Elevation Station Preview: Urban Alchemy/Dahlin Studio/architectureisfun + Chef, Chris Myers

May 23rd, 2012 : : : :

Navigating the complexities of what is in our food and where it really comes from can ruin one’s appetite.

The reaction of team Urban Alchemy/Dahlin Studio/architectureisfun was to create an environment that would further the discourse regarding food production and transportation by combining the two into one. The result is a simplified hybrid greenhouse/restaurant for serving the tastings of home-grown organic produce and local naturally raised lamb envisioned by Chef Chris Myers.

The  Elevation Station is easily assembled and has layers of texture and ideas: a metaphor for the delicious food of Chef Myers and our desire to return to a healthier way of sustenance.

+ Bluff Valley Farms Lamb Meatloaf Kabobs

+ Mint and Pea Soup (home grown from planters and locally sourced)

+ Pickled radish, bean and turnip canapés (home grown and locally sourced – pickled with George Paul vinegar and Nebraska Brewing Company’s Apricot Au Poivre Saison)

All are finger food and will be served on hand made wood serving trays with no utensil or plate waste (reusable metal skewers/shot glass soup) and will be garnished with a variety of home grown and site harvested micro greens and arugula. The large planters contain organic and heirloom varieties of Peas (golden sweet/Alaska garden) and Beans (Pencil Pod/Scarlet Emperor/organic Contender). The lettuce bar contains organic arugula with a smattering of Mache. The organic/non-GMO micro green walls contain Purple Basil, Mizuna, Arugula, Red Rock Mammoth Cabbage, Detroit Dark Red Beets and White Sprouting Radish.

After elevation, the installation (components not eaten) will be re-purposed, returned and re-planted. The team envisions future adaptation of their structure as a vertical vegetable cart, combining a greenhouse with space-conserving urban garden.  When ready, the cart could be rolled out to the street for a pop-up green market, where neighbors could pick their own vine-ready produce.