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ECO-GRINGO

ECO-GRINGO
The Brooklyn Papers / Daniel Krieger

As far as Sean Meenan knows, his Habana
Outpost in Fort Greene is the first solar-powered restaurant/flea
market/neighborhood gathering spot in New York City. The restaurateur,
who owns two wildly popular spots in Nolita: Cafe Habana and
Cafe Habana To-Go, chose the neighborhood for his first Brooklyn
venture, because "everyone’s here," he says while gesturing
to locals dining outdoors.



It’s easy to see what Meenan means. Sitting in the courtyard
around bright blue picnic tables are neighborhood folk, mostly
in their 20s and 30s. The diverse group is a reflection of Fort
Greene’s population. They relax beneath brightly striped umbrellas,
in couples and gatherings of friends, and in family groups with
infants. No one, not even parents with small children, appears
to be in a hurry to leave.



On a recent Wednesday evening, Meenan polished off "Oscar’s
nightly special" and downed a Corona.



"I’m not a tree-hugger," he says. "Being as close
to self-sufficient and finding better ways to make energy is
just the right thing to do." ("Tree hugger" is
a label that doesn’t fit – at least outwardly. Meenan is thin
– not in the vegan "I only eat grains" way, but as
a reflection of high-octane energy, and he’s too stylish, sporting
a Panama hat, a gaudily printed nylon shirt circa 1976 and a
collection of gold chains.)



His efforts to respect the environment begin with the Outpost’s
physical space. Meenan has built a duplex-sized area enclosing
a wall along the side of the adjacent building. On that wall
is a vivid mural created in 1978 by Lee Quinones. The painting’s
layers of jarring motifs reflect the turmoil of the city during
that era.



The indoor space has the feeling of a Cuban cafe with a long
counter covered in glinting tiles (reclaimed, of course), ceiling
fans and a few couches for diners to lounge on. One of the sofas
has "51362" printed in the center.



"That is one of the sails from the America Cup races,"
explains Meenan. "We try to use as much recycled stuff as
we can." Green decor includes the "world’s first light
pipe chandelier" operated by sun collection panels. The
fixture is a huge, twisted affair of black rubber-covered wires
that end in tiny bulbs. During the daylight hours, the orbs are
bright; their power fades along with the sun. And those blue
picnic tables in the courtyard are called Trent Tables; they’re
created with recycled plastic and glass soda bottles. The place
settings are made of biodegradable sugarcane and corn, and he
composts as much of the leftover food as possible.



Solar panels provide much, but not all, of the electricity.



"We can’t run the place entirely on solar energy,"
he says, "but the extra electricity we make goes back into
the grid and into neighboring buildings."



Using Habana Outpost as a green learning center of sorts, Meenan
sponsored the Urban Studio Brooklyn program that brought together
five students from the area’s architecture schools this July.



"They learned about designing ’green.’ They got together
and built that water tower," says Meenan, pointing to a
wooden structure in the garden. Continuing along the learning
curve theme, children who participate in the weekend Kids Corner
education program use the rainwater held in the tower to feed
the garden’s plants.



Stop by the Outpost on the weekends, and you’ll see an open-air
flea market. The "green" market takes place all day,
with a live DJ spinning tunes. People shop, nibble on ears of
grilled corn, and while away their time picking up great new
fashions from local designers.



Meenan’s friend, Lopeti Etu, who produces a collection of clothing
called HORRS (Habana Outpost Recycled Reject Shop), is a longtime
vendor at the market.



On Sundays, you can grab a bite at the cafe in the early evening,
and stay for movie night, when films of all genres are projected
outside. "Do the Right Thing," "Mothra" and
"Cleopatra Jones" were screened in August.



In the courtyard is an old canteen truck where chef Oscar Teco
can be seen working the grill. Meenan tries to purchase as much
of the Outpost’s ingredients as possible at the Red Hook farmers
market as well as the Greenmarket in Fort Greene.



"It’s all part of supporting the community," he says.
He refers to the menu as "Mexican and Caribbean with a gringo
twist."



He adds, "I’m, like, totally, 100 percent Irish, so I have
to have stuff for people like me." For gringos, there are
burgers and hot dogs. The rest of the simple menu includes salads
and sandwiches with Mexican touches like chipotle mayonnaise;
an excellent quesadilla filled with moist, smoky grilled chicken;
and wraps.



If you want a smoothie with your meal, you’ll need to climb atop
the "bike blender" (a bicycle with a blender soldered
to the front) to whip up the drink. If you ’cycle it yourself,
the drink is $4; let one of the waitstaff do the pedaling, and
it’ll set you back $5.



Hollywood types, who frequent his Nolita restaurant, are trying
to persuade Meenan to open a Habana Outpost in California. So
far, he’s resisted. He’s happy being "bi-borough" with
an apartment "above the store" and another residence
in Manhattan. Meenan is content with three eateries.



"I had four restaurants awhile back and that was too much,"
he confides.



However, Meenan’s ready to pursue a dream that’s been on hold
for too long. In September, he begins shooting and directing
a film he wrote. He wouldn’t say much more about it other than
"It’s a buddy pic. One of the guys is from Elizabeth Street
in New York. One gets pimped out in underground fight gangs."
The major roles in the movie are being played by undiscovered
talent "in keeping with the school of neo-realism,"
he jokes. Recognizable stars have signed on for cameos, but Meenan
isn’t naming names.



When pressed for more information about the project, Meenan says
with a sigh, "I’m a total cornball. Let’s just leave it
at that."

 

Habana Outpost (757 Fulton St. at South
Portland Street in Fort Greene) accepts cash only. Sandwiches,
salads and quesadillas: $2-$10.25; special platters: $13. The
Outpost is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Lunch and
dinner is served on weekends from noon to midnight. (The flea
market is open on weekends from noon to 7 pm.) The Outpost will
close on Dec. 30 and reopen in early March. For more information
about films and other events, log onto www.ecoeatery.com.
For more information, call (718) 858-9500.