they are willing to make to maintain the high standards for their food they serve.
    The care that goes into choosing the food is just one more way that Gawthrop and Suttle ensure their guests are getting the very best. They’re meeting with farmers, talking with distributors about new organic products, and utilizing local and statewide sustainable and natural resources. They even meet with cattle farmers to see where the beef they serve is coming from, what it eats and how it lives. Not a lot of restaurant owners are buying whole cows, and even less are concerned with where it came from.
    They’re also doing some of their own natural farming. Organic gardens are wrapped around building and the eventual goal of an onsite greenhouse is on the horizon. Gawthrop and Suttle tell me that they’re looking for even more opportunities to grow their own food. They’ve been looking for the right piece of land where they can start their own garden in an environment they can control. Suttle says that they hope to grow their own produce such as basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and “stuff that our grandparents used to grow – we can grow for ourselves” he pauses “which I guess makes us more green, but really we’re just doing it because it makes sense and we can.”
    It’s that “it makes sense and we can” attitude that rounds out the final component that makes this restaurant the place that Gawthrop and Suttle dreamed it could be. The movement to be “green” is one that becomes more prevalent as we hear about global warming, carbon footprints, and pollution in our daily lives. More and more there are organic and sustainable products on the market for everyday use in our homes. People are genuinely becoming more aware and conscientious of the products that they use and how they affect our planet. So much so, that many big corporations have taken notice and capitalized on the on the green movement by disingenuously spinning their products and policies to be environmentally friendly. Fortunately, that’s not the case with at the Greenhouse Grille. There is no green gimmick here. Gawthrop and Suttle run their restaurant the way that they live their lives. “It’s just the way it should be” Gawthrop says “instead of throwing that glass away, why not toss it into the recycling.”
    There are several ways that the Greenhouse Grille aims to make sure their running their business as responsibly as possible. They’ve implemented a recycling program for plastics, glass, steel and aluminum cans, paper and e-waste. All organic waste materials are composted. Grease and oil waste are recycled into bio-diesel for use in vehicles. All soaps, cleaning agents, and food washes are environmentally safe. Recycled paper products are used in the bathrooms, kitchen and office, and they use energy efficient and LED lighting. Almost all decisions that are made are made with the utmost respect for the planet and a desire to make their restaurant as genuinely green as possible.
    Supporting local resources and giving back to their community is another characteristic of their personal lives that found a way into the Greenhouse Grille. Beyond local food and farmers, they strive to support local businesses, local art, local music, and local charities (like the Seven Hills Homeless Shelter) because as Gawthrop puts it “we have a only little to give so we want it to have a big impact.”
    They use the term “conscious cuisine’ to describe the Greenhouse Grille, which to them means paying attention to all of the details that go into their restaurant. Knowing where there food is coming from, choosing soothing colors for the dining room, recycling everything that they can, handpicking the music, keeping staff and guests happy, and on and on- Every “t” is crossed and every “i” personally dotted by Gawthrop and Suttle. It’s something that is obvious when you walk into the building. Just like the bar, there are a lot of elements that make the Greenhouse Grille such an amazingly special place.
    Gawthrop and Suttle don’t follow restaurant models too closely because they’ve managed to forge their own way and incorporate what is important to them into their establishment. When they started this journey to create what the Greenhouse Grille has become, there were no books or examples on how to run a small business the way that they wanted. The hard work that they’ve poured into all their endeavors is evident, especially at the Greenhouse Grille. It took guts to set out to do what these two have accomplished. Opening a restaurant from the ground up is a risky business, but Gawthrop and Suttle managed to do so beautifully while maintaining their the high standards they’ve set for themselves. They do things differently, not against the grain, just differently. They run their businesses the way that they live their lives, incorporating fun, quality and their personal belief systems (without a hint of judgment towards those who choose a different way, I might add). Suttle says, “Everyone is on their own journey. We all have free will. Do what you want. Make your choice.”
    In regards to Jerrmy Gawthrop, Clayton Suttle and the Greenhouse Grille, I say “Good choice guys, good choice.”

-Anna VanHorn

For more information on the Greenhouse Grille, please visit www.greenhousegrille.com.

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