We cannot take credit for many of the things we do to minimize our footprint. The vast majority of our programs have been dreamed up and executed by the employees of Francesca’s Trattoria. From composting our waste to making sure the maximum amount of recyclable material make it to its proper bin, we owe a great debt of gratitude to our caring staff to keep us lean out of their own initiative.

Here are some other ways we try to be green:

• Use local products (Cedar Key clams, produce when available, Gulf Coast seafood when fresh)
• Recycle cooking oils
• Optimize electrical usage
• Quality food management (Chef Michael has been in the industry for decades. Very rarely do foodstuffs go to waste on his watch).

We are always open to ideas – send them my way to dkheyster@gmail.com

–Dave

It has almost been two years since my parents have opened up Francesca’s Trattoria in Gainesville.  We opened our doors on June 1, 2008 – and in celebration of two successful years, I stopped procrastinating and I finally churned out this new website.  If you have any suggestions for the site, please email me at dkheyster@gmail.com.

I have been encouraging Chef Michael to use this blog as a spot to push out some recipes and meal ideas as we move ahead into the summer months.  For example, I think I am going to post our Christmas bread recipe that our family has made over the holidays since I was 5 or so.  It is probably as far away from Italian as you can get, but it is delicious!  But the trick is…, you have to wait at least 2 days before you eat the loaf!  That was always the hardest part.

–Dave